Catalog
Silver Unit - Andoco Andoco Cow and Calf
| Issuer | Catuvellauni and Trinovantes tribes (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 20 BC - 1 BC |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A cow standing to the right occupies the central field, rendered in a lively but stylised Celtic manner with a textured body suggested by stippled pellet work. Beneath the cow, a small calf stands facing right, the pairing constituting the distinctive 'Cow and Calf' type associated with Andoco's coinage. Above the cow, a ringed pellet representing a sun or celestial symbol is surrounded by a scattering of loose pellets arranged across the upper field. A dotted border or pellet border runs along the lower edge of the design. The composition is enclosed within the irregular flan typical of hammered late Iron Age British silver units. |
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| Additional information |
Andoco is one of several poorly-documented rulers associated with the Catuvellauni in the late pre-Roman period, appearing on coinage but absent from any written record. His exact relationship to Tasciovanus — the dominant issuing authority of the region at the time — remains unresolved, with some scholars treating him as a subordinate or regional governor rather than an independent king. The "Cow and Calf" type is sufficiently distinctive to suggest a deliberate regional or functional distinction, possibly tied to a specific territory or authority within the tribal structure, though no consensus exists.