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Celtic & Iron Age

The collection consists of c. 2500 Iron Age coins. It is particularly strong for Britain, thanks to the Arthur Evans and John Talbot collections with their numerous gold coins, and for Gaul, thanks to the largely bronze collection formed by Derek Allen. The Iron Age collection is of significance for the development of the subject. Sir John Evans, some of whose coins are preserved in the collection of his son Arthur, was a pioneering figure in the field of prehistoric numismatics and was the first person to devise a systematic classification of British Iron Age coinage. Derek Allen was likewise a key figure in the study of ‘Celtic’ numismatics. The collection has historically been referred to as ‘Celtic and Iron Age’, defined as the non-Roman coins found in Britain and the Continent at the end of prehistory. Current scholarship argues against the use of the term Celtic to describe the pre-Roman Iron Age peoples of Britain; we retain the use of it solely for historic reasons.

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53071)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

50 BC—AD 10

Obverse

Head right, sharply pointed nose, large curl behind ear, diadem above forehead, corded curls for hair, stars in front

Reverse

Horse stepping right, double upper left front and rear legs, dashes for mane, leaf tail, straps of pellets and lines across neck and chest, star below, either pellet-in-ring in ring of pellets or wheel with pelleted rim above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR7995)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40—10 BC

Obverse

Moon head right, pelleted crescents for hair, large boss on chin, stalk lips

Reverse

Triple- tailed annulate horse left, ‘flower’ motif below, stylised bird’s head above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52782)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40—10 BC

Obverse

Moon head right, pelleted crescents for hair, large boss on chin, stalk lips

Reverse

Triple- tailed annulate horse left, ‘flower’ motif below, stylised bird’s head above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52783)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40—10 BC

Obverse

Moon head right, pellet triads for hair, large cross on chin, stalk lips

Reverse

Triple-tailed annulate horse left, ‘flower’ motif below, stylised bird’s head above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52784)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40—10 BC

Obverse

Moon head right, pelleted crescents for hair, large boss on chin, stalk lips

Reverse

Triple- tailed annulate horse left, ‘flower’ motif below, stylised bird’s head above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52793)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40—10 BC

Obverse

Moon head right, pelleted crescents for hair, large boss on chin, stalk lips

Reverse

Triple- tailed annulate horse left, ‘flower’ motif below, stylised bird’s head above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52794)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Stater

Dating

40—10 BC

Obverse

Tree symbol, ring at base, on plain field

Reverse

Triple-tailed horse right, charioteer’s arms above, wheel below

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53074)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Stater

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Wreath, cloak and crescents

Reverse

Lunate horse left, ‘anchor’ face above, star sun below, pellet rosette motif below head

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53075)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Stater

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Wreath, cloak and crescents

Reverse

Lunate horse left, ‘anchor’ face above, star sun below, pellet rosette motif below head

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53076)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Stater

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Wreath, cloak and crescents

Reverse

Lunate horse left, ‘anchor’ face above, star sun below, pellet rosette motif below head

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53077)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Stater

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Wreath, cloak and crescents

Reverse

Lunate horse left, ‘anchor’ face above, star sun below, pellet rosette motif below head

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53080)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Plain (occ. faint traces of boar)

Reverse

Horse right, double upper front legs, large pelleted sun ring above, usu. on plain field

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53081)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Plain (occ. faint traces of boar)

Reverse

Horse right, double upper front legs, large pelleted sun ring above, usu. on plain field

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53082)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Plain (occ. faint traces of boar)

Reverse

Horse right, double upper front legs, large pelleted sun ring above, usu. on plain field

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53083)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Plain (occ. faint traces of boar)

Reverse

Horse right, double upper front legs, large pelleted sun ring above, usu. on plain field

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53084)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Plain (occ. faint traces of boar)

Reverse

Horse right, double upper front legs, large V-shaped open mouth, rosette motif above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53088)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Simplified boar right, single front leg, usu. ring of pellets above, other rings around

Reverse

Horse right, double upper front legs, usu. pelleted sun ring above, other rings or pellets around

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53089)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

40 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Simplified boar right, single front leg, usu. ring of pellets above, other rings around

Reverse

Horse right, double upper front legs, usu. pelleted sun ring above, other rings or pellets around

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52701)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Person

Tasciovanos

Denom.

1/4 stater

Dating

20 BC—AD 10

Obverse

Crossed wreaths, one curved, back-to-back crescents at centre, teardrop motifs in angles

Reverse

[TA]SCIA[VA], Horse stepping left, uncertain object below, [TA]SCIA[VA] above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52702)

Period

Iron Age (Europe)

Person

Tasciovanos

Denom.

1/4 stater

Dating

20 BC—AD 10

Obverse

Crossed wreaths, one curved, back-to-back crescents at centre, teardrop motifs in angles

Reverse

[TA]SCIA[VA], Horse stepping left, uncertain object below, [TA]SCIA[VA] above