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1/4 Stater with boat biface
| Issuer | Morini |
|---|---|
| Year | 70 BC - 50 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | DT#249, LT#8722 var., Sp#10, V#69, ABC#40-49, Mack#37;39-42 |
| Obverse description | Stylized rendering of an openwork boat depicted in schematic Celtic fashion, surmounted by two vertical masts rising from the hull, with a globule positioned at the bow. The design is rendered in a highly abstract La Tène artistic style, with the vessel's skeletal framework suggested through geometric linear elements. The field is otherwise plain, consistent with the minimalist treatment typical of Morinian quarter staters. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A central tree or branching vegetal motif flanked symmetrically by two horizontal ornamental symbols in the field, rendered in the abstract Celtic geometric tradition. Below the principal device, a broken sickle-shaped or arc line is flanked by two crescent symbols and two lowercase gamma-shaped ornaments, forming a characteristic decorative register. The overall composition reflects the highly stylized, non-figurative design vocabulary characteristic of Morinian coinage of the late Gaulish period. |
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| Additional information |
The Morini occupied the coastal marshes and dense forests of what is now the Pas-de-Calais and Belgian Flemish coast — the same territory Caesar described with particular frustration in his Gallic Wars, noting that his campaigns into their lands repeatedly stalled against terrain and determined resistance. They were among the last Belgic tribes to submit, and their coinage reflects a community operating at the edge of Atlantic trade networks rather than the continental interior.
The "boat" motif on this fractional issue is almost certainly connected to cross-Channel commerce, the Morini controlling key embarkation points used by traders and, eventually, Roman invasion forces. The reference spread across DT, LT, and ABC reflects genuine die and type variation within this series — no two sources fully agree on the classification boundaries.