Catuvellauni Dias c. AD 1-10 Dias Saltire Unit *Very Rare*

Catuvellauni Dias Saltire c. AD 1-10 Dias Saltire Unit

Saltire over cross within square. Wavy lines within double pellet border (a wreath of two lines of pellets, intertwined, for border, ring of pellets inside the wreath).

Boar right. Inscription above and below – DIASSV

Very Rare, especially with this inscription.

ABC 2742; 13mm, 1.20g

Van Arsdell Classification: Trinovantian R, Uncertain Dynastic Issues, The “Interregnum”, Coins Inscribed DIAS.

Sills compares the boar to that on Tasciovanos’s second coinage X Box silver (ABC 2628). The border is similar to Andoco’s Pegasus (ABC 2721) and Tasciovanos’s Wine Cup (ABC 2706). This places Diassu at a similar time to Andoco.

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 FPL 79, no 28 1994. Spink COE 2026 plate coin (267), VA 1879.

This coin comes with a previous label.

 

Dias (c. AD 1–10?)

Another rare North Thames issuer who seems to sit somewhere in the early 1st century AD is Dias. He appears to have never struck any gold, but restricted himself to silver and bronze issues. Like Andoco, his preference seems to have been for obverses depicting male busts in profile – though there are some exceptions here. The presence of ‘VIR’ or ‘VER’ inscribed on some of his coins suggests they were struck at Verlamion.