Plate 8
Cantian Inscribed Coinage (Info)
Dubnovellaunus in Kent Third Coinage (Info)
Cantian L
Vosenos Cantian M (Info)
Amminius Cantian N and O
(Info – coinages after Vosenos)
(Info – First Coinage)
(Info – Second Coinage)
Celtic Coinage of Britain
third edition
Click on coin to see hidden information
Dubnovellaunus in Kent Third Coinage
The Third Coinage introduces thoroughly Romanized designs to the silver and bronze. No distinguishing privy mark identifies the series consistently, though the gold and silver have a pronounced pellet-in-ring motif in the field. The Third Coinage's quarter stater awaits discovery.
Vosenos
Vosenos, a short-lived ruler, issued a single coinage. Most of his types are known in only a handful of examples. On the gold, the banding, seen only slightly on the coinage of Dubnovellaunus, becomes pronounced.
Coinages After Vosenos
Sometime during the Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian Interregnum, Vosenos disappears and the Atrebatic/Regnan/Belgic ruler Eppillus appears. Eppillus issues a special coinage for use in Kent, including a Victory stater. These coins have traditionally been ascribed to an invasion – one with a traveling mint following the invaders.
Eppillus' occupation of Kent appears to have been short-lived. Coins of Cunobeline soon replace them, suggesting Cunobeline drove Eppillus out. Cunobeline's coins become the normal coins of Kent for the next thirty years.
For the coins of Eppillus in Kent, refer to the coinage of the Atrebates/Regni/Belgae, 430-01 to 453-01. The coins of Cunobeline which circulated in Kent are the normal Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian issues.
Towards the end of Cunobeline's reign, new types appear in Kent carrying the inscription Amminius or AM.
Amminius
After Cunobeline's death, a local Kentish ruler appears, Amminius, who strikes two small issues of silver and bronze coins prior to the Roman invasion of 43 A.D.
Amminius First Coinage
The first coinage is made up of coins with Romanized designs. The designs are well-engraved.
Amminius Second Coinage
Amminius' Second Coinage is cruder in execution than the First. The coins are characterized by a Capricorn on the reverse. These are the last Celtic coins struck in Kent, on the eve of the Claudian invasion. A silver minim with an 'A' in an eight-sided star and bird reverse, traditionally assigned to Amminius is actually a coin of Verica (561-01) – a type-series of these was found in the Wanborough Hoard.
176 - 01 Dubnovellaunus in Kent
30-10 B.C. Extremely Rare
Gold Stater 17 mm 5.6 gms.
Earliest Record: Allen, 1944
OBV: Plain with slight banding
Identifying points:
1) slight banding—only a raised band across the centre
REV: Celticized horse right
Identifying points:
1) six-spoked wheel with axle below horse
2) pellet-in-ring above horse
3) 'sunburst' in front of horse
4) inscription above horse
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian L
NOTES:
- Typical weight given, but likely to be the standard weight as well
- Inscription contains at least the letters DVBNOVT
- Modern forgery known, see 176-lF
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)
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 2105-1) 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
181 - 01 Dubnovellaunus in Kent
30-10 B.C. Very Rare
Bronze Unit 15 mm 2.3 gms.
Earliest Record: Mack, 1953
OBV: Boar left
Identifying points:
1) inscription DVBNO above boar
2) pellet-in-ring motif below boar
REV: Horseman right
Identifying points:
1) horseman hold object, possibly carnyx
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian L
NOTES:
- Celtic Coin Index records now indicate commoner than previously thought
- Some are in museums
184 - 01 Vosenos
10-5 B.C. Extremely Rare
Gold Stater 17 mm 5.4 gms.
Earliest Record: Evans, 1864
OBV: Plain with pronounced bands
Identifying points:
1) three pronounced, raised bands
REV: Celticized horse left
Identifying points:
1) pellet-in-ring motif on shoulder, above and in front of horse
2) bucranium above horse
3) horned serpent below horse
4) inscription above horse, contains at least the letters NOS, probably VOSENOS
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian M
NOTES:
- Most in museums
- Typical weight given, also likely to be the standard weight
185 - 01 Vosenos
10-5 B.C. Extremely Rare
Gold Quarter Stater 11 mm 1.3 gms.
Earliest Record: Evans, 1864
OBV: Plain with pronounced bands
Identifying points:
1) three pronounced, raised bands
REV: Celticized horse right
Identifying points:
1) pellet-in-ring motif above horse's rump
2) ring with six-pointed star above horse
3) pellet under neck and tail
4) inscription under horse VOSII
5) two pellet-in-ring motifs above horse
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian M
NOTES:
- Typical weight given
186 - 01 Vosenos
10-5 B.C. Extremely Rare
Silver Unit 16 mm 1.1 gms.
