Catuvellauni Tasciovanos c. 25 BC-AD 10 Lion and Sphinx Bronze Unit *Extremely Rare*

Catuvellauni Tasciovanos c. 25 BC-AD 10 Lion and Sphinx Bronze Unit

Extremely Rare, 14 known.

ABC 2700, 14mm, 1.21g

Obverse

Dog or lion right, head turned back, raised tail, legs forward. Pellet border around.

Reverse

Helmeted sphinx left, three strands either side for each wing, S-shaped tail raised, back legs standing on short exergual line. Pellet border around.

Comments

 

Provenance

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

Spink auction 15049, lot 354 (July 2015). G Cottam coll. Found Letchworth, Herts 1994  VA1824-1

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.