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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Les monnaies gauloises et romaines de l'oppidum de Bibracte

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description

Over a century of coin finds at Bibracte, between 1868 and 2000, makes this site a major reference point for Celtic numismatics. The Catalogue raisonné of 2471 Gaulish coins and 478 Roman coins gives us an insight into the circulation of coins / coinage in this oppidum after the Roman Conquest and an idea of the level of coin usage in the Gaulish economy. The progressive emergence of coin types in archaeological contexts shows on the one hand a constant use of coins from La Tène D1, (end of the 2nd century BC), an exponential increase in the volume of coin issues up to the Roman Conquest, and a late introduction of Roman coins. This implies a growth in the use of coins in parallel with the economic changes brought about in Gaul in the 2nd century BC, characterised by the significant growth in urban development, crafts and trade. Finally, the impact of the monetary needs of armies, during and after the Gallic Wars, can be detected both from the type and the volume of issues in circulation. The diversity of coins found at Bibracte therefore enables us to make a well-reasoned assessment of the coins circulating in Gaul at the time. The book is divided into two sections: on the one hand a catalogue raisonné of all the Gaulish and Roman coins found on the site, and on the other, an analysis of these data in the context of the site, then in comparison with reference sites.