Catuvellauni & Trinovantes Cunobelinus c. AD 8-40 Plastic Type Gold Stater *Scarce*

Catuvellauni & Trinovantes Cunobelinus c. AD 8-40 Plastic Type Gold Stater

Corn ear (barley), without central stalk, widely-fanned bristles from every grain. Stalk sprouts from a pellet. Inscription  (CA MV)either side.

Horse galloping right with pellet mane. Branch above. Inscription (CVNO) below on exergual line. Pellets above, near the head and above the branch. Pellet below. Beaded border.

Minted at Camulodunum, modern-day Colchester, United Kingdom

Scarce

A well struck reverse, obverse a little weak (as is often the case with this type). Attractive pink colour gold.

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ABC 2786; 18mm, 5.41g

Evans: IX.5 (1864, p. 298, pl. IX).
Evans: XXII.5 (1890, p. 563, pl. XXII).

Allen: Plastic Series A.

Van Arsdell Classification: Trinovantian W, Coinage of Cunobeline, Expansion Period (Light Staters), Plastic Type Gold Coins. VA 2010 – 03: Pellet below.

Sills DK 562 (10 obverse, 15 reverse dies): North Thames Coinage; Type: Cunobelinus; Staters: Class 6 – Plastic. The main characteristics of the Plastic are the asymmetrical, rough corn ear (compared to the neat, symmetrical Classic corn ear) and a neat horse with pellet mane (rather than the straggly Wild horse). One obverse die is shared with Plastic B (ABC 2789). Pellet below horse.

The equivalent quarter is Plastic (Sills 586).

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

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 PT Sept 1997. Found Sudbury VA 2010-3

This coin comes with a previous label.

 

Cunobelin (c. AD 10–40)

Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, based on his extensive bronze coinage Cunobelin appears to have been a son of Tasciovanos – where he is often styled ‘CVNOBELINI TASCIOVANI F’ (Cunobelin, Son of Tasciovanos). Writing in the early 1st century AD, the Roman historian Suetonius erroneously refers to Cunobelin as ‘Brittanorum Rex’ – King of the Britons. While this may exaggerate his power and influence somewhat, it is evident that he was viewed by the Romans as a key figure within the region. He was potentially sponsored or endorsed in some way by Rome’s first emperor, Augustus. Indeed, like Verica, many of his coins (especially those of silver and bronze) show high levels of classical influence.

As a ruler in his own right, Cunobelin’s first act seems to have been to finish the task begun by his father, definitively exerting control over both Camulodunon and the Trinovantian territory surrounding it. Numismatic evidence for this can be found in the prolific quantities of gold staters and quarter-staters he struck at the settlement, which depict a corn-ear flanked by the inscription ‘CAMV’. Having solidified his holdings north of the Thames, it seems that Cunobelin extended his influence into Kent. Indeed, many of his coins are found there, as are those of his probable son – Adminius (Amminus). The subsequent power vacuum caused by his death in AD 40, followed by a brief period of instability which seems to have manifested across much of eastern and southern Britain, would be quickly filled following the Claudian invasion of AD 43 – an event which changed Britain forever.