John Conduitt's Top 10 Celtic of 2024

[John Conduitt]

Celtic coins tend to come as single finds rather than in hoards, so you often have to imagine what they would've looked like. Still, you can get great examples. I tend to collect silver and bronze but there are a couple of gold coins - perhaps they were meant for kings or gods. You can't get more romantic than that. In chronological order:

This is a Continental coin, found on Hayling Island in the far south of England, a place I know well. The few examples on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database (of British finds) were found in a relatively small area in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. Die links suggest they were all brought to Britain at the same time - maybe by the same trader. The Armorica tribe came from the far north west of France. When British aristocrats helped fund their resistance to Caesar, he invaded Britain (55-54BC). The connection between the Armorica and the people of south west Britain continued into the medieval period - their homeland became Brittany.

1. ‘Bayeux Head Boar’ Stater, 80-60BC

Baiocasses, Armorica (Brittany/Normandy). Electrum, 22mm, 5.01g. Head right, large curls for hair, boar above. Human-headed horse right, boar standard below (ABC 55; de Jersey fig. 57a; Delestré and Tache, Série 341, var. 1, DT 2254).

This type was studied by Celtic specialist Geoff Cottam and this is one of his coins, illustrated in his study. They are usually in a worse state. The style (cock with a human head) came from northern Gaul, more specifically the Bellovaci, another tribe who resisted Caesar. They were on the eastern (Belgic) side of Gaul, from where some of the tribes in southern England emigrated, bringing their coin traditions with them. Indeed, when Caesar defeated the Bellovaci, their leaders fled to Britain.

2. ‘Chichester Cock’ Unit, 60-50BC

Regini (Sussex). Bronze, 17mm, 2.18g. Helmeted head ('Roma') right, curved lines for hair, circle for ear. Small bearded head right surmounted by rooster holding a snake in its beak; sunflower behind rooster; pellet-in-ring motif in front (could be interpreted as a head right with rooster headdress) (ABC 737; S 61; V 320 - 01; Cottam Type 2, Group 1, Obverse die 3, Reverse die d. Coin 34, Collection C (also coin a, Fig 10), Geoff Cottam, BNJ 1999, 1-18 (this coin); Celtic Coin Index CCI 94.1378 (this coin)). Ex Geoff Cottam. Found near Chichester.

This is another Geoff Cottam coin, this time from an eastern British tribe. One of the two boars is clear, which is one more than usual. The eastern north Thames area at this time is rather enigmatic - no-one knows which tribe or tribes were in control but Caesar mentions a few candidates.

3. ‘Two Boars’ Unit, 60-30BC

Eastern North Thames (Essex). Bronze, 13mm, 1.33g. Opposed boars, wheel between. Horse right, beaded mane curled up behind neck, large clumpy hooves (ABC 2315). Ex Geoff Cottam.

This coin is the most 'important' of the ten. A king (or otherwise important person) named Esunertos, 'Mighty as Esos' (the god), was unknown until 2023 when a coin with a more complete inscription (CCI 23.0084) was discovered. It was auctioned for a record for a quarter stater and even has its own page on Wikipedia. In researching the 2023 coin the experts looked through past finds and came across this coin, which had incorrectly been described as a variation of the anepigraphic ‘Tadley Wheel’ quarter stater of the Belgae (ABC 806, of which there are only three on the CCI). These also have a large wheel in the centre and a horse on the reverse, and are found in the same general area, so are likely to be related. This coin helped confirm the theory behind the 2023 coin (and has an honorable mention in the references on the Wikipedia page).

The three known coins of Esunertos were found within 15 miles of each other around Danebury Hill Fort, placing his territory there. Since Esunertos is a Gallic name, the coins help explain the dissemination of language among tribal elites and Gallic settlers before the Claudian invasion. Alongside his contemporary Commios of the Atrebates (with his capital at nearby Silchester, Hampshire), Esunertos is the earliest attested name on a British-made coin.

4. Esunertos Quarter Stater, 50-30BC

Belgae (Hampshire). Gold, 10mm, 1.14g. Debased laureate head of Apollo right (three interlocking rows of outward facing crescents, a seven-spoked wheel at centre in lieu of ear, eye of visage with radiating spike towards neck line); IISVNIIRT[O]S from 1 o'clock and outwards behind head; pellet motives. Tripled-tailed annulate horse left with pincer-like mandible for face and linear ear, pelleted mane, yoke or bucranium above head, 8-spoked wheel spearing back, and annulet below, pelleted-E motif before forepart. (Portable Antiquities Scheme: HAMP-9E612E this coin; ABC -; VA -; BMC -; S 193). Found near Andover in 2014.

