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Gold Plated Stater Middle Whaddon Big Wheel Contemporary Counterfeit
| Issuer | Catuvellauni tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 45 BC - 40 BC |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Stater |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Stylised, highly abstracted rendering of an Apollo head facing right, derived from the classical prototype but reduced to geometric elements characteristic of Late Iron Age Celtic coinage. Two crossed wreaths form a prominent X-shaped device across the flan, with a pair of back-to-back outline crescents at the centre junction. Wing-like ornamental pellets or volutes appear in the angles formed by the wreath arms, filling the field. No central spike or boss is present, distinguishing this type from related issues. The treatment reflects the progressive abstraction of the Gallo-Belgic prototype through successive die generations. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Whaddon Chase type sits within the broader Gallo-Belgic tradition that swept into Britain during the late first century BC, but contemporary counterfeits of this type — plated bronze cores disguised with gold wash — tell a more immediate story about the pressures on Catuvellaunian exchange. These are not modern forgeries; they circulated alongside the genuine article and were almost certainly produced locally, possibly tolerated or even issued semi-officially during periods when bullion was scarce.
Van Arsdell 1487-03 is among the rarer die pairings in the Middle Whaddon sequence.