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Potin Unit Rounded Bull / Holman D2
| Issuer | Cantii tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 95 BC - 80 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Cast |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Schematised bull striding to the left, rendered in the abstract linear style typical of Cantian cast potin issues. Both pairs of legs are depicted splayed apart at the top, a diagnostic feature of the Holman D2 series. The bull's body is represented by a series of bold cast lines with minimal naturalistic detail, consistent with the progressive stylistic degeneration observed in this series. The field is plain with no exergual line or accompanying symbols. Two reverse die varieties correspond to the obverse pairings: D2/1-1 and D2/3-1, both sharing the fundamental bull-left composition with legs apart. |
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| Mintage | ND (95 BC - 80 BC) - D2/1-1: Head left, neck line and eye pellet. Bull left, both pairs of legs apart at top - ND (95 BC - 80 BC) - D2/3-1: Head right, neck line but no eye pellet. Bull left, both pairs of legs apart at top - |
| Additional information |
Potin coinage among the Cantii emerged from Continental practice — specifically the Massaliote tradition transmitted through cross-Channel trade networks — and this type predates the Roman conquest by nearly half a century. The casting rather than striking of these pieces reflects the technology available in southeast Britain at the time; potin units were made in strip-cast chains and broken apart, which is why so many examples show irregular flans and casting flash at the edges.
Van Arsdell's sequencing places this D2 variety within a typological progression that helps archaeologists date southeast British sites. Several examples have been recovered from Thames foreshore deposits.