Catuvellauni & Trinovantes Cunobelinus AD 8-41 Silver Unit

Catuvellauni & Trinovantes Cunobelinus AD 8-41 Silver Unit

Cunobelinus Crescent Horse

Head right, CVNOBELINI around/Horse prancing right, crescent above, TASCIO below

ABC2873, S312; 11mm, 1.14g

This coin comes with a rough find area provenance.

Cunobelinus, or’ hound of Belinus’ was the most powerful tribal king of his time not just in Britain but also in Atlantic Europe. By AD 41 he controlled more land, lives and wealth than any other leader west of the River Rhine. It has been suggested that just before he died Tasciovanos installed his son Cunobelinus as king of Camulodunon. It is more probable that Cunobelinus seized it from Dubnovellaunos of the Trinovantes. Either way by AD 41 Cunobelinus controlled most of south east England. His brother Epatticcus also ruled the Atrebates in Hampshire whilst his son, Amminus, ruled the Cantaci in Kent.
Cunobelinus was the last great Iron Age king in Europe and it would be 700 years before Offa of Mercia became the next independent king in Britain.
Whilst some of the coinage issued by Cunobelinus retains Celtic features there is also a strong, and probably increasing, Roman influence which is shown in the inscriptions on many of his coins.