Silver Unit - Ecen Ecen Symbol Tricorne Type

The Ecen inscription on this type is among the clearest epigraphic evidence for the Iceni tribal name in the pre-Roman period, appearing on coinage issued in the years immediately before the Claudian invasion of 43 AD effectively ended independent Iceni minting. Whether "Ecen" represents a ruler's name or the tribe itself remains debated — most current scholarship favors the tribal reading. The Iceni initially accepted client-kingdom status under Rome, a fragile arrangement that collapsed catastrophically under Prasutagus's death and the subsequent revolt of Boudicca in 60-61 AD.