Scientists Discover 41 Untouched Gold Coins from the Late Iron Age
Volunteer archaeologist Wolfgang Herkt uncovered a hoard of gold coins from the Celts in Brandenburg, northeastern Germany, as reported by Live Science on January 13. A total of 41 coins were found, marking the first discovery of a Celtic gold hoard in Brandenburg, according to the Brandenburg Cultural Heritage Office. Herkt has been locating these coins since 2017 and subsequently informed the Brandenburg State Archaeological Museum and Heritage Management (BLDAM).
Some coins from the Celtic gold hoard discovered in Brandenburg, Germany. (Photo: M. Pilekić/MWFK)
The coins are bent, which gives them the name “regenbogenschüsselchen” in German, meaning “rainbow cup.” “Just like the legend that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, according to ancient beliefs, the rainbow cup appears where the rainbow touches the Earth,” explained Marjanko Pilekić, a researcher at the Schloss Friedenstein Gotha institution.
Another legend suggests that rainbow cups fall directly from the sky and are considered lucky charms with healing properties, Pilekić added. This may be because farmers often found ancient gold coins in their fields after rain, clean and shiny.
By comparing the weight and size of the coins found in Brandenburg with other ancient rainbow cups, Pilekić determined that they date back to between 125 and 30 BC, at the end of the Iron Age. At that time, the Celts did not inhabit Brandenburg, indicating that Iron Age Europe had a wide trading network.
Among the 41 gold coins, 19 are of the stater type with a diameter of 2 cm and an average weight of 7.3 grams. The remaining 22 are 1/4 stater coins with a diameter of 1.4 cm and an average weight of 1.8 grams. All are unmarked, meaning the rainbow cups are smooth, Pilekić noted.
The similarity in appearance of the gold coins suggests that they may have been stored together, he said. However, the mystery remains as to why this gold – the second-largest hoard of smooth rainbow cups ever found – is located in Brandenburg.
“It is very rare to find gold in Brandenburg, and no one expected it to be Celtic gold. This discovery once again expands the distribution area of these types of coins, and we will try to learn what more this can tell us,” Pilekić stated.
