Featured Celtic - The Durotriges

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by FitzNigel, Apr 23, 2017.

  1. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    image.jpeg
    The Tisbury Hoard, in the Salisbury Museum.

    Last summer my wife and I vacationed in southern England. Going to the U.K. Is nothing unusual for us as we both used to live there, but I was up north in County Durham, and my wife lived in London. As such, we visited the north, the south, and most areas in between, but the south-west was always a little too far away for us. So we made the decision to visit Devon and Cornwall, but started with a short trip to Salisbury to see the cathedral and visit Stonehenge (a first for my wife; see original post here). At Salisbury Cathedral, there was a wonderful little museum which contained many archaeological finds from around Stonehenge. Included in this was a hoard of Celtic Coins from the Durotriges tribe. After seeing this, I just had to get one!

    Anc Britannia - Durotriges.jpg
    Map of Durotriges territory

    The Durotriges tribe is a bit of a mystery. Their territories seem to have been in modern Dorset and a good portion of Somerset, but their coins have been found in hoards further afield. Julius Caesar mentions them in his book on the Gallic Wars, but his description may have been copying an earlier, now lost, text. Archaeological evidence points to there being a mint at Hengistbury Head, as cast bronze and molds were found there, but this is not proof that the silver coins of the Durotriges were minted here (just their cast bronze coins). The Durotriges coins have also been noteworthy among authors and collectors because of how quickly they seem to have become debased; moving from a white gold to silver to billon within a hundred years.

    Anc-01-Britannia-jeb-Durotriges-STA-366.jpg
    Celtic Britannia
    The Durotriges (58 B.C.-43 A.D.)
    Cranborne Chase Type AR Stater, 19mm x 5.95 grams
    Obv.: Wreath, cloak and crescents
    Rev.: Disjointed horse left, rectangular head, body of crescents, four vertical legs, three roughly horizontal lines for tail, pellet below, twelve pellets above
    Ref.: SCBC 366, SGCV 172
    Ex. Estate of an English Numismatists


    In terms of design, the auction house I purchased the coin from listed the obverse as "Wreath, cloak, and crescents" and the reverse as "Disjointed horse left, rectangular head, body of crescents, four vertical legs, three roughly horizontal lines for tail, pellet below, twelve pellets above." I seem to recall reading somewhere (perhaps the museum) that these Coins were in imitation of the Coins of Philip II of Macedon, as many other Celtic coins were. Despite my trying, and seeing a few articles allude to it, I have not succeeded in finding a study which compares the various imitations of Philip's coins, and linking them geographically and chronologically. NGC has something close (see here), but it is hardly extensive. I have been tempted to delve further in to this, but frankly my desire for a Celtic coin has been satiated (for now, anyway...).

    Feel free to post your Celtic Coins, from a Britain or elsewhere!
     
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  3. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Nice coin with neat designs. I like Celtic coins even though the are not a focus for me.
    EASTERN CELTS.jpg Lower Danube Celt.jpg
     
  4. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    THAT is a great Celtic coin, and a Great Idea!

    Ah, CRUD! @FitzNigel ... I lived where the Silures were in South Wales... I was JUST about 10 mi west of Isca (Roman Legionary Fortress)... NOW, I have to see if I can find coinage from them!!!

    Celtic Britain Inceni Boudicca 61 CE 1.03g Celt Hd r Celtic horse galloping Scarce.JPG
    CELTIC BRITAIN
    the Inceni
    Queen Boudicca, 61 AD.
    AR Unit
    1.03 g
    Obv: Celticized head right
    Rev: Celticizes horse galloping right.
    Ref: vArs.794.
     
  5. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    I really wanted to get into Celtic but found the prices too high for coins in condition I felt were worth having. I have one Celtic coin, I think from the Iceni tribe, but it was very underwhelming. I don't even have it photographed or part of my collection. Maybe I ought to rehome it...
     
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  6. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    Very nice, Alegandron! If I were to get another Celtic coin soon, it would probably be one of these Iceni pieces...
     
  7. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

  8. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    DANUBE AREA CELTS:

    Celtic Imitation Philip II AR Drachm Kugelwangel type- Agora auction.JPG
    Celtic Imitation Philip II AR Drachm - pecunum auction.JPG
    Celtic Imitation Philip II AR Drachm Kugelwangel type- Fat Horse and Regular Horse varieties...
     
