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Silver Plated Unit Cotswold Eagle / Corio Head Type Class B Contemporary Counterfeit
| Issuer | Dobunni tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 30 BC - 15 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Stylised Celtic head in profile, rendered in the abstract curvilinear manner characteristic of Dobunnic coinage of the Corio Head type. The design, heavily degraded on this contemporary counterfeit example, presents schematic facial features executed by an unofficial die-cutter imitating the established Dobunni prototype. The silver plating is largely lost, exposing the base bronze core beneath, resulting in a heavily corroded and poorly defined surface. The flan is irregular and notably small, consistent with a debased imitation struck to circulate alongside official Dobunni issues. No legible inscription or border is present. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Contemporary counterfeits of Dobunnic coinage are not forgeries in the modern criminal sense — they were produced locally, circulating alongside official issues in a society where the distinction between authorized and unauthorized striking was largely meaningless. This example imitates the Corio Head / Cotswold Eagle type associated with the northern Dobunni, a series conventionally attributed to the chieftain Corio. The silver plating over a bronze core was a deliberate production choice, not a botched attempt at passing base metal for silver; plated pieces of this class are well-documented and appear in hoards alongside their solid silver counterparts.
At under a gram, the weight loss from core oxidation and plating separation is characteristic of the type.