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Bronze Unit - Eastern North Thames Chiltern Cock
| Issuer | Trinovantes tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 55 BC - 45 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Bronze Unit |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A cockerel standing to the left occupies the central field, rendered in a bold, stylised Celtic idiom characteristic of the Eastern North Thames series. The bird displays a prominent, exaggerated coxcomb and a sweeping, upswept tail rendered with angular pellet-and-line work. A sinuous snake motif appears above and in front of the legs, a decorative device frequently employed on Trinovantian bronze units of this period. The design elements are executed with confident, deeply cut strokes typical of late Iron Age hammered bronzes. No legend or inscription is present. |
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| Mintage | ND (55 BC - 45 BC) |
| Additional information |
The Trinovantes occupied territory roughly corresponding to modern Essex and southern Suffolk, and by the mid-first century BC were under sustained pressure from the expanding Catuvellauni to the west — a rivalry Caesar himself noted when Trinovantian envoys approached him during his 54 BC expedition seeking protection against Cassivellaunus. Whether small bronzes like this were circulating as functional low-denomination exchange or serving more localised transactional roles remains debated; the Thames-Chiltern distribution pattern suggests movement along established trackways rather than coastal trade.