Catalog
Bronze Unit 'Cantian M' SA
| Issuer | Cantii tribe |
|---|---|
| Year | 1-10 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A stylised lion or feline beast depicted in profile facing left, with a large rounded head and schematically rendered body in the Celtic curvilinear tradition. The musculature and limbs are indicated by bold incised lines and swelling relief forms, giving the figure a vigorous if abstracted appearance. A spiral or scroll motif is visible in the upper field, possibly representing a solar or vegetal ornament. The abbreviated legend SA appears in the field, most plausibly interpreted as the initial letters of a ruler's name associated with the Cantii tribe of southeastern Britain. The flan is irregular and the surface carries characteristic green-brown patination. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | SA (Translation: possibly ruler's name (see below)) |
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| Additional information |
The Cantii occupied the territory now known as Kent — the principal landing zone for Caesar's expeditions of 55 and 54 BC and, later, for Claudius's invasion of 43 AD. Coinage attributed to this tribe in the final years before the conquest reflects a political situation in rapid collapse, with tribal autonomy giving way under Roman military and diplomatic pressure. The 'M' designation in the type classification refers to a mint mark interpretation that remains contested among specialists, with Van Arsdell and Spink referencing the same physical type under slightly divergent interpretive frameworks.