Gold Plated 1/4 Stater - Cunobelin Cunobelinus Plastic Contemporary Counterfeit

Contemporary counterfeits of Iron Age British coinage are rarely discussed but genuinely attested — lightweight plated pieces circulating alongside authentic gold issues were known well before the Roman conquest of 43 AD. Whether Cunobelin's administration tolerated or actively prosecuted such forgeries is unresolved, though the sheer volume of surviving plated specimens across multiple tribal issues suggests organized production rather than isolated opportunism. This example's bronze core beneath gold plating places it firmly in that tradition.