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Tasciovanos Warrior. VER Type. Catuvellauni. c.20BC-AD10. Celtic gold stater. 15mm. 5.46g.
1/2
Auctioneer has chosen not to publish the price of this lot
Norwich, Norfolk
Description
Tasciovanos Warrior. VER Type. Kretz obv. A/C1, rev. Type IV, var. A.c.20BC-AD10. Gold stater. 15mm. 5.46g. Crossed-wreath motif with two opposed crescents and four ringed-pellets at centre forming hidden faces, tiny VER in field./ Warrior on horse right, five-spoked wheel above head, [TA] S below, C and pellet triad in front, exergual line. ABC 2568, VA 1734, BMC 1623-24, S 218. CCI 08.8136 (this coin). Good VF, scintillating rose gold, three ‘hidden’ letters revealed. Ex Glendinings 8.10.1991, lot 1423. VERY RARE only 19 others recorded.
Here, three tiny letters V E R are tucked into Tasciovanos’ signature obverse design: they could easily be missed. His engraver only did this for him very briefly, right at the beginning of his second coinage, which also introduced the heroic horseman brandishing a war-trumpet. The lightly etched letters easily clogged and if recut could change shape, as the E did here. Tasciovanos was a formidable warrior king and shameless self-publicist, who minted nearly all his coinage at his royal seat, Verlamion. Why then be so discreet about it? He had only very recently laid explicit claim to Camulodunon as well, on staters at the end of his first series (ABC 2559) - and this may be a clue. Unacceptable pressure on the Trinovantes must have led to the diplomatic emergency that Dr John Sills so convincingly describes (Divided Kingdoms, pp. 752–3), and to Dubnovellaunos’ appeal for Augustus’ help, perhaps in around 15 BC. When Augustus resolved their dispute by awarding Dubnovellaunos lifetime charge of the Trinovantes under Roman protection, and persuaded Tasciovanos to back off and pursue his imperial ambitions elsewhere (which he did), was this transient, tiny inscription a grudging token of acceptance of his new status quo, renouncing overlordship of the Trinovantes?
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Tasciovanos Warrior. VER Type. Kretz obv. A/C1, rev. Type IV, var. A.c.20BC-AD10. Gold stater. 15mm. 5.46g. Crossed-wreath motif with two opposed crescents and four ringed-pellets at centre forming hidden faces, tiny VER in field./ Warrior on horse right, five-spoked wheel above head, [TA] S below, C and pellet triad in front, exergual line. ABC 2568, VA 1734, BMC 1623-24, S 218. CCI 08.8136 (this coin). Good VF, scintillating rose gold, three ‘hidden’ letters revealed. Ex Glendinings 8.10.1991, lot 1423. VERY RARE only 19 others recorded.
Here, three tiny letters V E R are tucked into Tasciovanos’ signature obverse design: they could easily be missed. His engraver only did this for him very briefly, right at the beginning of his second coinage, which also introduced the heroic horseman brandishing a war-trumpet. The lightly etched letters easily clogged and if recut could change shape, as the E did here. Tasciovanos was a formidable warrior king and shameless self-publicist, who minted nearly all his coinage at his royal seat, Verlamion. Why then be so discreet about it? He had only very recently laid explicit claim to Camulodunon as well, on staters at the end of his first series (ABC 2559) - and this may be a clue. Unacceptable pressure on the Trinovantes must have led to the diplomatic emergency that Dr John Sills so convincingly describes (Divided Kingdoms, pp. 752–3), and to Dubnovellaunos’ appeal for Augustus’ help, perhaps in around 15 BC. When Augustus resolved their dispute by awarding Dubnovellaunos lifetime charge of the Trinovantes under Roman protection, and persuaded Tasciovanos to back off and pursue his imperial ambitions elsewhere (which he did), was this transient, tiny inscription a grudging token of acceptance of his new status quo, renouncing overlordship of the Trinovantes?
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