Roma Numismatics Ltd.
Lot 2
Britannia, Trinovantes AR Unit. Circa 50-40 BC. Late Whaddon Chase type (Lister’s Celtic Head). Male head right, large locks of hair falling down to the back of neck in twisted strands, small horse before / Stylised Celtic horse with large ear and cabled mane prancing to right, winged object and pellets above, star above tail, ringed-pellet below. ABC 2478; VA 1540; BMC-; S-. 1.13g, 14mm, 4h. Mint State, struck on sound silver. Lustrous. Extremely Rare; only 14 others recorded, and the finest known specimen. Purchased from Chris Rudd; Found at Meldreth, Cambridgeshire, 31 March 2014. Possibly issued by Cassivellaunos, commander of the British coalition against Caesar in 54 BC, it has been suggested by Chris Rudd that this coin bears the portrait of Cassivellaunos himself, though he admits this is by no means certain, and that it could just as likely represent a Catuvellaunian war-god. He further notes that “this is one of the most imposing male heads to be seen on any late iron age coin or Romano-British figurine.” The type was named ‘Lister’s Celtic Head’ in honour of Major Clement Wynter Lister (1920-2010), who served on the council of the British Numismatic Society for twelve years, from 1963-66, and 1969-76. The type had been unknown until 1958 when Major Lister published the first discovered specimen (see BNJ XXIX, 1958/9, pp 5-7 and plate XV), saying: “Julius Caesar, in his Gallic Wars, Book I, chap. xiv, records that the inhabitants of Britain ‘wear their hair long and have every part of their body shaved except the head and upper lip’’, This coin, almost alone among British coins, bears out this description…The head is likely to be that of some British or Belgic deity following the Roman pattern, though it might be argued that it could be of a tribal king’. The moustache, which although appearing smooth on this example, is serrated on the Lister example.
