Bracteate
/ˈbræk.ti.eɪt/noun
A thin, stamped coin or medal, especially one made of very thin gold or silver foil.
Did you know?A bracteate is named after a leaf-like metal sheet, and the term comes from Latin bractea, a thin plate of metal or leaf foil, the same root behind the botanical word bract.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
bractea
“A thin plate, sheet of metal, or leaf foil”
Late Latin / Medieval Latin
Latin
bracteatus
“Covered with thin metal foil; made in a leaf-like thin form”
17th–19th Century
English
bracteate
“A very thin, foil-like stamped piece, especially a coin or medal”
Modern English
English
bracteate
“A thin stamped coin or medal, especially one made of foil-like metal”