The design of this Dobunnic coin seems to have been taken from coins of Tasciovanus, king of the neighbouring Catuvellauni. There are some Celtic coins with legend variations that appear to be blundered or copied from something else, but Boduoc also has clearly inscribed gold coins (that are, I think, slightly more common than the silver, but much more expensive). The sacrificial cut on the horse suggests the coin was ritually ‘killed’ prior to votive deposition. Unlike the Catuvellauni, the Dobunni do not seem to have used coins for everyday commerce.

5. Boduoc ‘Young Head’ Unit, 25-5BC

Dobunni (Gloucestershire). Silver, 12mm, 1.09g. Head left, BODVOC in front, beaded border. Horse right, ringed-pellet above (ABC 2042; VA 1057; S 389; CCI 13.0528 (this coin)). Found Devizes, Wiltshire in 2011.

This is another coin of the Dobunni, this time in gold. Corio was King of the southern Dobunni and appears to have ruled while Boduoc was in control of the north. This type has his name on the obverse, which is rarely as clean as this.

6. Corio Quarter Stater, 20BC-5

Dobunni (Gloucestershire). Gold, 13mm, 1.12g. COR on plain field. Triple-tailed horse running right - pelleted sun above and annulets around, uncertain animal below (ABC 2051; VA 1039-1; S 387).

Yet another Dobunnic coin, this time a bronze version of what is normally an exceedingly rare gold stater. I'm not sure (and I don't know if anyone is) whether these bronze coins are official, barbarous or counterfeit, and whether they were plated cores or simply bronze versions of the gold. My view is that they were surely made from official dies, else the forgers were far better than their near contemporaries who put out blundered Claudian coinage. Catti (‘the cat’) ruled after Corio and possibly inherited the northern Dobunnic lands from Boduoc.

7. Catti ‘Tree’ Fourée Stater Core, 1-20

Dobunni (Gloucestershire). Bronze, 18mm, 3.47g. Tree. Disjointed horse with triple tail right; ornaments around, wheel with uneven spokes below; CATTI above (cf ABC 2057; cf VA 1130-1).

This is my second coin of Amminus, a pro-Roman Cantian ruler thought to have been expelled from Britain in 39 or 40 by his anti-Roman brothers as they fought over their father Cunobelin's lands. Amminus then surrendered to Caligula at Mainz, when Caligula made a big thing of having 'defeated' the Britons. Amminus is thought to have encouraged him to invade Britain but he didn't - instead, his army collected seashells from the Gallic beaches as trophies. Amminus's capture did cause an invasion, however, since it fed anti-Roman feeling in Britain that forced Claudius to act.

8. Amminus ‘Plant’ Unit, 30-40

'Duno' mint, Cantii (Kent). Silver, 12mm, 0.76g. Plant in centre breaking inner ring; AMM-INVS outwards commencing at 4 o'clock. Winged Griffin trotting right, head turned facing; DVN on ground line (ABC 456; VA 192; S 188). Found at Lympne, Kent. Portable Antiquities Scheme: KENT-27EAEC.

This is one of the more common Celtic coins and possibly the last produced by the Iceni. It is also one of the most popular, on account of Van Arsdell's view that it was struck by Queen Boudica just before her revolt against the Romans in 61. This is not the general view and seems unlikely, not least since all other Celtic coinage had ceased to be produced at least a decade earlier.

9. ‘Norfolk God, Moustache Type’ Unit, 10-61

Iceni (East Anglia). Silver, 14mm, 0.86g. Talbot die group 22. Head right, oval eye, moustache, no ear, short dashes for hair with longer crescents behind, each with pellet at end, curving lines of hair missing behind neck, corn ear behind at neck, two trefoils in front. Horse right, cabled mane, 'necklace' and 'belt' lines, lozenge with concave sides and pellet at each corner below, petla above, around tricorne (ABC 1567; S 434; VA 794).

This last coin is the only one on the list from a hoard, the Forncett (Norfolk) Hoard 1997. Unusually, the 381 silver coins included 45 Roman denarii. Although the latest coin is dated no later than 37 (Tiberius) the hoard may be associated with the Boudican revolt, given similar hoards in the area and evidence of military activity there. Even if the Iceni no longer struck coins, they seem to have still used them.

Saenu or Saeviu ('Old One') was likely a king or administrator in East Anglia. Very similar coins issued at the same time were inscribed ECEN, AESV and SVB ESV PRASTO (sometimes interpreted as Boudicca's husband Prasutagus). They may all be related - indeed, the same obverse dies were used. There are also similarities to coins of the Corieltavi tribe, which makes their interpretation complicated.

