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Potin Unit Curved Bull / Holman B6
| Issuer | Cantii tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 115 BC - 100 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Highly schematic, cast representation of a head in the style of Apollo facing left or right, rendered in crude outline form characteristic of late Iron Age British potin coinage. The eye is depicted as a plain ring without a central pellet, and the neck lacks the median dividing line seen on related types. The overall composition reflects the progressive stylistic degeneration typical of Cantian potin issues derived ultimately from Massaliote prototypes. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Cantii occupied the southeast corner of Britain — roughly modern Kent — and their potin issues are among the earliest native British coins, predating the gold staters that would dominate later Celtic British coinage. Potin itself is a tin-rich bronze alloy, and these pieces were cast rather than struck, likely in clay moulds, giving each unit a slightly irregular surface finish that is characteristic of the type rather than a flaw.
The "curved bull" classification distinguishes this from the later, more schematized Holman variants where the animal's form becomes increasingly abstracted. Potin units circulated heavily in Kent and rarely traveled far — hoards consistently reflect tight geographic distribution.