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Description: | Both coins are Iron Age gold coins produced between Caesar's invasions of Britain (55/54 BC) and the Roman Conquest in AD 43. They belong to the so-called 'Western series', which is often attributed to the Dobunni. During the Roman period, and perhaps earlier, the Dobunni inhabited an area covering the modern county of Gloucestershire and parts of Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Coin 1One of the coins is a gold "stater" of a type known as "British RA". The front (obverse) of the coin is almost completely blank, but for a small and faint linear mark that was created by a crack in the surface of the punch (or die) that was used to strike the coin. On later examples, this feature is intentionally embellished to represent a tree or branch. The back (reverse) of the coin shows a triple-tailed horse. "British RA" was probably the earliest coinage made in the area, being struck between about 50 and 20 BC. It was derived from an earlier type of coin known as "British QB" that circulated more widely across central-southern England. Examples of "British RA" have been analysed suggesting that they were made from a metal alloy comprising about 45% gold, 25% silver and 30% copper. References: ABC (Cottam et al. 2010, p.103) no. 2003; VA (Van Arsdell 1989, p. 269) no. 1005-1; BMC (Hobbs 1996, p. 165) nos. 2937-2940 Coin 2The other coin is a smaller gold "quarter stater" belonging to a series called "British RB". Again, the front (obverse) of the coin is almost completely blank. The back (reverse) of the coin shows a triple-tailed horse with a distinctive animal shown crouched below the horse. "British RB" coins were also struck between about 50 and 20 BC. Very similar coins were produced after about 20 BC with the name "COR" (Corio) added on the obverse, but there is no evidence of an inscription on this coin. Few coins of this type have been analysed, but they are made of a metal alloy similar to that of coin 1 above.References: ABC (Cottam et al. 2010, p.103) no. 2009; VA (Van Arsdell 1989, p. 270) no. 1010-3; BMC (Hobbs 1996, p. 165) nos. 2942-2926
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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