A long lost culture from southern Russia & Ukraine

From the 7th to the 3rd century BC, the Scythians populated the steppes in what is now southern Russia and Ukraine. Their life was geared towards mobility; they moved from pastureland to pastureland with their sheep and horses. What remains of this long lost culture: magnificent burial sites rich in gold, known as kurgans in the Eurasian steppes. Archaeologists have been able to examine a number of monumental burial mounds since the 19th century. The burial robes of Scythian princes were decorated with hundreds of sewn-on sheets of gold. The women's veils and hoods were also decorated in this way. These pieces, pressed from gold foil, were often decorated with figurative motifs, predominantly with elements of the so-called animal style. Supernatural powers were attributed to the stylized animals. Quivers made of thick sheet gold, dagger handles and scabbards, decorative disks from wooden shields or sceptre handles were also found. Neck rings and bracelets were also made of solid gold.

Gold as far as the eye can see

The coin revives this almost forgotten nomadic culture. It demonstrates the Scythians' talent for exalting wild animals and their extraordinary sense of beauty, awakened and nourished by the magical glitter of an eternally precious material: gold.in the center of the obverse is a freely designed portrait of a Scythian horseman galloping into the coin's image from the right. The rider and horse are partially concealed by an ornamental band. A cauldron, a plow and an axe are integrated into another ornamental band, which can be seen in the background. The main motif on the other side is a golden showpiece, probably from a later Scythian period, depicting an animal battle scene. The original is in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and comes from the collection of Tsar Peter I.

Text courtesy of the Austrian Mint.