13 - Duro Boat Bird

Denomination

Quarter Stater

Metal

Silver

Area

Britain

Region

South Western

Issuing Authority

Durotriges

Issuer

Unknown

Weight

0.74g

Diameter

11mm

Rarity

Common (101 to 200)

Date

50 BC to 20 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 right, and the remains of a pellet ring on the left.

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

A zig-zag line (sometimes called a thunderbolt) runs vertically with Y shaped objects in the lower left and upper right fields. A bird shaped object appears in the lower right field. The upper left field contains an unidentified L shaped object.

Note that the intended orientation on the reverse is unknown. It is traditionally shown with the zig-zag line as vertical, but as this is derived from the GB-Ca2 quarter staters, it should probably be shown with that line horizontal.

ABC 2208. Duro Boat Bird

VA 1242-01. Durotrigan E – Late Geometric Type

S 368. Geometric Type