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Silver Plated Unit Cotswold Crosses / Catti Head Type Contemporary Counterfeit
| Issuer | Dobunni tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 30-43 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Silver Unit |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A naturalistically rendered horse prances to the right, depicted with a single-strand tail, showing greater figurative coherence than many contemporary Celtic coin types. Beneath the horse, a large cross with pellet-tipped arms dominates the lower field, with small subsidiary crosses and additional decorative motifs filling the angles of the main cross. A V-shaped or pellet-ended cross motif appears below the tail. Above the horse, a cruciform arrangement of rings and crescents fills the upper field, completing the characteristic Cotswold Crosses compositional scheme. The reverse design is consistent with the broader Dobunnic artistic tradition, though the silver-plated bronze fabric identifies this piece as a contemporary counterfeit of the authorised silver unit. |
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| Mintage | ND (30-43) - Base core - ND (30-43) - Silver plated - |
| Additional information |
Contemporary counterfeits of Dobunnic coinage were not clandestine operations in any modern sense — base-metal plated pieces circulated alongside official issues and were likely tolerated, or even produced, within the tribal economy. The Cotswold Crosses / Catti Head series dates to the final decade before the Claudian invasion of 43 AD, a period when Dobunnic political authority was fracturing under pressure from the expanding Catuvellauni. Some northern Dobunnic leaders had already submitted to Catuvellauni dominance before Roman boots touched British soil.
The plating on survivors is typically thin and frequently flaked, exposing the bronze core — which is precisely how most are identified in the hand rather than by weight alone.