Unique ID: 80
The Great Waltham quarter stands at the end of a complicated sequence that derives from the British Aa2 Class 2 “Carn Brea” quarter (see 34 and 39). The sequence is:
- British Ab2 Class 1 which is formed from both ABC 2451 (see 35) and 2454 (see 6 and 22)
- British Ac2 Class 2 “Ingoldisthorpe”. Note Ac rather than Ab; (see 61)
- British Ab2 Class 3. Note Ab again rather than Ac.
This intermingling of Ab and Ac occurs because of a class 3 coin which was struck from a class 1 (Ab) reverse die and from a class 2 (Ac) obverse die. This merging of dies is also seen in the corresponding staters.
In terms of dating, John Sills assigns it to around 55 BC to 54 BC in “Divided Kingdoms” (p713). His theory is that the whole Ab/Ac series was minted for the second invasion of Britain in 54 BC. His reasoning is that the Ac staters copy features from GB-E class 4L staters (minted around 54 to 53 BC) and GB-D class 5 quarters (minted around 55 to 54 BC) so must be contemporary with, or postdate, that. He also argues that the coins in circulation north of the Thames (British Ab-c, F and G) were replaced by the British L coins, and he dates them to 53 BC and the immediate aftermath of the second invasion.
