117 - Hampshire Thunderbolt

Copyright tcx3.co.uk

Unique ID: 117

Technical details
DataDescriptionProvenanceReferences

Denomination

Quarter Stater

Metal

Gold

Area

Britain

Region

Southern

Issuing Authority

Belgae

Issuer

Unknown

Weight

1.43g

Diameter

13.40mm

Rarity

Scarce (51 to 100)

Date

53 BC to 50 BC (see note about dating)

Obverse Legend

No Legend

Reverse Legend

No Legend

Obverse Description

The obverse shows a boat with two figures. An S shaped object appears on the left, with an array of pellets to the right.

The obverse is sometimes rotated 180 degrees and described as a stylised animal (normally a boar but sometimes a wolf), but the arguments for this are unconvincing and the text required to describe the design as a boar or other abstract animal becomes increasingly convoluted.

A possible interpretation of the boat and its passengers was presented by Daphne Nash Briggs in "Reading the images on lron-Age coins: I. the sun-boat and its passengers".

Reverse Description

An elongated S shaped line (the thunderbolt) runs vertically, bisecting a straight horizontal line. The upper right quadrant contains a pellet triad and a butterfly shaped object. The lower left quadrant contains an L shaped object, with pellets in front. The remaning quadrants contain torcs and pellets.

Note that the intended orientation on the reverse is unknown.

ABC

ABC 767. Hampshire Thunderbolt

Divided Kingdoms

DK 304 – 306. British B2 – Thunderbolt

Van Arsdell

VA 203-01. Atrebatic A – Geometric Type

Spink

S 46. Geometric Type

The Hampshire Thunderbolt quarter staters were minted by the Belgae (or more likely an unknown tribe no longer in the historical record) around 53-50 BC. They are a continuation of the boat and geometric theme started by the Morini tribe with their GB-Ca2 and GB-D quarter staters.

This is one of twelve in the collection (see 2, 14, 28, 32, 37, 40, 43, 50, 120, 122, and 123).