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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 |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Outline bull striding right, its body and legs rendered in a stiff, rectilinear manner characteristic of Cantian potin coinage. The tail is rendered in two known varieties: either curved upward or held straight. Two crescents appear in the field above the bull's back. A horizontal exergual line defines the lower boundary of the design, below which the field is plain. The composition derives ultimately from Massalian silver prototypes but is here reduced to bold, abstract Celtic line-work. |
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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 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.