A Celtic imitation of a Greek coin
Silver Tetradrachm from Pannonia, c.100 - 50 BC or earlier. This is an imitation of a Phillip II of Macedon Tetradrachm (father of Alexander the Great).
Obverse: Apollo wearing a double-pearl diadem. - Reverse: a horse and rider prancing
Celts were exposed to Greek coins when Greek city states in Italy and the Kingdom of Macedon employed celtic warriors as mercenaries during the 5th century BC. Gallic Celts started issuing their own coins by the 3rd century BC. The early celtic coins were imitations of gold coins of King Philip II of Macedon or copies of the coins of Greek city states like Tarentum and Syracuse.
The first inhabitants of Pannonia were the Pannonii (Pannonians), a group of Indo-European tribes akin to Illyrians. From the 4th century BC it was invaded by various Celtic tribes. Pannonia overlapped parts of modern day Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
