Celtic Coinage of Britain

third edition

Click on coin to see hidden information

 

V1493-01

 

History

Last Uninscribed Coinages    (Info)

 

Coinage in the North Thames Region 54 B.C. – 20 A.D.

 

In the core of the North Thames Region the Trinovantes/Catuvellauni continued the Whaddon Chase Type after the war, gradually making the design more abstract and reducing the weight slightly. An extremely rare complementary issue of quarter staters was struck for some varieties. Towards the end of the issue, about 45 B.C., two new types appeared.

The Wonersh Type and its more stylized descendant, the Savernake Forest Type, were both light-weight variants of the Whaddon Chase stater. Today, they are seldom found in Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian territory, but rather in those of the neighbouring tribes on all sides. It is possible they represented light-weight trade coins. These types, all relatively rare, were significant because they were the prototypes for the Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian dynastic issues that immediately followed. The first of these inscribed coins, first struck about 40 B.C., was that of Addedomaros, a ruler who struck coins for about ten years. These were replaced by the short-lived coinage of Dubnovellaunus-in-Essex.

About the middle of the Gallic War, the first silver coins appeared in Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian territory, the first bronzes appeared during the coinage of Addedomaros (52).

The Iceni, in the northern part of the North Thames Region, had severe coinage problems by the end of the war. The Norfolk Wolf Type had become so debased and widely counterfeited, it probably became a discredited currency. Eventually, the Norfolk Wolf Type disappeared, replaced first by the coinage of Addedomaros and later by that of Dubnovellaunus-in-Essex. Either imports of these Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian coins enabled the Iceni to suspend their own coinage or, possibly, Addedomaros suppressed the Icenian coinage.

By 15 B.C., a new Icenian coinage was introduced, with restored gold content. A new issue of staters, the Freckenham Type appeared, known today primarily from hoards. A small number of quarter staters was struck to complement the staters. After the Freckenham Type, the Iceni stopped striking gold coins, apart from two extremely rare issues of inscribed types (53).

The first Icenian silver coins, the Bury Type, began to appear after the Gallic War. Though the Iceni almost ceased issuing gold coins, the opposite was true for the silver coinage. By 15 BC., a much larger issue of silver coins, the Boar Type began – the inception of a long series of silver. They were similar to Corieltauvian issues and it is difficult to assign some varieties to one tribe or the other. Significantly, the Iceni chose not to adopt Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian designs for their first silver coinage, suggesting an early attempt to free themselves from the "North Thames socio-economic unit".

The first inscribed Icenian coins were not struck until about 20 A.D., making the Iceni the last tribe to strike coins with legends. It was not perhaps until this late date that the tribal nobility felt sufficiently free of Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian interference to strike coins carrying their own names (54).

 

Next Section – Last Uninscribed Coinages South Thames region

 

 

 

 

 

Close

 

 

 

V1493-01

1493 - 01    Middle Whaddon Chase Type

45-40 B.C.      Very Rare

Gold Stater    5.9-5.4 gms.    19 mm

 

Earliest Record: Evams, 1864

 

OBV: Abstracted head of Apollo right

Identifying points:

  1. wreath now forms "X" pattern
  2. two outline crescents back-to-back in centre
  3. no spike
  4. one wreath now curved

 

REV: Romanized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. circle with large pellet below horse
  2. crescent, points to right, above horse
  3. "coffee bean" behind horse
  4. horse's tail made up of a single line

 

CLASSIFICATION: Trinovantian E

 

NOTES:

  • This obverse die-type is the prototype for the dynastic coinage of Tasciovanus
  • Typical weight given
  • Celtic Coin Index records now indicate commoner than previously thought

 

Close

 

 

 

V500-01

1500 - 01    Late Whaddon Chase Type

45-40 B.C.      Extremely Rare

Gold Stater    5.9-5.4 gms.    16 mm

 

Earliest Record: Mack, 1953

 

OBV: Almost plain

Identifying points:

  1. slight traces of crossed wreaths from Middle Whaddon Chase Type

 

REV: Romanized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. winged object above horse
  2. multi-armed spiral with large central pellet below horse
  3. horse's tail made up of two lines

 

CLASSIFICATION: Trinovantian F

 

NOTES:

  • Typical weight given

 

Close

 

 

 

V1520-01

1520 - 01    Wonersh Type

45-40 B.C.      Very Rare

Gold Stater    ca. 5.4-5.3 gms.    19 mm

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1864

 

OBV: Abstracted head of Apollo right

Identifying points:

  1. wreath now forms "X" pattern
  2. two outline crescents back-to-back in centre
  3. no spike

 

