Catalog
Silver 1/2 Unit Braybrooke's Hare
| Issuer | Catuvellauni tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 40 BC - 30 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | A stylised hare is depicted in profile facing right, rendered in the characteristic La Tène Celtic artistic tradition with flowing, abstracted lines. Corded bars appear below and in front of the figure, adding textural detail to the composition. A pellet-in-ring ornament is placed near the tail and a further pellet-in-ring appears below the hare. The design fills the irregular flan with no inscription or legend. The overall style reflects the abstract naturalism typical of Late Iron Age British coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Catuvellauni occupied a territory roughly corresponding to modern Hertfordshire and beyond, and their coinage evolved under heavy Gaulish influence — many of their die-cutters almost certainly trained on the continent before crossing the Channel. The "Braybrooke's Hare" designation comes from the find site at Braybrooke in Northamptonshire, where early examples entered the scholarly record.
At under a gram, this fractional piece circulated in a monetary system that was still partly gift-exchange and partly proto-market — the exact mechanisms remain debated.