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COIN
Unique ID: CORN-5C5938
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
Copper alloy Osismii type stater, referred to as the 'cavalier' type in De Jersey (1994) Coinage in Iron Age Armorica on page 8, and now known as the 'type au cavalier armé et au fleuron'. The cavalier armé is the rider on the horse, and the fleuron is the motif in front of the horse, with a boar beneath the horse. On the obverse, the head is probably bearded, shown by lots of little dots on the chin, but this one is rather worn in that area.
The type is listed as DT 2234 in Delestrée and Tache's 'Nouvel Atlas des monnaies gauloises II', while the most recent detailed work on these is by Philippe Abollivier, 'Le monnayage des Osismes', published in 2008 (pages 231-234, his variant 1). Interestingly he gives three metal analyses of other examples, all of which contain a reasonable amount of gold, between 25 and 35%, with 13-26% silver and 44-56% copper. There does not appear to be much gold in it, but the surface appearance can be deceptive.
Other examples of this type have been found at Carantec in Finistère, a fairly recent hoard (2007) from Laniscat, Côtes-d'Armor, and from the Le Câtillon (1957) hoard from Jersey. Some of the coins from the Jersey find are now in the British Museum. In terms of date it is almost certainly first half of the first century BC, probably c.70 BC. No examples have previously been found in Britain, and the coin is rare even in Brittany, where Abollivier only lists a handful of examples (Philip de Jersey pers comm).
Find of note status
This is a find of note and has been designated: National importance
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: Penlee Museum and Art Gallery, Penzance
Subsequent action after recording: Currently on display in a museum (loaned)
Chronology
Broad period: IRON AGE
Period from: IRON AGE
Period to: IRON AGE
Date from: Circa 100 BC
Date to: Circa 50 BC
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 3 mm
Weight: 3.53 g
Diameter: 21 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 12th July 2013 - Friday 12th July 2013
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference numbers
Other reference: Loan 394
Museum accession number: PEZPH.2015 L1
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Gold
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Complete
Coin data (numismatics)
Denomination: Stater (copper alloy)
Ruler/issuer: Uninscribed
Tribe: Osismii
Geographic provenance: Continental Armorican
Obverse description: bearded head with elaborate hairstyle facing right
Obverse inscription: none
Reverse description: horse with rider galloping left, with fleuron in front of horse, and boar beneath horse
Reverse inscription: none
Die axis measurement: 3 o'clock
Degree of wear: Worn: fine
Status: Regular
Status qualifier: Certain
Coin references
No coin references available.
Spatial metadata
Region: South West (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Cornwall (Unitary Authority)
District: Cornwall (Unitary Authority)
Parish or ward: Penzance (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SW4625
Four figure Latitude: 50.07073629
Four figure longitude: -5.55101447
1:25K map: SW4625
1:10K map: SW45NE
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| de Jersey, P. | 1994 | Coinage in Iron Age Armorica | Oxford | Oxford University Committee for Archaeology | 8 | ||
| Delestree, L.-P. and Tache, M. | Nouvel Atlas des Monnaies Gauloises | No.2234 |
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Timeline of associated dates
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