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Potin Unit Dover M-Line
| Issuer | Uncertain tribe Brittonic (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 100 BC - 90 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 |
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| Technique | Cast |
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| Obverse description | Highly stylised, schematised head rendered in the debased Late Celtic casting tradition, presented as a amorphous, globular mass with vestigial facial features. The design is characteristic of the Dover potin series, in which the original Massalian prototype has been reduced to an abstract arrangement of lumps and ridges. The flan is irregular and the surface displays the coarse texture typical of cast potin alloy. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A prominent thick vertical bar occupies the central field, a defining feature of the Dover M-Line type within the broader Kentish potin series. The letter M appears above the bar, serving as the principal identifying mark of this die-group. The surrounding field is largely plain, with the rough, pitted surface characteristic of cast potin fabric. Design elements are low in relief and the flan edges are irregular. |
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| Additional information |
Potin coinage in Britain was almost certainly introduced through contact with the Gallo-Belgic tribes across the Channel rather than developed independently, and the Dover region pieces represent some of the earliest struck examples in southeast England. The "M-line" designation refers to a specific die-linked series identified in the Allen-Van Arsdell typology, distinguished by a linear element in the casting structure rather than any design feature. These were cast, not struck — a fundamental production distinction that separates British potin from most contemporary Continental issues.