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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 (HCR52787)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

Moon head right, pellet triads for hair, pellet in ring for eye, cross and pellet in ring below, pellets in arcs behind, stalk lips

Reverse

Triple-tailed annulate horse left, pellet in ring and three petal ‘flower’ below, cross and winged pellet in ring motif above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52789)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

Moon head right, represented by nose and stalk lips, ring for eye and other rings behind, crescents and pellet rosettes in front, cross below lips

Reverse

V, Horse right, large cross below with small crosses and other motifs in angles, V below tail, cruciform pattern of ring and crescents above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52790)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

Moon head right, represented by nose and stalk lips, ring for eye and other rings behind, crescents and pellet rosettes in front, cross below lips

Reverse

V, Horse right, large cross below with small crosses and other motifs in angles, V below tail, cruciform pattern of ring and crescents above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52792)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

Moon head right, pellet triads for hair, pellet in ring for eye, cross and pellet in ring below, pellets in arcs behind, stalk lips

Reverse

Triple-tailed annulate horse left, three petal ‘flower’ motif below, crescent and winged pellet in ring motif above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR6655)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Person

Boduoc

Denom.

Stater

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

BODVOC, BODVOC on plain field

Reverse

Triple- tailed horse right, wheel below, cross, crescent and two ringed-pellets above (forming hidden face?)

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR6296)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Person

Boduoc

Denom.

Stater

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

BODVOC, BODVOC on plain field

Reverse

Triple- tailed horse right, wheel below, cross, crescent and two ringed-pellets above (forming hidden face?)

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR6297)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Person

Boduoc

Denom.

Unit

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

BODVOC, Head left, BODVOC in front

Reverse

Horse right, pelleted sun ring below, various pellets and rings above and around

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52799)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Person

Corio

Denom.

Stater

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

Tree symbol, pellet at base, on plain field

Reverse

CORIO, Triple-tailed horse right, wheel below, CORIO above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR6299)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Person

Corio

Denom.

Stater

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

Tree symbol, pellet at base, on plain field

Reverse

CORIO, Triple-tailed horse right, wheel below, CORIO above

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52812)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Person

Boduoc

Denom.

Unit

Dating

10 BC—AD 20

Obverse

BODVOC, Head left, BODVOC in front

Reverse

Horse right, pelleted sun ring below, various pellets and rings above and around

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR53079)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Stater

Dating

10 BC—AD 30

Obverse

Wreath and crescents (often very worn or blank)

Reverse

Lunate horse left, box containing four pellets above, four- armed spiral usually anticlockwise below (clockwise excessively rare)

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52754)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

AD 10—45

Obverse

Spike, many pellets (typically five to seven) each side

Reverse

Three rows of pellets, usually nine or ten in total

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52755)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

AD 10—45

Obverse

Stylised wreath (indicated by pellets), spike and crescent(s)

Reverse

Partial horse left, indicated by five or more pellets and two legs

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52756)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

AD 10—45

Obverse

Spike, pellets and V- shape (occ. crescent) each side

Reverse

Eight or nine pellets

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52757)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

AD 10—45

Obverse

Three-pronged spike, crescent and five pellets each side

Reverse

Object (wreath?) surrounded by pellets

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52758)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

AD 10—45

Obverse

Spike, many pellets (typically five to seven) each side

Reverse

Three rows of pellets, usually nine or ten in total

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52759)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

AD 10—45

Obverse

Spike, many pellets (typically five to seven) each side

Reverse

Three rows of pellets, usually nine or ten in total

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52760)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

AD 10—45

Obverse

Spike, pellets each side, occ. crescent below

Reverse

Partial of horse left, indicated by five pellets and single leg

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52761)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

AD 10—45

Obverse

Spike, many pellets (typically five to seven) each side

Reverse

Three rows of pellets, usually nine or ten in total

Iron Age ('Celtic') coin (HCR52762)

Period

Iron Age (Britain)

Denom.

Unit

Dating

AD 10—45

Obverse

Spike, many pellets (typically five to seven) each side

Reverse

Three rows of pellets, usually nine or ten in total