82 - Clacton Star - The TCx3 Collection

Unique ID: 82

Technical details

DataDescriptionProvenanceReferences

Denomination	Quarter Stater	Metal	Gold
Area	Britain	Region	North Thames
Issuing Authority	Trinovantes	Issuer	Unknown
Weight	1.11g	Diameter	14mm
Rarity	Extremely Rare (6 to 15)	Date	57 BC to 55 BC (see note about dating)

Obverse Legend	No Legend
Reverse Legend	No Legend
Obverse Description	The obverse shows the remains of an ornate boat with two figures. The top half of the coin has a pelleted line with rays emanating from it. 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	The reverse consists of a running horse with a large square-edged tail, an oval annulet below the tail, and a spiky mane. There’s a star between its legs, and it is surrounded by pellets.

Bought from Essex Coins. Ebay item 193314332891 (2020)

Divided Kingdoms

DK 414. British G2 Class 2b – Clacton Star

The Clacton Star quarter staters are the final class in the British G2 series, coming after the much more common Clacton de Jersey quarter (see 24). Dr. John Sills posits that they were minted after the start of the Gallic wars in 58 BC but before the first invasion of Britain by Caesar in 55 BC. These are the last coins in the type, and are of a much poorer quality metal than the early coins, so they are likely to have been minted near to 55 BC.

This is one of two in the collection (see 69).