In 2003, an unexpected discovery was made during excavations of the eastern necropolis at Titelberg, the Treveran oppidum in southern Luxembourg. Among the grave goods recovered from tomb 167 was the punch used to make the reverse die for Gallic ARDA-type bronze coins depicting a bull. This is the oldest minting tool found in Luxembourg, evidence that the Treveri minted coins in this region.

This punch is exceptionally well preserved; its silvery colour shows that white metal was used to harden the bronze. The 4.8 cm long conical rod must have been fixed by a wooden or iron handle. Neither the beading nor the legend ARDA are visible on the punch; they must therefore have been engraved individually on the dies. The well-marked details of the punch stand in strong contrast to the mediocre quality of the coins themselves, which weigh barely 1.5 grams and are known for their shoddy minting.

Depositing this punch in a tomb gave it a strong symbolic connotation, as it marked the end of independent minting at the Titelberg oppidum after the death of the mintmaster. A monetary offering accompanying him into the hereafter dates his burial to 10 BC.

Text | CC BY-NC | François Reinert and Cécile Arnould