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Gold Stater Freckenham Crescents Phallic Type
| Issuer | Iceni tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 15 BC - 20 AD |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays a bold Celtic abstract design composed of two confronted crescents arranged symmetrically in the upper field, their open ends facing downward and terminating in pellets or tight spiral terminals, characteristic of the Freckenham Crescents type. Between and below the crescents, a prominent phallic motif is rendered in raised relief, flanked by pellets, giving the type its distinctive epithet. The lower half of the field is divided by two crossed lines forming a saltire or cross pattern, with pellets distributed in the resulting quadrants. The entire composition is executed in the vigorous, stylized La Tène artistic tradition, entirely devoid of inscriptions or legends. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Freckenham series takes its name from the Suffolk hoard discovered in 1844, which produced a concentrated group of Icenian gold staters and established the regional typology still used today. The Iceni, occupying what is now Norfolk and Suffolk, maintained gold coinage into the early Roman period — this type likely circulating right up to or through the Boudican revolt of 60–61 AD, after which tribal coinage in the region effectively ceased under Roman suppression.
The phallic sub-classification within this series is among the more precisely catalogued Icenian variants, with Van Arsdell's 620-04 designation distinguishing it by specific pellet arrangement rather than any broad stylistic shift.