Regini & Atrebates 1st Century BC Westerham South ‘Lepe’ Gold Stater *Scarce*

Regini & Atrebates

1st Century BC Westerham South ‘Lepe’ Gold Stater

Scarce

ABC 482, 19mm, 6.22g

Obverse

Abstracted head of Apollo right, devolved to wreath (with inside end of each leaf pointing upwards), crescents in front and cloak below. Hairbar (spike with curve) across wreath, often with large flaw below. Bulbous face, small bulge for chin.

Reverse

Disjointed horse left, stick legs. Many pellets above. Pellet under horse.

Provenance

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

Bloomsbury Auctions, 14.09.2005, lot 700.C Rudd PT. Ex A Morris, Bonhams 11/1994  VA202

This coin comes with a previous label.

 

Atrebates

A distinct grouping whose ancestral heartlands in Britain appear to sit within the region now comprising Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire. Coins from late in the Atrebatic series name their capital, Calleva – which would become the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum (modern Silchester).

Early uninscribed issues struck in the tribe’s British zone of influence include the so-called ‘Westerham’ type staters (ABC 482/BMC 24–32), whose abstract designs are based upon gold Macedonian staters. The Westerham staters themselves probably provided the inspiration for both Belgic staters of the Chute type, as well as later Cranborne Chase staters of the Durotriges. A particularly beautiful type of uninscribed Atrebatic quarter stater with numerous die varieties is the so-called ‘Selsey Dahlia’ (ABC 500/503/BMC 478–94), which displays a flower-like sun design above the reverse horse. Inscribed issues seem to appear from about 30 BC onwards, naming individuals such as Commios, Tincomarus, Eppillus and Verica. Commios appears to have held particular influence, as the latter three issuers all make claim to be his sons upon their coinages – perhaps a way of legitimising their authority.

Regni/Regini

The Regni, sometimes referred to as the Regini, appear to have occupied what is today the western portion of West Sussex – their tribal civitas probably underlying what became the Roman town of Noviomagus Reginorum (Chichester). Regnian coinage is characterised not only by its sheer diversity, but also scarcity. Indeed, many of the key types are extremely rare. This is perhaps exemplified best by many of the tribe’s quarter-staters, of which no fewer than forty varieties are listed by ABC.