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Gold Plated Stater Sunflower Contemporary Counterfeit
| Issuer | Corieltauvi tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 45 BC - 10 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 19 mm |
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| Obverse description | Highly abstracted rendering of the head of Apollo facing right, executed in the curvilinear La Tène artistic tradition. The design is decomposed into flowing crescentic elements representing the wreath, with leaves rendered as inward-pointing forms, and a draped cloak suggested by sweeping curved lines. A prominent central spike, flanked by a crescent motif, dominates the composition; the terminal of the spike may be bent or bifurcated to form a distinctive two-pronged hook. The field is unlettered, and the entire design reflects the characteristic Celtic abstraction of its Macedonian gold stater prototype. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | A stylised lunate horse shown stepping or cantering to the left, rendered in the abstract curvilinear Celtic idiom with disconnected body elements typical of Corieltauvian coinage. Above the horse appears a schematic anthropomorphic 'anchor' face, a distinctive regional design feature composed of simplified facial elements. Below the horse is a pelletal sun motif — the so-called 'sunflower' — consisting of a central pellet surrounded by radiating pellets or curved rays, which serves as the defining typological marker of this series. The field is plain and unlettered throughout. |
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| Additional information |
The Corieltauvi occupied a substantial territory in what is now the East Midlands, and their coinage shows a gradual evolution from Gallo-Belgic prototypes toward increasingly abstract designs. Contemporary counterfeits — plated base-metal cores struck with genuine or imitative dies — were produced throughout the late Iron Age across Britain and Gaul, and were not necessarily viewed as fraud in the modern sense; some circulated freely alongside solid issues, suggesting acceptance at or near face value in certain transactions.
The plating technique here, bronze core with applied gold surface, mirrors practices documented across the Trinovantes and Iceni territories as well. Whether this piece originated within Corieltauvi lands or entered circulation from outside remains difficult to establish without metallurgical provenance data.