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Potin Unit Birchington Bull
| Issuer | Cantii tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 100 BC - 85 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | 3 o`clock ↑→ |
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| Obverse description | Stylised bust of Apollo facing left, rendered in a distinctly Celtic interpretation of the classical prototype. The hair is depicted as a series of bold, raised parallel striations sweeping back from the forehead, a hallmark of Cantian potin coinage. The facial features, including a prominent nose and jutting chin, are rendered in a schematic yet vigorous manner characteristic of the Birchington Bull series. No legend or inscription appears in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Cantii occupied the territory of modern Kent, and their potin coinage — cast rather than struck, distinguishing it from virtually all contemporary Celtic issues elsewhere in Britain — circulated during a period of intensifying cross-Channel contact with Belgic Gaul. The "Birchington Bull" type takes its name from a hoard find site on the Isle of Thanet, one of several Kent concentrations suggesting these pieces moved in tight regional circuits rather than across tribal boundaries.
Cast in tin-rich bronze using clay moulds, potin flans frequently show casting sprues or surface porosity. ABC 141 sits at the earlier end of the Cantian potin sequence.