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Bronze 1/2 Unit - Eppillus Sun Lion
| Issuer | Cantii tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1-15 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Bronze 1/2 Unit |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central floral solar motif rendered in Celtic curvilinear style, composed of radiating petals or rays issuing from a central boss. Four crescent moons are symmetrically disposed around the solar device in the field, a characteristic decorative arrangement of late Iron Age British coinage. The design is executed in low relief on an irregular flan, with the naturalistic Celtic ornamental tradition evident in the flowing, abstract forms. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A lion passant or walking to the right depicted in the Celtic schematic style, with body rendered in stylised curvilinear forms typical of late Iron Age coinage. The inscription EPPI COM F is disposed around the animal in the field, reading as an abbreviated dynastic legend attributing the issue to Eppillus, son of Commios, a ruler associated with the Cantii and Atrebates. The flan is irregular and the strike somewhat flat, consistent with hand-hammered Celtic bronze coinage of this period. |
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| Additional information |
Eppillus is one of the few pre-Roman British rulers whose name appears on coinage in both Britain and Gaul, suggesting either territorial ambition or political displacement across the Channel. He styled himself REX on his coins — a Latin title, not a Celtic one — signaling deliberate engagement with Roman political vocabulary well before the Claudian invasion of 43 AD. Whether this reflects genuine Roman patronage or calculated mimicry is still debated.