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Gold 1/4 Stater - Belgae Fishtail Cross
| Issuer | Atrebates and Regini tribes (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 55 BC - 45 BC |
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| Currency | Stater |
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| Obverse description | A bold geometric design in the La Tène Celtic tradition, composed of a central rosette or ring motif from which four curved arms radiate outward to form a fishtail cross. Each quadrant between the arms is filled with a cluster of three curvilinear fish-tail or lyre-shaped scrolls, rendered in high relief. The overall composition exhibits a strong rotational symmetry with deeply modelled, sinuous lines characteristic of late British Celtic coinage. The flan is irregular and slightly convex, with no inscriptions or legend in any quarter of the field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A stylised horse depicted in left-facing profile, rendered in the highly abstract Celtic artistic idiom typical of Atrebatic quarter staters. The body is compact and rounded, with the legs rendered as bunched, clumpy projections suggestive of movement. Three streaming tail-lines trail behind the hindquarters in a characteristic triple-tail arrangement. Above the horse, a six-spoked wheel symbol is prominently placed within a circular border. Additional pellet or annulet devices appear in the field. The flan is irregular with no inscriptions. |
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| Additional information |
This type belongs to the period immediately following Julius Caesar's two expeditions to Britain in 55 and 54 BC, when southern British tribes were navigating the political fallout of Roman contact. The Atrebates under Commios — himself a former ally of Caesar who later turned against him — were consolidating tribal authority across the Hampshire and Sussex region, and coinage like this quarter stater likely facilitated elite exchange and tribute rather than everyday commerce.
The "fishtail" cross designation comes from the die-cutter's treatment of the reverse field, a detail catalogued with some variation across the ABC and BMC Iron Age series.