The Saxony State Office for Archaeology in Dresden presented a 2,200-year-old Celtic gold coin this week, unearthed in July by volunteer metal-detectorist Daniel Fest in a field near Leipzig-Gundorf. Weighing just two grams and made of nearly pure gold, the coin immediately became the oldest known numismatic object from Saxony.
“Controlled cooperation with certified hobbyists is essential for preserving our past,” said State Archaeologist Regina Smolnik during the ceremony. Fest, who conducts up to 15 searches a year, remembered the discovery: “This is not my oldest find, but without a doubt it is the most beautiful one,” said Fest, according to Bild. He notified the authorities the same day and relinquished the coin, a step officials praised as a model for citizen archaeologists.
Experts identified the piece as a quarter stater from the 3rd century BCE. Its concave shape places it among Celtic “rainbow cups,” coins that folklore claimed fell from the sky where a rainbow touched the ground. On the obverse, specialists saw stylised eyes, horns, and a humped forehead—elements forming an animal head—while the reverse featured an open neck ring, a rounded star, and a small sphere, motifs linked to Celtic communities in northern Bohemia. “It is probably the smallest find we have ever presented,” added Smolnik.
The Gundorf quarter stater pushed Saxony’s numismatic timeline back almost a century; the previous earliest coin was a silver Buchalcoin found near Zawischwitz in 2007 and dated to the early 1st century BCE. Though pristine, the gold piece likely served as a prestige object rather than circulating in daily trade. “Although Saxony lay outside Celtic settlement areas, the coin shows continuous exchanges. It was probably a symbolic object or a store of value for local elites who traded with the Celts,” said Smolnik, according to Asriran.
Over the past decade, intensive surveys have added nine other Celtic coins to Saxony’s records, bringing the total to eleven. One example located in the 19th century has since vanished, and another recent gold coin lacked decoration, leaving the Gundorf piece outstanding for both artistry and preservation. Smolnik estimated its raw metal worth at €200–300 but called its scholarly value priceless.
Culture Minister Barbara Klepsch thanked the finder: “It is fascinating to discover something so small in the soil,” said Klepsch, who added that the coin offers a tangible link to ancient trade and underscores how citizen participation helps protect cultural heritage.
Archaeologists said Saxony’s certification program for hobby detectorists ensured the find was reported, documented, and deposited in a public collection. The coin now sits in a display case as the province’s earliest monetary artefact and a reminder of the far-reaching Celtic trade network.
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