Coins and Historical Medals

British Iron Age, ICENI, Uninscribed issues, a contemporary fourrée gold Stater, Freckenham Crescents [Moon Faces] type, solid back-to-back crescents, four radiating spokes of pellets, pellet-in-ring in each corner, rev. horse right, large round head with closed mouth, pellet rosette below and ring of pellets above, pellet rosette below, pellet triad before, ladder-like pattern in exergue, 5.18g (cf. ABC 1441; cf. BMC 3384; cf. VA 620-1; cf. S 426). Tiny loss of plating above horse’s head, otherwise good very fine and very well centred; the type extremely rare £150-£200

There is a possibility that this is a genuine gold Stater, the ‘loss of plating’ actually being a blister on the side of the coin. The dies match that of MfT Boar Horse B (A) M/13, however this is also observed in fourées. In addition, XRF analysis on the coin is as follows; Au 39.35%, Ag 16.41% and Cu 42.98%, with traces including Iron, Zinc and Bismuth. This analysis is consistent with metal analysis of this type of gold coinage in Talbot’s Made for Trade Appendix III p. 219.
Bidder’s are advised to take this into consideration when bidding.

There is a possibility that this is a real gold Stater of the Iceni rather than a fourrée. Please see the footnote and take this into consideration when bidding.