Celtic Coinage of Britain

third edition

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V350-01

 

History

Early Dynastic Coinages    (Info)

 

Coinage in the South Thames Region 30-10 B.C.

 

Atrebates/Regni/Belgae

 

The Atrebates/Regni/Belgae appear not to have benefited from Roman favour as the Trinovantes/Catuvellauni had. Although the Continental Atrebates had been Roman allies during the early stages of the Gallic War, they must have suffered the Romans' wrath when Commius deserted Caesar and joined Vercingetorix towards the end. Commius' flight to Britain to join the British Atrebates after the battle of Alesia would have thrown them into disfavour with the Romans as well. The tribe's coinage is not very prolific in the period after the War, suggesting they did not share in the wealth from the cross-Channel trade.

The meagre coinage of Commius ended about 35 B.C., replaced by that of Tincomarus, who styled himself "son of Commius". Tincomarus' coinage had three separate issues, distinguished by the images on the staters. It appears to have been a smaller coinage than that of his contemporary, Tasciovanus, and it exhibited a narrower range of types. Tasciovanus struck more than twice the number of varieties and prior to the Wanborough hoard, his coins were much commoner. The Wanborough hoard has distorted our estimate of Tincomarus' output by making his coins common today (68).

Tincomarus' coinage was made up entirely of gold and silver, with no bronze coins whatsoever. The coins are found almost entirely within Atrebatic/Regnan/Belgic territory. Evidently, the tribe did not enjoy the economic hegemony over their neighbours, the Cantii, that the Trinovantes/Catuvellauni had over the Iceni.

Two attempts have been made to disentangle the coinage of the Atrebates/Regni/Belgae. During the 1990's, Simon Bean analyzed the coins in great detail (136) and attempted to demonstrate that several mints operated in the region. He also suggested that the coin listings could be rearranged to some degree. In the late 1990's and early 2000's Chris Rudd attempted to popularize the idea that the Belgae issued a separate coinage. He used finds of over 65 new coin-types, many discovered after 1994, to support his conclusions (137).

 

Cantii

 

The Cantii continued to issue coins of their own, introducing inscribed types about 30 B.C. in the name Dubnovellaunus. They thus showed no particular concern for interference from the Atrebates/Regni/Belgae, their neighbours to the west. Though it cannot be proven, Dubnovellaunus-in-Kent was probably a different ruler from the contemporary Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian one of the same name (69). The coins of the two were completely different in style and those of the Cantii were issued for a longer period. Philip de Jersey has attempted to disentangle the Essex and Kentish coinages inscribed Dubnovellaunus (138).

Dubnovellaunus-in-Kent struck three coinages in gold, silver and bronze, all privy-marked (70). He, or his predecessor, was probably responsible for the replacement of the Kentish Cast Bronze coinage with a series of struck bronzes. His coins circulated largely within Kent, judging from modern finds, underscoring the lack of interaction between the Cantii and the Atrebates/Regni/Belgae.

However, Cantian coins occasionally circulated in southern Essex because a small number have been found there (71). Similarly, the coins of the Trinovantes/Catuvellauni circulated in Kent to a degree. The economic influence the Trinovantes/Catuvellauni enjoyed over the Iceni was being carefully extended to Kent during the reign of Tasciovanus.

 

Next section – Early Dynastic Coinages – Peripheral Region

 

 

 

 

 

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V352-01

352 - 01     Commius

45-30 B.C.    Extremely Rare

Gold Stater    5.45 gms.    17 mm

 

Earliest Record: Van Arsdell, 1986h

 

OBV: Celticized head of Apollo right

Identifying points:

  1. as 350 - 01

 

REV: Celticized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. similar to 350 - 01
  2. six-spoked wheel with axle below horse
  3. 'E' symbol' above horse

 

CLASSIFICATION: Atrebatic C

 

NOTES:

  • Standard weight estimated, the true standard is probably 0.1 to 0.2 grammes heavier
  • Change from five to six-spoked wheel with axle may be a privy mark

 

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V350-01

350 - 01    Commius

45-30 B.C.      Scarce

Gold Stater    5.45 gms.    17 mm

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1864

 

OBV: Celticized head of Apollo right

Identifying points:

  1. wreath: leaves downwards
  2. spike made up of lines and large pellets
  3. two lines connect wreath to curl above hook of spike
  4. ring or pellet near hook
  5. Pellet between curls

 

REV: Celticized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. five-spoked wheel with axle below horse
  2. COMMIOS below horse
  3. triple-tail on horse
  4. three-ringed object, similar to Llyn Cerrig Bach gang-chain
  5. vestige of charioteer's arms reduced to a thick line with a curve and pellet at the end

 

CLASSIFICATION: Atrebatic C

 

NOTES:

  • Standard weight estimated, the true standard is probably 0.1 to 0.2 grammes heavier
  • Some in museums
  • The alternate use of the ring or pellet near hook may constitute a privy mark

 

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Van Arsdell 1994d

(See Van Arsdell 1994d)

 

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V363-01

363 - 01     Tincomarus First Coinage

30-25 B.C.      Rare

Gold Stater    5.45 gms.    17 mm

 

Earliest Record: Poste, 1846

 

