Description
Denomination: Silver stater
Period: Iron age Celts
Date: c65 BC – AD 45
Origin: Durotiges tribe. Southern England
Condition: VF. toned. a little porous
Obverse: Head of Apollo right. devolved to wreath and crescents
Reverse: Disjointed horse. left. pellets above and below. pellet in lozenge above tail. zigzag and pellet pattern between two parallel exergue lines
Size and Weight: 18mm. 5.31g
References: ABC 2157. SCBC 365
Features and Provenance: Ex CNG coin from the David J Fleischmann collection. The Durotriges tribe were situated in Dorset. Hampshire and as far as Wiltshire in the south of England. They were not a warring tribe and trading was their livelihood during the first century. With the arrival of the Romans. however. their own coinage was curtailed but was produced until at least the Claudian conquest. With silver now in short supply. the coins were gradually debased with the addition of more and more base metal and less silver. Eventually the later coinage was entirely bronze.
The pattern on the coin is of interest. originally imitating the style Philip II from 400 years earlier. they have the head of Apollo wearing a wreath of laurel on the front and a charioteer on the reverse. Over time. like a game of ‘pass the message’. it was devolved to a few crescents. pellets and lines. The debasement and gradual demise of the Durotrigian coins echoes the destiny of the tribe itself. as well as the Gaulish Celts and even eventually Rome itself.
Condition Summary. This varies with the age of coin and there are grades in between
Uncirculated (U). As struck with no traces of wear
Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear. all parts of legend etc present. visible and clear
Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief. all parts of legend etc present. but maybe worn
Fine (F). Wear on the coin and parts of legend etc may be missing or not visible
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