10. Saenu Unit, 35-43

Iceni (East Anglia). Silver, 14mm, 1.14g. Back-to-back crescents, three lines behind. Stylised horse with linear head right, four-pellet daisy above, six pellets on horse's shoulder; SAENV below (ABC 1699; VA 770-1; S 446; CR 17780 (this coin)). Ex Chris Rudd; Liz's List 75, No. 21; from the Forncett (Norfolk) Hoard 1997.

Edited December 25, 2024 by John Conduitt

[Ryro]

Stunning line up of some very hard to acquire Celtics. I really wish they got more play around here. 

My favs are your #1, 4 and 6. I'd love to know were you shop for your Celtics?

I have several that might have gotten write ups, but knowing no one would read them, I did not. 

Here are a couple of my favorites from 2024:

CELTIC IMITATIONS OF MAGNA GRAECIA

MELDES/Meldis (Meaux region) 60-40 BCE, bronze, 16.6mm, 2.8g.

Degree of rarity: R1

 No. in reference works: LT.7617 - DT.587 - BN.7616-7630 - RIG.163 - Sch/GB.512

Obverse legend: E[PENOS].

Obverse description: Male head on the left, long, curly hair, legend in front of the face; gritted.

Reverse legend: EPHNOS.

Reverse description: Horse galloping to the right, wavy tail, surmounted by a facing bird/ winged rider with outstretched wings, a ringlet pointed below; legend under the horse globule surmounted by a crescent.

Unearthed 2023 Burgundy region of France. 

" The bird which surmounts the horse may be a distortion of a winged rider, present for example on certain Gallic silver and bronze coins. The attribution of this coinage is confirmed to the Meldes despite a very important distribution map on the territories of the Suessions and the Bellovaques. These coins were first reported in Meaux with ROVECA epigraph coins. B. Fischer proposes a ligature between an I and the P; which would give a legend EIPENOS, EPIENOS or even EPLENOS; she opts, in view of various examples of epigraphies, for the legend EPIENOS.

History: The Meldes are only mentioned once in Caesar's work. This small people lived between the Seine and the Marne in the Brie plain with Meaux as its capital. The Meldes emancipated themselves late from the tutelage of the Suessions and the Remes at the time of the Gallic War. Having become independent in 57 BC, the Meldes chose to ally themselves with the Romans. Caesar had sixty ships built among the Meldes, in 55 BC, for the expedition to Brittany. Caesar (BG. V, 5)."

Augustus, Hispania, Uncertain mint.. 27 B.C.-A.D. 14 Æ as (29.38 mm, 13.01 g). 'Moneta castrensis'. Mint in northewestern Spain, Probably struck before 23 B.C. [IMP] AVG DIVI F, bare head left; palm branch before, winged caduceus behind / Round shield with four linear outer panels and round central boss. ACIP 3301; RPC 3. RPC I 4; SNG Copenhagen 414. About VF. Purchased from "Young Collectors 2" Astarte March 2024

"The 'Moneta castrensis' coinage, lacking any sort of ethnic or magistrate, is impossible to place with certainty. Most examples are found in northwestern Spain, and stylistically show some affinity to the Spanish issues of Carisius. The obverse legend places the coinage after 27 B.C., and the fact that the coins lack any indication of the tribunican power suggest a terminus post quem of 23 B.C. It is most likely that the 'moneta castrensis' coinage was struck to finance Rome's efforts during the Cantabrian Wars, which brought an end to Spanish self-determination and finalized the province's subjugation."

Edited December 14, 2024 by Ryro

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I almost missed this, there's been so much activity today.

While I know next to nothing about Celtic coins, I appreciate their unique style.  I voted for #3, which reminds me of dragons.

[DonnaML]

I know absolutely nothing about Celtic coinage in Britain or Gaul or anywhere else, but I find your writeups very interesting. I voted for the Esunertos, not only because of its historical importance but because I love the horse on the reverse with the "mandible" face.

[ambr0zie]

This is an area I have no knowledge about. But very interesting! I chose #9 because I liked the design the most. 

[John Conduitt]

2 hours ago, Ryro said:

Stunning line up of some very hard to acquire Celtics. I really wish they got more play around here. 

My favs are your #1, 4 and 6. I'd love to know were you shop for your Celtics?

I have several that might have gotten write ups, but knowing no one would read them, I did not. 

