Gold 1/4 Stater Horse Head Cloak

The Atrebates occupied territory across what is now Hampshire and Berkshire, and by the mid-first century BC were under the rule of Commios — the same Gaulish chieftain whom Caesar had used as a diplomatic envoy during his Gallic campaigns before their relationship collapsed violently. Commios fled to Britain around 50 BC, almost certainly bringing Gaulish minting traditions with him, which explains the strong continental influence visible across Atrebatic coinage of this period.

Sills 230 is a scarce quarter stater struck in high-purity gold at a moment when tribal coinages in southeast Britain were proliferating rapidly, partly driven by the need to pay warriors and reward loyalty in an increasingly unstable political climate following Caesar's expeditions of 55 and 54 BC.