Catalog
Bronze Unit 'Cantian L' - Dubnovellaunus
| Issuer | Cantii tribe |
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| Year | 30 BC - 10 BC |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Obverse description | A boar standing to the right occupies the central field, its characteristic raised dorsal bristles rendered in schematic Celtic style. The body is depicted with bold, abstracted relief typical of Late Iron Age British coinage. Below the animal, the abbreviated royal legend DVBNO is inscribed between two horizontal lines, referencing the issuing king Dubnovellaunus. The flan is irregular and slightly convex, consistent with hand-hammered production of the period. |
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| Reverse description | An eagle stands facing, rendered in the schematic and abstracted tradition characteristic of British Celtic coinage of the late first century BC. The wings are spread and depicted with incised linear feather detail fanning outward to either side of the central body. The taloned feet are visible at the base of the design, gripping the flan. The field is otherwise plain, with no legend or additional devices present. The overall style reflects the bold, stylised artistic vocabulary common to the Cantian bronze series. |
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| Additional information |
Dubnovellaunus is attested in two distinct regions — among the Cantii in Kent and separately among the Trinovantes in Essex — leading to longstanding scholarly debate over whether these represent one ruler who shifted power bases or two different men sharing a name. The Cantian attribution here relies primarily on findspot distribution rather than any written record. Augustus reportedly received a diplomatic delegation from a British king named Dubnovellaunus around 7 BC, a detail preserved in the Res Gestae, though which Dubnovellaunus made that journey remains unresolved.