Iceni Ecen c. AD 10-43 Ecen Ece Triple Moons Gold Stater *Excessively Rare*
£6,750.00
Iceni Ecen c. AD 10-43 Ecen Ece Triple Moons Gold Stater
Excessively rare, 3 known.
ABC 1654, 17mm, 5.37g
A rare opportunity to acquire an example of this type.
Obverse
Three back-to-back linear crescents with points facing outwards around central pellet. Pellet in each cusp. Enclosed by six arcs each with triad or diamond of pellets in cusp.
Reverse
Horse right, dashes for mane, large oval head, sometimes triple leaves on shoulder, bifurcated upper front legs. S below head. Pellet triad either side of phallic symbol (elongated ring with pellet) above. Pellet and ECE inscription below.
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Comments
Van Arsdell Classification: Icenian H. Note that VA 759 is not listed on Van Arsdell’s website.
Talbot Ecen. The end of the denominational period saw the introduction of inscriptions. Anted and Ecen were produced in parallel (Anted starting first), using the same obverse die (staters of ECEN and ANTEDI (ABC 1639) are die linked), and followed Boar Horse C. They were struck at Mint A, which was responsible for most gold and used the most dies, characterised by a horse with an open head. The ECEN, EDN and ED variants (and ECE, ECEV and symbols for half units) are die linked with engraving becoming cruder. Finds are widely-dispersed but concentrated south of Snettisham.
Talbot Chronology: Gallo-Belgic E/Ingoldisthorpe – Early Local Period I (55BC-35BC) – Early Local Period II (35BC-15BC) – Denominational Period I (15BC-5: Snettisham – Plouviez – Irstead – Early Boar Horse) – Denominational Period II (5-25: Boar Horse B – Boar Horse C) – Denominational Period III (25-45).
Provenance
This coin is from The London Collection of Ancient British Coins. For more information click here: The London Collection – Silbury Coins : Silbury Coins.
G Cottam coll, April 2002 VA759-1
This coin comes with a previous label.
ECE/ECEN
The inscribed coins bearing the name ‘ECE’ or ‘ECEN’ are something of an enigma. While in some cases the name is abbreviated to ‘EC’, ‘ED’ or ‘EDN’, these are not considered to be different issuers. Although it has been suggested that ‘ECEN’ represents the name of the Iceni themselves, this is considered unlikely, as tribal names appear on no other coins of Iron Age Britain. Additionally, the same coin type bears other inscriptions which are clearly personal names.
The silver coins of ‘ECEN’ are some of the most common in the entire Icenian silver series, occurring both in good metal and, more rarely, plated copper alloy. These display a wreath and opposed crescents on their obverses and a prancing horse on the reverse, classified by numismatist John Talbot as the ‘pattern-horse’ series. Die studies demonstrate its intense levels of production, set against iconography that is fairly conservative in outlook. Recovered by detectorists in large numbers, these coins are prevalent both as single finds and in hoards. For example, no fewer than four ‘ECEN’ units were found in a mixed hoard of Late Iron Age and early Roman coins from Old Buckenham, Norfolk, which was probably deposited by the AD 40s or slightly earlier.
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