Celtic Coins Unearthed in Slovakia

NITRA, SLOVAKIA—The Slovak Spectator reports that some 40 Celtic coins were found scattered on a steep slope in northern Slovakia. Karol Pieta of the Archaeological Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences said the coins were probably wrapped in cloth made from organic material and buried during a battle some 2,000 years ago, but erosion later caused the bundle to break apart. The silver coins include several tetradrachms, the highest-value coin minted by the Celts in this period, which were worth four drachms each. The silver used to produce the coins probably came from a mine in the nearby Carpathian Mountains, Pieta explained. Gold, silver, and iron from the region were key to the Celts' economic success, he added. To read about a gargantuan Celtic coin hoard found on the British Channel island of Jersey, go to “Ka-Ching!”