Celtic, British and World Coins, Numismatic Books

Early Uninscribed issues, Unit, ‘Abingdon Head’ type, female Celtic head left with crescents and beaded hair, heart-shaped ear, pellet-in-annulet behind, rev. horse right with smaller horse below, above and upside-down, a small chubby horse with beaded mane, 1.09g/10h (BMC –; VA –; S –; SNC May 1998, p.150). Of good silver, extremely fine with a striking portrait, extremely rare; by far the finest of a handful of known examples £2,000-2,500

Provenance: Found in Wiltshire January 2005; C. Rudd FPL 81, May 2005 (31). CCI 05.0127

This coin is part of a small and rare series probably struck by a tribe in the Berkshire/South Oxfordshire/Wiltshire region around the period 55-45 BC. Other coins in the series show a remarkable resemblance to rare Gallo-Belgic bronzes normally attributed to the Ambiani. Quite what the connection is between these coins and their Gallo-Belgic prototypes must remain, for the moment, the subject of speculation