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Silver 1/2 Unit Mini Kite / Kite Type
| Issuer | Corieltauvi tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 45 BC - 10 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.5 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Stylised kite-shaped or chevron design rendered in low relief, characteristic of the Corieltauvi 'Mini Kite' type. A prominent central boar's spine or plant-like motif rises from the kite device, flanked by scattered pellets arranged in the field. Two angular lines frame the composition at the upper register, with pellets and annulets distributed around the design. The entire composition is abstract and highly stylised, consistent with Late Iron Age Celtic artistic conventions for fractional silver coinage. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | ND (45 BC - 10 BC) - VA 888-01: Four pellets. Front legs fully two lines - ND (45 BC - 10 BC) - VA 889-01: One pellet - ND (45 BC - 10 BC) - VA 889-03: Two pellets - ND (45 BC - 10 BC) - VA 889-05: Three pellets - ND (45 BC - 10 BC) - VA 889-07: Four pellets - |
| Additional information |
The Corieltauvi occupied a large territory across what is now Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire, and their coinage reflects a tribe that never consolidated under a single ruler — most Corieltauvi issues carry paired or even triple names, suggesting governance by committee or joint kingship rather than sole authority. This fractional piece belongs to an uninscribed phase predating those named issues, placing it among the earliest coinage the tribe produced.
The kite designation comes from modern typological sorting, not ancient terminology. At half a gram, these fractions were almost certainly used in high-value exchange by weight alongside larger units rather than as everyday small change.