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Potin Unit Rounded Bull / Holman E5
| Issuer | Cantii tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 85 BC - 70 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Stater |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Schematised facing-right bust of Apollo rendered in outline style, characteristically tall and elongated in the Cantian Celtic tradition. A single vertical line descends through the centre of the neck. The eye is depicted as a ring enclosing a central pellet, while the facial profile and nose are formed by a closed, unbroken line. The overall treatment reflects the progressive abstraction of the Hellenistic Apollo prototype through successive generations of Celtic die-cutting and casting. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | ND (85 BC - 70 BC) - E5/4-1: Head right. Bull right, curved tail - ND (85 BC - 70 BC) - E5/4-2: Head right. Bull right, straight tail - |
| Additional information |
The Cantii occupied the southeast corner of Britain — roughly modern Kent — and their potin coinage represents one of the earliest indigenous struck or cast currencies in the British Isles. Potin itself, a tin-rich bronze alloy, was the material of choice for these small cast pieces, which owe their form ultimately to Massaliote prototypes filtered through generations of Gaulish transmission. By the time the Cantii were producing their own types, the originals had been abstracted almost beyond recognition through successive copying.
Caesar's two expeditions into Cantii territory in 55 and 54 BC postdate this issue by at least a decade, meaning these coins were already circulating when his legions first encountered the tribe.