Metal Detecting GaryD's Mucky Fingers Celtic coin Page
I would like to thank Dr Philip de Jersey of the archaeology department Oxford England. For his help identifying one of the two coins. The second coin I'm reasonably happy with - it's a class II potin (not a class I, in fact, they tend to be a bit bigger and flatter than this). It was Probably issued in the early or middle first century BC, and although the type is traditionally attributed to the Cantii, in Kent, there is some evidence that the class II coins were used mostly north of the river Thames, if not actually Produced there. The first coin is more of a puzzle. While it looks superficially like another class II potin, I can't really turn the reverse into the usual design, with the lines representing the bull. It's unusual to find much variation from this theme on the potin coinage, which is why I wonder whether it might not even be Iron Age, but some kind of later coin or token. It does look Iron Age, however! I suspect that this is one of those coins which it's very difficult to pin down precisely, but eventually perhaps another will turn up and help us along a bit. In the meantime, well I'd say that it's likely to be an Iron Age potin, but I can't be certain. I hope this helps a little, Coin 1 Coin 2 A class II potin 150 BC How were Celtic Potin coins made I here you ask? Well the cast coins from southeast Britain were produced by pouring molten alloy into a set of moulds, which were broken apart when the metal had cooled. The breaks were not always neat and often parts of the spur the joining portion between the coins remain attached to the coin. These coins are traditionally known as potins, from the French term for a bronze alloy with a high (above 25%) tin content; cast bronze is perhaps a better description. Iceni silver unit Two crescents, back to back. Horse facing left with pellets above. Also below the horse is an inscription, EC . It probably says either ECEN or ECENI. DATE: Approximately 30 B.C. give or take 50 years XLT 07/09/02 Return to Coin index

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