Here are a couple of my favorites from 2024:

CELTIC IMITATIONS OF MAGNA GRAECIA

MELDES/Meldis (Meaux region) 60-40 BCE, bronze, 16.6mm, 2.8g.

Degree of rarity: R1

 No. in reference works: LT.7617 - DT.587 - BN.7616-7630 - RIG.163 - Sch/GB.512

Obverse legend: E[PENOS].

Obverse description: Male head on the left, long, curly hair, legend in front of the face; gritted.

Reverse legend: EPHNOS.

Reverse description: Horse galloping to the right, wavy tail, surmounted by a facing bird/ winged rider with outstretched wings, a ringlet pointed below; legend under the horse globule surmounted by a crescent.

Unearthed 2023 Burgundy region of France. 

" The bird which surmounts the horse may be a distortion of a winged rider, present for example on certain Gallic silver and bronze coins. The attribution of this coinage is confirmed to the Meldes despite a very important distribution map on the territories of the Suessions and the Bellovaques. These coins were first reported in Meaux with ROVECA epigraph coins. B. Fischer proposes a ligature between an I and the P; which would give a legend EIPENOS, EPIENOS or even EPLENOS; she opts, in view of various examples of epigraphies, for the legend EPIENOS.

History: The Meldes are only mentioned once in Caesar's work. This small people lived between the Seine and the Marne in the Brie plain with Meaux as its capital. The Meldes emancipated themselves late from the tutelage of the Suessions and the Remes at the time of the Gallic War. Having become independent in 57 BC, the Meldes chose to ally themselves with the Romans. Caesar had sixty ships built among the Meldes, in 55 BC, for the expedition to Brittany. Caesar (BG. V, 5)."

Augustus, Hispania, Uncertain mint.. 27 B.C.-A.D. 14 Æ as (29.38 mm, 13.01 g). 'Moneta castrensis'. Mint in northewestern Spain, Probably struck before 23 B.C. [IMP] AVG DIVI F, bare head left; palm branch before, winged caduceus behind / Round shield with four linear outer panels and round central boss. ACIP 3301; RPC 3. RPC I 4; SNG Copenhagen 414. About VF. Purchased from "Young Collectors 2" Astarte March 2024

"The 'Moneta castrensis' coinage, lacking any sort of ethnic or magistrate, is impossible to place with certainty. Most examples are found in northwestern Spain, and stylistically show some affinity to the Spanish issues of Carisius. The obverse legend places the coinage after 27 B.C., and the fact that the coins lack any indication of the tribunican power suggest a terminus post quem of 23 B.C. It is most likely that the 'moneta castrensis' coinage was struck to finance Rome's efforts during the Cantabrian Wars, which brought an end to Spanish self-determination and finalized the province's subjugation."

Thank you. Yes most of the time it feels like there are only half a dozen of each type in existence (and quite often there are), but fortunately, not too many people are after them. That also means hardly anyone is interested in reading about them. But I might do some quick write-ups to make the Celtic forum here a bit more encouraging.

My British Celtic coins come almost exclusively from British ancients dealers and a few British auctions - all have a few every month (Noonans can have a couple of pages, but there is also Spink and Chris Rudd). I think these ten coins came from seven different places. The US auctions are usually either overpriced common coins or very expensive gold staters. These staters are clearly popular as most are common, or rare but minor variants, but sell for a few thousand pounds each, much more than the rare silver and bronze even allowing for precious metal content. The bronze I collect all comes from Britain, as does most of the rare silver. There are Facebook groups but the rare coins don't get sold there.

Those are interesting coins. A lot of British coins take the barbarous imitations from Gall and abstract them further. I like the tantalising link between the Meldes and Caesar's invasion of Britain via Brittany in 55BC.

[JayAg47]

Celtics are out of my area of interest, nevertheless I'm partial to gold, so I gotta go with the Belgae and the Dobunni gold staters. 

[MrMonkeySwag96]

#6

[panzerman]

I like 4/ 6 and 7

#7 the Catti Stater is first I have seen "fourée!

#6 The Quater "Corio" is on my to do list!

 

Really lovely Celtic material😍

I have a "normal" Catti 

Here is my Catti and a Morini Quarter from CGBfr auction. And two from Ukraine region.

[Sulla80]

Interesting celtic coins @John Conduitt, 6,7, & 9 all caught my attention - #6 clearly a crowd favorite! Best wishes for 2025.

[robinjojo]

Wonderful examples, John! 

My picks, stylistically, since I know zilch about British Isles Celtic coinage are #2, #4 and #9.  

[Qcumbor]

#7 is my choice, that horse is fantastic

Q

[JAZ Numismatics]

Extraordinary coins!