Catuvellauni Tasciovanos c. 25 BC-AD 10 Quatrefoil Gold Quarter Stater *Extremely Rare*

Catuvellauni Tasciovanos c. 25 BC-AD 10 Quatrefoil Gold Quarter Stater

Floral quatrefoil (flower) of four fern leaves with teardrop petals in each angle. Back-to-back crescents at centre. Ringed pellets at ends of leaves and pellets either side.

Realistic horse right. Horse muzzle attached to three-teardrop spray above. Inverted reversed R below.

Extremely Rare, 21 known.

A high grade coin, well struck and little wear.

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ABC 2583; 12mm, 1.29g

Van Arsdell Classification: Trinovantian M, Earlier Dynastic Issues, Tasciovanus First Coinage.

Kretz Type A. Rainer Kretz (BNJ 85, 2015, p.14) suggests there are at least a dozen issues attributed to Tasciovanos (ABC 2583, 2604, 2625, 2631, 2658, 2667, 2673, 2679, 2682, 2685, 2694, 2700, 2709) that either have a VER/VIR legend or no legend at all.

Sills DK 518 (10 obverse, 9 reverse dies): North Thames Coinage; Type: Tasciovanos; Quater Staters: Class 1 – Quatrefoil. The obverse comes from Addedomaros’s Cruciform (ABC 2529) and emphasised their connection. The horse is realistic like that on TAXCIAVANOS (ABC 2550).

Sills chronology: Gallo-Belgic Ca – British G (Early Clacton) / Aa Westerham – British La (Whaddon Chase) – British Lb (Westbury) – Addedomaros – Dubnovellaunos – Tasciovanos.

Provenance

This coin is from The London Collection of Ancient British Coins. For more information click here: The London Collection – Silbury Coins : Silbury Coins

M Vosper Aug 1995, VA 1687

This coin comes with a previous label.

 

Tasciovanos (c. 25 BC–AD 10)

Following on from Addedomaros, who may or may not have been his father, we find Tasciovanos – whose coinage is some of the most complex and extensive within the North Thames series. An apparently long-lived ruler, traditional narratives of the Late Iron Age cast him as a dynamic and decisive individual who laid the groundwork for the success of his own son, Cunobelin, by extending Catavellaunian influence eastwards into East Anglia and Kent. While his coins generally take influence from indigenous art styles, some ‘classification’ is visible (though to a relatively limited degree) on specific types within his issues of silver and bronze. Some of the most impressive North Thames issues are exemplified by his gold staters, such as the ‘Tasciovanos hidden faces’ and ‘Tasciovanos warrior’ types (ABC 2553/BMC 1591–1603/ABC 2571/BMC 1615–16), both of which employ highly stylised, geometric motifs on their obverse faces. This medium also can be found on numerous examples of his bronze coinage, such as on the highly enigmatic ‘Tasciovanos Verlamio’ type. Here, the obverse depicts an eight-pointed star with the mint-name (VERLAMIO) cleverly interspersed between the points.