This scarce (two on ACsearch, described as 'R3') potin unit was recently found near Abbeville, France (~40km north-west from Amiens, ~ 140km north from Paris). Thus situated near the border of the Belgae, the Carnutes and the Parisii, it was a region of no particular importance consisting of swamps and dense forests. The coin has a silver-like appearance. I'm not sure, but I believed most (if not all) potin coins were bronze: could this be billion or silver? I particularly like the raven on the reverse, which, as a friend pointed out, is attempting to 'walk out of the ring' - intended or not, I like the curious bird. CELTS, Uncertain tribe (Bituriges ?). Denomination: BI Potin, minted: Central Gaul; 200-100 BC Obv: Helmeted head, looking to the left. Rev: Raven standing, to the left Weight: 3.85g; Ø:20mm. Catalogue: LT.manque - DT.2675 - BN.manque - PK.60 - Sch/SM.424. Provenance: Found in North France, near Abbevile; acq.: 06-2020 Very rare (R3) specimen, only a few sold in previous auctions last 10 year. It is the only coin featuring a raven that I know of: there are probably a lot more, so please post your coins with ravens (or potin coins!)
Very cool coin! I really like that raven walking through the circle. RAVEN Lepidus & Mark Antony. 43 B.C. AR quinarius (13.93 mm, 1.82 g, 5 h). Military mint traveling with Antony and Lepidus in Transalpine Gaul, 43 B.C. M ANT IMP, emblems of the augurate; lituus, capis, and raven standing left / LEP IMP, emblems of the pontificate: simpulum, aspergillum, securis, and apex. Crawford 489/3; CRI 120; Sydenham 1158a; RSC 3. aVF. Scarce Ex: RBW Collection
And as requested... a POTIN RI Carinus 282-285 CE BI Potin Tet Alexandria Egypt 19mm Athena Seated holding Nike
Interesting coin, @Roerbakmix! I also like that reverse, and agree with your friend that the raven appears to be making his escape- trying to get back to the forested swamps! The reverse of the coin below has two ravens- not enough to be considered a "flock" or an "unkindness" as a group of them are called. Anyone have a "murder" of crows? Titus as Caesar (79-81 AD). Denarius. Rome mint, 80 AD. IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG PM, Laureate head right / TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P, Tripod with fillets, upon which sit two ravens and a wreath surmounted by a dolphin. 18 mm. 3.07 g.
@Roerbakmix , you appear to have an enviable talent for always finding coins that are both very unusual and desirable – and this one is a prime example. What a nice Celtic raven! This coin below is a punning type: the raven in the center of the coat of arms refers to Matthias Corvinus' (adopted) family name. Latin corvus is "raven." Kingdom of Hungary, under Matthias Corvinus, AR denár, 1487–1490 AD, Kremnitz mint, moneyer: Peter Schaider. Obv: + M • MATHIE • R • VNGARIE • ; quartered shield with stripes (Árpad), double cross (Hungary), leopard heads (Dalmatia), and lion (Bohemia); in central inescutcheon, raven with ring. Rev: PATRON VNGARIE; Madonna with child; in field r., rose of Peter Schaider (Oberkammergraf). 16mm, 0.57g. Ref: Huszár 722; Unger 567b/c; Pohl 223-1. Here is a much more common Celtic potin showing a much less exciting animal: Western Celts: Senones, cast AE ("potin"), ca. 80–50BC, north-western Gaul, region of Sens. Obv: head with six braids r. Rev: stylized horse l., two pellets in fields. 19mm, 4.66g. Ref: De la Tour 7417; Castelin 701; BMC 389.
A raven, but you have to look hard: Maximinus I. 235-238 AD. BITHYNIA, Bithynium-Claudiopolis. Birthplace of Antinous. Æ (24mm, 6.94 gm, 12h). Obv: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed(?) bust right. Rev: Apollo standing facing, head right, leaning on globe set upon a serpent entwined altar and branch in left hand; raven on his left arm; serpent entwined stump(?) to his right. BMC__; SNG Copenhagen__; von Aulock__. Extremely rare. I had to hunt hard to find that a raven is one of the many "attributes" of Apollo.
Nice one @Roerbakmix ! Did you find it yourself perhaps? I don't own potin coins, nor coins other then Roman coins for that matter. But here's one with a raven:
It was the first thing I saw! I usually gravitate to the animals first when I look at coins. Great coin!
Thanks for all the comments and coins with ravens - added a few to my ever expanding wish-list. @Orielensis, thank you for the compliment It's a combination of knowing the right persons, spending too much time on the Dutch equivalent of Ebay, and a bit of luck. This specific coin came from someone I've bought Carolingian deniers and sceatta's from; he regularly searches with his metal detector in North France and Belgium. Though I own a metal detector (XP Deus), after the birth of my twin two years ago, I seldom use it anymore. The birth of my third child in March this year didn't really help for the spare time
Resurrecting an old thread of mine, just to show I've added jet another Celtic potin with a raven: 3.17g // 18.1mm.
That's a very interesting one. Well -- now, it two really interesting ones! I didn't think I'd seen that obv bust before, so I went hunting around on acsearch a bit. Admittedly not especially familiar with Celtic Potins, here's one that seems quite similar: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=42642 I'm sure it's quite difficult to identify who's being depicted, but can you tell any more about it, besides it's a male head left, wearing a helmet?
@Roerbakmix "The coin has a silver-like appearance. I'm not sure, but I believed most (if not all) potin coins were bronze: could this be billion or silver?" If I'm not mistaken, potin is basically another word for billon (an alloy of copper, silver, lead, etc. in varying proportions).
Thanks for the comments! I'm not sure: I guess, without legends or clearer examples, all attributions are speculative. As far as I understand (without owning relevant catalogi), it's still a mystery who minted these coins ... It may be the case. My first specimen is greyer of colour than my other potins that are usually black or brown. It may well contain silver, but perhaps tin? I believe that's incorrect: potin does not describe the material, but the method of minting. But perhaps I'm wrong!
Pretty emphatically not mine: Danelaw, Hiberno-Norse Kings of Northumbria and Dublin, Ánláf Guthfrithsson {Óláfr Guðrøðsson} (939-41), Penny, 'Raven type', Jórvík [York], Æthelferth, 1.21g, 10h, ·+A·NLA·F CVNVNCI, Raven upwards, head left, wings outstretched, rev +·A·ÐEL·FERD MINETR, small cross pattée (Ryan [1952], 676 = Williams II, 238, same obverse die; SCBI 1 [Fitzwilliam], 519, same obverse die; SCBI 4 [Copenhagen], 628-33; BMC 1092-96; N.537; Spink 1019 the plate coin) From a Spink auction, by way of CoinArchives: https://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotv...0&Lot=21&Val=b83a2d6782b45de6d7effc172dcf6ba2
