jahrbuch numismatik geldgeschichte - Medievalcoinage.com

96 Derek F. Allen
The treatment of the horse on the reverse of all seven coins, and the
posture of its forelegs, is almost the same. It is clear, however, that
what looks like an elongated snout, upturned, on the Prague type began
as a kind of Y-shaped ornament proceeding from the horse's
mouth. This is just visible on nos. 1-2, and very pronounced on nos.
3-5; but on nos. 6-7 it is already a kind of lead with upturned end.
The crescent or moon above the horse's back on the Prague type has
its origin in the similar objects above the horse's back on nos. 6-7,
which themselves appear to be derived from the human head and neck
above the horse's back on no. 2.
This chain of evidence, typical of Celtic numismatics, is very clear.
Most unhappily, no find-spot is recorded for any of the coins nos.
1-7, nor do I know of any other find-spot evidence to show whether
what we may call the prototypes of the Prague type came from the
same regions of Thuringia and Bohemia as the Prague type itself 2.
Although we only have seven specimens to go an 3, the range of
weight demonstrates that the prototypes are earlier than the Prague
type coins themselves. The average weight of the five specimen on
which the face is recognisable as such, nos. 1-5, is 1.72 grams (range
1.84-1.55 grams, with 3 examples over 1.80 grams). The average
weight of nos. 6-7 is 1.57 grams (range 1.82-1.33 grams). The average
weight for the six examples of the Prague type, Nos. 8-13, is
1.43 grams (range 1.69-1.19 grams). Though the absolute time involved
is a matter of speculation, it is, I believe, clear that the Prague
type itself is only the final phase of a coinage which had a much Tonger,
and as yet untraced, history. The prototypes are apparently not
found mixed with coins of the Prague type in hoards.
Furthermore, from the scattered material I have come across in
northern Europe, I am sure that the prototypes of the Prague type did
not stand alone. Nos. 14-19 are six examples of coins which seem to
me, with little doubt, to have some link with the earliest prototypes of
the Prague type. The starting point for the head is in each case the
same, no. 1, or a coin like it, while the reverse is for practical purposes
the same horse turned to lef t instead of to right. Even the crescent
above the horse reappears on nos. 14-15, while the Y in front of
the horse's mouth is evident on nos. 17-19. Nos. 14-16 clearly form
a group together (average weight 1.76 grams); I expect no. 17 is deri-
2 H.-J. Kellner and G. Neumann have since published a silver minim (0,360 g),
closely related to nos. 4-5, which was found before 1957 at Elxleben, Kr. Arnstadt,
Bez. Erfurt, Ausgrabungen und Funde 11, 1966, 256 no. 6.
3 Since this was written I have seen three more specimens, as follows:
(a) Similar to no. 1: Mainz, RGZM Collection, no. 0 25673.
(b) Similar to nos. 4-5: Mainz, RGZM Collection, no. 0 28632.
(c) Similar to nos. 6-7: Copenhagen, National Museum.
No find-spots are recorded.