LOT 2568

Celtic Britannia. Trinovantes and Catuvellauni, Trocc AE Unit. Circa AD 10-20?

'Troccos Bull' type. Augustan style head to left, [CVNO before], pellet-in-ring beneath chin (partially shown) / Bull butting to right, pellet-in-ring above, TR[OCC] and pellet-in-ring (partially shown) below, pellets around. ABC 2996; Van Arsdell 1985-1; SCBC 341. Good Fine.(1.34gr, 15mm, 10h.).

Acquired on the UK art market before 2000.
Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.

Trocc(os?) or Trocc(ios?), formerly read as TASC by Mack and Van Arsdell, is probably an ancient British personal name which may mean something like 'crippled' or 'lame' or perhaps 'cut short' as in the word 'truncated'. Of the eight provenanced examples of this bronze unit four were found in Essex, three in Suffolk. Was Trocc(os?) an early associate of Cunobelinus who ruled briefly in the eastern part of his kingdom? He could have been an influential relation of Tasciovanos or Dubnovellaunos, possibly reformed, dwarfish of physically disabled (hence his unflattering name), who was initially tolerated by Cunobelinus and then deposed (ABC, note p. 142).