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Gold Plated 1/4 Stater - Belgae Hampshire Thunderbolt / Geometric Type Contemporary Counterfeit
| Issuer | Atrebates and Regini tribes (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 65 BC - 40 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A cruciform thunderbolt motif occupies the centre of the reverse field, its four arms radiating symmetrically from a central point in the manner characteristic of the Belgae Hampshire Thunderbolt type. Each of the four angles formed by the arms contains a subsidiary symbol or pellet-based ornament, consistent with the decorative conventions of the Atrebatic quarter stater series. The overall design is rendered in a simplified, geometric style indicative of a contemporary imitation, with somewhat irregular die execution and shallow relief. The flan is irregular and slightly convex, with the gold plating partially visible at the surface. No legend or inscription is present. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Contemporary counterfeits of Atrebatic quarter staters — produced by coating a bronze flan with gold wash — circulated alongside genuine issues during the late Iron Age, suggesting either that recipients couldn't or wouldn't distinguish them, or that local exchange networks tolerated the deception. The genuine Hampshire Thunderbolt type is associated with the Atrebates and Regini in the decades before Romanisation reshaped southern British coinage entirely. Whether this piece was struck by a skilled forger mimicking official production or by a satellite workshop operating with tacit permission remains an open question in the scholarship.