Gold Coin of the Parisii

last quarter 2nd century BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 301

The Celts probably began striking coins in the 200s b.c. after receiving gold and silver pieces from Hellenistic kings who employed Celtic warriors as mercenaries. The coins seen here display motifs derived from Hellenistic coins—a head on one side and a charioteer and horse on the reverse—but their animated design conveys a Celtic aesthetic.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Gold Coin of the Parisii
Date: last quarter 2nd century BCE
Geography: Made in Paris
Culture: Celtic
Medium: Gold
Dimensions: 13/16 × 7/8 × 1/16 in., 0.2oz. (2.1 × 2.3 × 0.2 cm, 6.8g)
Classification: Coins
Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Object Number: 17.191.121
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

The life of Henry the Fourth of France, translated from the French of Perefix, by M. Le Moine .., Hardouin de Perefixe French — The life of Henry the Fourth of France, translated from the French of Perefix, by M. Le Moine ..
Author Hardouin de Perefixe
Translator L. H. Le Moine

Gold stater, Gold, Lydian — Gold stater
Lydian
ca. 560–546 BCE

Bow Brooch, Silver with gold-sheet overlay and garnets, East Germanic — Bow Brooch
East Germanic
400–450

Marble Portrait Bust of a Woman with a Scroll, Pentelic Marble, Byzantine — Marble Portrait Bust of a Woman with a Scroll
Byzantine
late 4th–early 5th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.