Trinovantes Dubnovellaunos c. 5 BC-AD 10 Branch Gold Stater *Scarce*
£6,750.00
Trinovantes Dubnovellaunos c. 5 BC-AD 10 Branch Gold Stater
Back-to-back outline crescents at centre of straight wreath with very fine leaves between three parallel lines and ending in ringed pellets. Ringed pellets either side and parallel grooves either side of those.
Naturalistic, leaping horse left with pellet mane, sharply-angled front legs and extended rear legs. Leafy, arched branch below. Ringed pellet above and two below. Pellet in front and sometimes above (either side of ringed pellet), below, under the tail, over the tail, behind the rear leg, and sometimes a pellet triad behind or under the tail. Inscription around.
Scarce
A fantastic example, boldly struck with full inscription and well executed design, a premium coin.
ABC 2392; 19mm, 5.42g
Van Arsdell Classification: Trinovantian L, Earlier Dynastic Issues, Dubnovellaunus in Essex, Gold Coins. Van Arsdell lists two variants:
VA 1655 – 05: DVBNOVIILLA, pellet below tail and behind rear leg.
Rainer Kretz, “The Trinovantian staters of Dubnovellaunos”, BNJ 78, 2008:
Kretz Type D (Letter II type). Identifiable by the letters II in DVBNOVIILLA(VNVS) and a more elegant, Romanised horse:
D3-3: Slender and elegant horse, pellet triad after DVBNOVIILLA, pellet under horse and under end of tail, pellet between the two ringed pellets below branch (see CCI 68.0340).
Sills DK 538 (10 obverse, 12 reverse dies): North Thames Coinage; Type: Dubnovellaunos; Staters: Class 2b – II Type. The same obverse as the A Type (Sills 537). The reverse differs in the spelling, with II replacing E, and the B is rendered as a B and not an R (the engraver using R seems to have moved to the Cantii). The one die with DVBNOVELLAVN spelling links to the DVBNOVIILLAVN reverses.
Sills chronology: Gallo-Belgic Ca – British G (Early Clacton) / Aa Westerham – British La (Whaddon Chase) – British Lb (Westbury) – Addedomaros – Dubnovellaunos – Tasciovanos.
Dubnovellaunos was almost beyond doubt king of both the Trinovantes and Cantii. Around 7, at the end of his reign, he and Tincomarus of the Atrebates appeared in the res gestae as supplicants to Augustus, but it is not known whether that he was king of the Trinovantes or Cantii at the time.
Provenance
This coin is from The London Collection of Ancient British Coins. For more information click here: The London Collection – Silbury Coins : Silbury Coins
Lockdales auction 152, lot 1881. Kretz Type D3-3
This coin comes with a previous label.
Dubnovellaunos (c. 10/5 BC–AD 10?)
Dubnovellaunos is an intriguing character within the Late Iron Age coin series, not least because (if the same person) his issues appear to have been struck and/or used in both Kent and Essex. However, his Kentish issues show much more variety, suggesting that he may well have begun his rule within the territory of the Cantiaci. Striking in gold, silver and bronze, it seems to be that he likely overlapped at least partially with the reign of Tasciovanos. One piece of evidence for this is provided by a small hoard from Toppesfield, Essex, which contained two staters of Tasciovanos alongside three staters and a quarter-stater of Dubnovellaunos. He may well be the ‘Dumnobellaunos’ referenced in Augustus’ Res Gestae, perhaps implying his acquiescence to Rome during the early 1st century AD.
Out of stock