REV: Romanized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. eight-spoked wheel with axle below horse
  2. eight-armed spiral above horse
  3. horse's ear shaped like an ellipse, as on Whaddon Chase staters
  4. small rings in field around horse
  5. anemone in front of horse

 

CLASSIFICATION: Trinovantian G

 

NOTES:

  • Typical weight given
  • Celtic Coin Index records now indicate commoner than previously thought
  • Some varieties have a six-spoked wheel

 

Close

 

 

 

V1526-01

1526 - 01    Savernake Forest Type

ca. 40 B.C.      Scarce

Base Gold Stater    ca. 4.8 gms.    16 mm

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1864

 

OBV: Plain, or almost plain

Identifying points:

  1. faint signs of abstracted head of Apollo may appear

 

REV: Highly stylized Celtic horse right

Identifying points:

  1. horse made up of three large pellets and curved lines
  2. large wheel below horse
  3. large spiral above horse

 

CLASSIFICATION: Trinovantian H

 

NOTES:

  • Typical weight given

 

Close

 

 

 

Van Arsdell 1992a, 1994a

 

Close

 

 

 

V610-01

610 - 01    Norfolk Wolf Type

50-15 B.C.      Scarce

Gold Stater    5.7-6.2 gms.    16 mm

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1864

 

OBV: Abstracted head of Apollo right

Identifying points:

  1. laurel leaves upwards

 

REV: Wolf right

Identifying points:

  1. pellet and solid crescent below wolf

 

CLASSIFICATION: Icenian A

 

NOTES:

  • Typical weight given
  • Most are in museums
  • Modern forgeries exist: 610 - 01F and 610 - 02F

(see 610-01F and 610-02F catalogue listings)

 

Close

 

 

 

V626-01

626 - 01    Earlier Freckenham Type

15 B.C. - 20 A.D.      Scarce

Gold Stater    5.70 gms.    18 mm

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1864

 

OBV: Floral pattern

Identifying points:

  1. flower superimposed on cross of pellets
  2. stylized three-petal flower with central pellet surrounded by circle
  3. curved lines in angles of pellet-cross

 

REV: Celticized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. seven or eight-spoked wheel below horse
  2. large outline crescent decorated with zigzag line and pellets
  3. three pellets in triangular pattern below outline crescent

 

CLASSIFICATION: Icenian B

 

NOTES:

  • Relative dating based on die-linking within the hoard
  • Reverse die often worn
  • Standard weight given
  • Many are in museums
  • Modern forgery of a Freckenham Type is known, see 624 - 01F

(see catalogue listing for 624-01F)

 

Close

 

 

 

Van Arsdell 1992g for a general discussion

 

Close

 

 

 

V645-01

645 - 01    Bury Type

50-15 B.C.      Common

Silver Unit     1.2 gms.    14 mm

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1864

 

OBV: Celticized head left

Identifying points:

  1. head wears diadem
  2. large reverse 'S' in front of face

 

REV: Celticized horse left

Identifying points:

  1. pellet-in-ring motif below horse
  2. large pellet in ring motif above horse

 

CLASSIFICATION: Gallo-Belgic XD

 

NOTES:

  • Typical weight given
  • Allen described as British LX10
  • Previously was 80 - 01 but John Talbot reports that large numbers of finds since 1989 demonstrate the type is British, not Continental, and should be assigned to the Iceni
  • Reverse of Hosidius type of the Corieltauvi (855-03) derived from this coin

(see catalogue listing for 855-03)

 

Close

 

 

 

V655-01

655 - 01     Boar Type

15 B.C. - 20 A.D.      Rare

Silver Unit    ca. 1.0 gm.    13 mm

 

Earliest Record: Evans, 1864

 

OBV: Boar right

Identifying points:

  1. ring of pellets above boar
  2. three pellets below boar
  3. upper portion of boar's front leg comprised of two lines
  4. pellet on boar's shoulder

 

REV: Celticized horse right

Identifying points:

  1. ring of pellets above horse
  2. three pellets above horse
  3. horse stands on exergual line with pellets below
  4. horse's tail made up of a single line with shorter lines coming off at an angle

 

CLASSIFICATlON: Icenian C

 

NOTES:

  • Celtic Coin Index records indicate coin is commoner than previously thought, as anticipated in previous edition of Celtic Coinage of Britain

 

Close

 

 

 

Van Arsdell 1992g for a general discussion

 

Close

 

 

 

This section discusses the final uninscribed coinages in the North Thames Region.

 

  • Trinovantes/Catuvellauni: Later Whaddon Chase, Wonersh and Savernake Forest types.
  • Iceni: Norfolk Wolf and Freckenham types and their related silver coins.

 

Copyright R. D. Van Arsdell 2017