Earliest Record: Mack, 1964 (found Canterbury, 1953)
OBV: Horse and griffin
Identifying points:
1) horse and griffin standing on two legs
2) pellet-in-ring motifs between animals in ver tical column
3) pellet-in-ring motifs above animals in row
4) pellet border
REV: Celticized horse right
Identifying points:
1) three pellet-in-ring motifs in front of horse
2) pellet-in-ring motifs below exergual line
3) inscription between two lines diagonally above horse, retrograde, reading VODENOS or VODENIOS (retrograde)
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian M
187 - 01 Vosenos
10-5 B.C. Rare
Bronze Unit 13 mm 1.9 gms.
Earliest Record: Evans, 1864
OBV: Boar left
Identifying points:
1) meandering wreath above boar
2) probable pellet border
REV: Celticized horse left
Identifying points:
1) horse similar to one on stater
2) pellet-in-ring motifs in field
3) pellet border
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian M
NOTES:
- Celtic Coin Index records now indicate commoner than previously thought
- Some in museums
192 - 01 Amminius
35-38 A.D. Extremely Rare
Silver Unit 12 mm 0.9 gms.
Earliest Record: Poste, 1853
OBV: Plant in circle
Identifying points:
1) plant has seven stalks
2) inscription around circle AMMINIUS
REV: Pegasus right
Identifying points:
1) pellet above Pegasus
2) inscription DVN above exergual line
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian N
NOTES:
- Obverse possibly adapted from an engraved gemstone with a fruiting palm tree design.
- Reverse adapted from a coin of Tasciovanus 1788-01, in turn adapted from a Roman denarius of P. Petronius Turpilianus, RIC I (Augustus), 115
- Wanborough finds reported, but cannot be confirmed
193 - 01 Amminius
35-38 A.D. Extremely Rare
Bronze Unit 13 mm 2.5 gms.
Earliest Record: Nash, 1982
OBV: Wreath
Identifying points:
1) box in wreath
2) inscription AM in wreath
REV: Celticized horse right
Identifying points:
1) inscription DVNO above exergual line
2) Horse has left front leg raised
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian N
NOTES:
- Wanborough finds reported, but cannot be confirmed
- First example was found during archaeological excavations, Cakebread Robey site, Canterbury, 1978
194 - 01 Amminius
38-40 A.D. Extremely Rare
Silver Unit 12 mm 0.8 gms.
Earliest Record: Evans, 1864 (earliest correct attribution)
OBV: Wreath
Identifying points:
1) circle inside wreath
2) letter A inside circle
REV: Hippocamp right
Identifying points:
1) inscription AM below hippocamp
2) pellet border
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian O
NOTES:
- Design possibly adapted from a gemstone with a hippocamp
- Several were found in the Wanborough Hoard
- The coin is illustrated in Petrie, 1848, and mentioned in Evans, 1854a
- Celtic Coin Index records indicate rarer than originally thought
195 - 01 Amminius
38-40 A.D. Extremely Rare
Bronze Unit 13 mm 1.5 gms.
Earliest Record: Smith, 1848 (but see notes)
OBV: Head right
Identifying points:
1) too poorly preserved to see details
REV: Hippocamp right
Identifying points:
1) as on 194-01
CLASSIFICATION: Cantian O
NOTES:
- Head probably adapted from denarius of Augustus, but exact type not yet identified
- Design possibly adapted from a gemstone with a hippocamp
- First example found during archaeolgical excavations at Slade, Kent in 1842, the excavation report (Archaeologia, Vol. 29, p. 414) does not identify the coin precisely
Kentish Dynastic Coinages
The first inscribed coins carry an illegible inscription, mostly off the flan on existing pieces. The letters 'IVII' partially appear on one stater, but the reading is uncertain. Hopefully, future finds will enable the full inscription to be read.
The next series of inscribed coins are those of the Kentish Dubnovellaunus, probably a different ruler from the one in Essex. Dubnovellaunus-in-Kent struck coins from about 30 B.C. up to the Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian Interregnum, about 10 B.C. At this point, he was replaced by a short-lived ruler, Vosenos, who was in turn replaced by Eppillus of the Atrebates/Regni/Belgae. Eppillus, sensing a loss of Trinovantian/Catuvellaunian influence, intervened in Kent only to be later driven out by Cunobeline. Eppillus issued special coins for use in Kent; subsequently, Cunobeline's coinage circulated. Between the death of Cunobeline and the Claudian invasion, the brief issues of Amminius appeared.
All Kentish dynastic coinage is extremely rare, with only a few examples of each type known today. The issues must have been small, and would be relatively unimportant except they identify the names of Kentish rulers. For the most part, the economic influences of the Trinovantes/Catuvellauni, and for a short time the Artebates/Regni/Belgae were the significant factors in Kent.