The Paul Bancroft Collection of Iron Age Coins

Foreword

For more than forty years I have had the privilege of walking the fields and landscapes of Wiltshire with my metal detector, uncovering fragments of history that have laid hidden for centuries. Each signal, each discovery, has been a reminder of the people who came before us and the stories they left behind in the soil.

Through my love of metal detecting, I have developed a passion for collecting artefacts and in particular Iron Age coins, an area of numismatics that continues to fascinate me with its artistry and insight into Britain’s earliest coinage. Over the years my collection has grown not only from my own finds and purchases, but also through the acquisition of a dear friend’s lifetime collection, sadly he is no longer with us.

Now, as the years move on, I feel it is time to pass on part of this collection to fellow enthusiasts, collectors, and historians. My hope is that these coins will bring as much wonder and enjoyment to their new custodians as they have brought to me. Each piece represents a tangible link to the past, and I trust they will continue to be appreciated, studied, and treasured for generations to come.”

P. Bancroft

Cataloguers note: The collection presented in this catalogue spans the full length of the Iron Age period, across both Britain and Gaul. Starting from Gallo-Belgic imports (lot 2001) and one of the first regular British gold coinages (lot 2021), to the end of Cunobelin’s reign before the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43 (lot 2173).

The Continental Iron Age coinages tell us the story of the stylistic influences from Ancient Greece and Rome (lot 2243), to their Celticised descendants (lot 2203) stretching all the way across ancient Gaul. Highlights include lot 2030, a gold Stater of the Belgae, depicting a devolved head of Apollo on the obverse with two hidden faces, and a horse standing right surrounded by Celtic motifs, including a sun, a wing and an eight-spoked wheel, on the reverse. This example is arguably the finest known and is expected to fetch £4,000-£5,000. We also have, from the Dobunni tribe, lot 2101 and lot 2104, which each feature the Dobunnic tree emblem on their obverses, and a triple-tailed horse surrounded by crescents and stars on the reverse, with the respective rulers’ names Corio and Anted inscribed above. The first is expected to fetch £600-£800, and the second £1,000-£1,500.