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Potin Large bust, horse
| Issuer | Suessiones (Gallia Belgica) |
|---|---|
| Year | 100 BC - 60 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Stylized large bust facing right, rendered in the Celtic artistic tradition, featuring a ringed or beaded coiffure arranged in a distinctive looped pattern. The effigy is enclosed within a border of alternating pearls and lines. A zigzag or chevron motif is positioned in front of the face, a characteristic decorative element of Suessiones coinage. The overall treatment is schematic and abstract, typical of late La Tène period Gaulish cast potin coins. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Suessiones occupied the Aisne valley in what is now the Champagne-Ardenne region, and Caesar described them as the most powerful of the Belgic tribes at the time of his campaigns — capable of fielding substantial forces and holding significant political influence over neighboring peoples. Potin coinage of this type predates that encounter, circulating through a network of tribal exchange that operated largely independent of Mediterranean monetary conventions.
Potin itself — a lead-tin-copper alloy cast rather than struck — was a distinctly Gaulish solution to high-volume, low-denomination coinage needs. Cast flans produce the characteristic surface porosity collectors encounter on this type.