  9. Bart9349

    Bart9349 Junior Member

    I love the history that these British Celtic coins exude.


    Celtic.gif

    Thank you for the write-up and the link. I always need to refer to the maps of these tribes, however. I barely know the map of modern Britain, let alone Ancient Celtic Britain.

    Celtic_Britain.gif

    A nice review of the native Celtic tribes in ancient Britain:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/british_prehistory/iron_01.shtml

    Thank you, again.
     
  10. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    IBERIA / CELTIBERIANS:

    Iberia - Castulo AE14 Quarter Unit Bust - BOAR w-star 2nd C BCE.JPG
    Iberia - Castulo AE14 Quarter Unit Bust - BOAR w-star 2nd C BCE

    Iberia Secaisa Segeda AE 25 2nd-1st C BC Male Hd Dolphin Horseman Galloping.jpg
    Iberia Secaisa Segeda AE 25 2nd-1st C BC Male Hd Dolphin Horseman Galloping

    Iberia Castulo Late 2nd C BC AE As 25mm Bust Nose Hand Sphinx.jpg
    Iberia Castulo Late 2nd C BC AE As 25mm Bust Nose Hand Sphinx

    upload_2017-4-23_22-9-13.png
    OSCA Spain AR silver denarius 204-154 BC. Head r beard -N behind - Horseman spear, Iberian PMAN BOLSCAN Burgos 1501 Villaronga 3
     
  11. gregarious

    gregarious E Pluribus Unum

    mine i guess is a Danube type like Alegandron has, but much worse for wear. celtic phillip ll 002.JPG celtic phillip ll 003.JPG
     
  12. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    that's a cool coin FN!

    i have this billon durotriges coin, one of the first ancient coins i purchased. had no idea what it was when i picked it up and showed it with the time hoping someone could help me ID it.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. ancientcoinguru

    ancientcoinguru Well-Known Member

    My only celtic coin is a potin, a crude cast in an alloy of tin and bronze, originating probably in Kent. These coins remained in use until the Roman conquest in AD 43.
    AE potin cast.jpg
    Celtic Britain (Cantiaci tribe)
    second half of the 1st c BC
    Æ potin unit, cast (Thurrock). 3.35 gm. 17 mm
    Obv: Stylized head of Apollo left
    Rev: Stylized butting bull right, two crescents above, exerguai line beneath
    Seaby references: Mack 12 and 17, Seaby 70.
     
  14. icerain

    icerain Mastir spellyr

    Don't have any Celtic coins yet but I've been eyeing at some of them. The design and history really intrigues me. And while the price may be a bit high when they are in good condition, they are usually really pretty coins.
     
  15. RAGNAROK

    RAGNAROK Naebody chaws me wi impunitY

    Cool coin, nice three-tailed horse type! :)

    My best celtic Durotriges Cranborne Chase Silver Stater, South Western Britain (Wessex area), circa 58 BC-AD 43, 5.7 g, 20.1 mm; Obv: stylized head of Apollo r., Rev: stylized horse l., thirteenth pellets; Ex. Brighstone, Isle of Wight (Vectis) 2005 Hoard; Chris Rudd, "ABC" 2157:

    6.jpg

    More info:
    https://www.cointalk.com/threads/celtic-durotriges-cranborne-chase-silver-stater.305276/


     
  16. RAGNAROK

    RAGNAROK Naebody chaws me wi impunitY

    https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/836206
    :rolleyes:;)
     
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  17. WillyM

    WillyM Member

    Here's one from the Aedui, who inhabited territory in today's France-
    Aedui.jpg Aedui1.jpg
    Dumnorix.jpg

    Celtic. Aedui. AR quinarius. Dumnorix severed head. 70-50 BC. De la Tour 5044. Head right. DVBNOCOV. Warrior facing, holding carynx and boar in r. hand, severed head in l., sword at side. DVBNREIX. 1.85g 13mm
    My first post here!
     

    Attached Files:

    Theodosius, randygeki, Ajax and 9 others like this.
  18. RAGNAROK

    RAGNAROK Naebody chaws me wi impunitY

    Not bad at all! Welcome to CT!!
     
  19. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Nice Celtic Aedui and welcome here to CT @WillyM
     
  20. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    Welcome Willy! Nice coin!
     
  21. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Welcome to CoinTalk, @WillyM :). Interesting coin!
     
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