LOT 2982
Celtic Britannia. Atrebates and Regni, Epaticcus AR Minim. Circa AD 35-43. Boar's Head type.
EPATI, pellet-in-ring motif above and below; all within pellet border / Boar's head to right; TA below; all within pellet border. ABC 1370; SCBC 360; Van Arsdell 585-1. Good Very Fine. Toned silver, complete inscription, great boar's head.(0.28gr, 8mm, 10h.).
ProvenanceEx Chris Rudd, 118, lot 20, ref. no.15487.
From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent.
The letters TA below the boar's head refer to Tasciovanos and indicate that Epaticcus comes from the court of Tasciovanos; indeed he may have been a son of Tasciovanos and younger brother of Cunobelinus.
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LOT 2982
Celtic Britannia. Atrebates and Regni, Epaticcus AR Minim.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
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Celtic Northeast Gaul. Meldi AE Unit. 60-40 BC. ROVECA ARCANTODAN issue. Class Ib.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Stylised helmeted head to left / [ROVECA], stylised griffin leaping to right; two groups of three pellets-in-annulets above. DT 575; LT 7691. 3.04gr, 17mm, 6h.
Good Very Fine. Beautiful olive green patina.
Ex iNumis, Paris (ticket included). From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent. -
Celtic Britannia. Cantii Cast Potin Unit. Early 1st century BC. Uninscribed. Angular Bull type (Cantian D).
Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Stylised head to left / Stylised bull. VA 129-330; ABC 171; SCBC 63. 1.43gr, 16mm, 9h.
Very Fine.
From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent. -
Celtic Britannia. Catuvellauni and Trinovantes, Cunobelin AR Unit. Circa AD 10-41. Cunobelinus Two Leaves type.
Sold for (Inc. bp): £494
Two crescents back-to-back, CV to left, N to right, two leaves above and below / Warrior on horse rearing up right, sword in right hand, CAM below. ABC 2888; VA 2047; BMC 1866-67; S 304. 1.31gr, 13mm, 10h.
Good Very Fine. Fabulous warrior, bold CAM. Very rare.
Ex Gary Leeke collection. Ex Chris Rudd, 122, lot 50, ref. no.15518. From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent.
The two-moon vegetal motif could possibly be seen as a reinterpretation of the obverse of the Tasciovanos Quatrefoil gold quarter stater (ABC 2583) or Tasciovanos Capricorn silver unit (ABC 2619). John Evans says: "The type of the obverse is quite new, and seems to be formed of two ivy(?) leaves with berries on either side. In general character, however, the device recalls the winged thunderbolt on a denarius of the Salvia family" [struck for Octavian, early 40 BC, Sear RCV 1541, RRC 523/1] (The Coins of the Ancient Britons, Supplement, 1890, p.566). Chris Rudd is sure that the two leaves are ivy leaves. Evergreen ivy symbolises enduring strength and the eternal cycle of death (leaf facing down) and rebirth (leaf facing up), a visual idea repeated by the two crescent moons - one waxing (dying), the other waning (born again). Ivy climbs up oak trees - trees sacred to the druids whose very name means 'oak-knowers', holy men with strong insight. Chris Rudd thinks that the ivy leaves on this coin were drawn from life, not copied from a coin or gemstone. Ivy leaves can occasionally be seen in miniature on Roman coins (for example, Sear RCV 298 and 362) but bear little resemblance to these two large leaves. The English word 'ivy', along with the names Ivo, Yvonne, Yvette and St.Ives, are all probably linked to the Celtic word ivos 'yew' - another evergreen.