OBV: Celticized head of Apollo right

Identifying points:

  1. similar to 350 - 01

 

REV: Celticized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. TIN DV around horse
  2. triple tail
  3. six-spoked wheel with axle below horse

 

CLASSIFICATION: Atrebatic D

 

NOTES:

  • Standard weight estimated, the true standard is probably 0.1 to 0.2 grammes heavier

 

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V396-01

396 - 01     Tincomarus Third Coinage

20-10 B.C.      Very rare

Silver Unit    1.3 gms.    11 mm

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1890

 

OBV: Romanized head left

Identifying points:

  1. head beardless, laureate

 

REV: Bull charging left

Identifying points:

  1. TIN above bull
  2. C below bull

 

CLASSIFICATION: Atrebatic F

 

NOTES:

  • Some found at Wanborough
  • Celtic Coin Index indicates rarer than originally thought

 

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Bean 2000b

 

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Rudd 2006g

Van Arsdell 2006

 

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Van Arsdell, to be published

 

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de Jersey 2005d

 

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V162-01

162 - 01    Dubnovellaunus in Kent

30-10 B.C.      Extremely Rare

Gold Stater    17 mm     5.4 gms.

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1864

 

OBV: Plain with slight banding

Identifying points:

  1. Banding slight – only a raised band across centre

 

REV: Celticized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. pellet under neck
  2. Inscription above horse
  3. eight-spoked wheel with axle under horse
  4. pellet-in-ring on horse's shoulder
  5. Yoke-like object above horse

 

CLASSIFICATION: Cantian J

 

NOTES:

  • Coin is definitely a Dubnovellaunus in Kent type. The inscription is mostly off the flan on all published examples. Allen, perhaps reacting to Evan's report of an Essex origin, read it as 'DIRAS'?', thereby suggesting a Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian origin. Evans noted it similar to coins of Dubnovellaunus and Vosenos, but felt the coin an Essex type because of a Colchester find. He read the inscription as 'DUBORIG'. However, the slightly banded obverse proves it Kentish and the privy mark matches up with the other coins in the series. Speculatively, 'DOBORIG' is 'DUBNOVELLAUNUS RIGONIS', abbreviated.
  • Typical weight given

 

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V178-01

178 - 01    Dubnovellaunus in Kent

30-10 B.C.      Very Rare

Silver Unit    14 mm    0.9 gms.

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1890

 

OBV: Horned animal left

Identifying points:

  1. fan-like object above animal
  2. pellet-in-ring motifs below animal
  3. pellet border

 

REV: Seated metalworker

Identifying points:

  1. man seated on cushion left
  2. man holds hammer
  3. pellet-in-ring motif in front of man
  4. inscription DVBNO behind man

 

CLASSIFICATION: Cantian L

 

NOTES:

  • Celtic Coin Index records now indicate commoner than previously thought
  • Henig suggests reverse design is adapted from an engraved gemstone
  • A coin of Cunobeline, 2097-1, copies this coin's reverse design – (see 2097-01)

 

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V180-01

180 - 01    Dubnovellaunus in Kent

30-10 B.C.      Very Rare

Bronze Unit    13 mm    19 gms.

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1864

 

OBV: Boar right

Identifying points:

  1. inscription DVBNO between two lines below boar

 

REV: Eagle standing three-quarters right

Identifying points:

  1. Eagle's wings spread

 

CLASSIFICATION: Cantian L

 

NOTES:

  • A coin of Cunobeline's (see 2087-01) copies this coin's reverse design
  • Henig suggests the reverse design is adapted from an engraved gemstone
  • Celtic Coin Index records now indicate commoner than previously thought
  • Most are in museums

 

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de Jersey 2005d

 

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V136-01

136 - 01    Early Dump Type

50-45 B.C.      Scarce

Cast Bronze    13 mm

 

Earliest Record: Mack, 1953

 

OBV: Celticized head of Apollo left

Identifying points:

  1. as 135 - 01 but head faces left

 

REV: Celticized bull

Identifying points:

  1. as 135 - 01

 

CLASSIFICATION: Cantian E

 

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V167-01

167 - 01     Dubnovellaunus in Kent

30-10 B.C.      Very Rare

Bronze Unit    2.1 gms.    14 mm

 

Earliest Record: De La Tour, 1892

 

OBV: Celticized boar left

dentifying points:

  1. pellet-in-ring motif below boar
  2. pellet-in-ring motif near boar's tail
  3. pellet near boar's tail
  4. wreath above boar

 

REV: Celticized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. five-point outline star below horse
  2. horse raises front leg
  3. pellet-in-ring motif above and below raised leg
  4. pellet below horse's neck
  5. horse has necklace and belt

 

CLASSIFICATION: Cantian J

 

NOTES:

  • Illustrated coin found in Essex in 1979
  • Second coin in Bibliotheque Nationale Paris, De La Tour number 8473

 

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Van Arsdell 1992g

(See Van Arsdell 1992g)

 

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This section discusses the first inscribed coinages in the South Thames Region.

 

Atrebates/Regni/Belgae

  • Commiuus

 

Cantii

  • Dubnovellaunus-in-Kent

 

Copyright R. D. Van Arsdell 2017