BIATEC. Celtic Mint

The idea of creating a permanent exhibition of Celtic minting originated immediately after completion of the archaeological survey that took place between 1982 and 1985 within Pálffy Palace, located at 19 - 21 Nálepkova Street (today 19 Panská Str.). This survey brought an important discovery in the form of finds confirming the activity of a Celtic mint located in the area. In addition to the stratigraphic layers and objects themselves, findings of so-called ‘technical ceramics’ also testified to this minting activity. These were discovered in such quantity for the first time in the territory of Bratislava. Only a few selected artefacts will be incorporated into the space, each embodying the nature and character of the historical period represented within the display. We are thus moving away from exhibitions saturated with glass showcases that display a vast number of interchangeable objects. In doing so, we gain space within both the physical exhibition and the visitor's attention, which will be transported into the historical theme. The Bratislava Celts were exceptional, because in addition to various pictorial motifs and symbols, mostly of a religious and mythological nature, they also struck inscriptions on the coins. These inscriptions are also the oldest evidence of the use of Latin script-capitals in our territory. Altogether, we know of 16 inscriptions on the largest silver coins, also referred to as tetradrachms (17g), which according to linguistic analyses may be the personal names of rulers and monarchs. The most common inscription is BIATEC, after which they were named ‘Biatecs’.

Bratislava City Gallery, Municipal Preservation Institute Bratislava

Bratislava the Capital City of Slovakia, Bratislava Tourist Board,

ARCH, Slovak Arts Council, Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic

Citylife, FlashArt, Artalk, Rádio Devín, inBA, GoOut