COIN HOARD

A group of 27 Iron Age potin type coins.

Description: All but one of the coins are so-called 'Thurrock' or 'Kentish primary' potin (type ABC 120[2], encompassing a range of variations from finely detailed to more degraded in appearance), a type of cast tin-bronze coin that appears to have been produced and used in Kent during the late Iron Age. They can be dated to the late second century BC and early first century BC. They have a stylized head of Apollo, left on the obverse and a butting bull, right on the reverse. On some coins the inscription MA can be read above the bull.

One coin (no. 27) has a very different patina and general appearance from the other coins in the hoard, with sharp edges suggesting a lack of wear. It is of the same type but has a prominent central boss on both sides. This type or level of preservation is seen amongst some coins reported as part of two other potin finds in the same area KENT-A07E23 (2017T132) and KENT-588B4F (2017T606).

List of Iron Age coins:

Discussion: Thurrock Potins were some if not the first indigenously produced coinage in the British Isles and issued by the Cantiaci Tribe of Kent c.120-100BC. Due to the level of wear it is not really possible to be certain these coins are all of the same sub-type. This group seems to be more consistant than KENT-A07E23 (2017T132) and KENT-588B4F (2017T606), with only one anomalous coin being that of no. 27. As the coins from all three cases (as well as another group known from the same field prior to the advent of the 1996 Treasure Act) have been dispersed over a wide area it is unclear if each represents individual hoarding events (albeit within some sort of localised hoarding landscape) or a now heavily dispersed single hoard.

Conclusion: These coins satisfy the various criteria of the Treasure Act. They are more than 300 years old and the find comprises more than ten base metal coins. From the information made available to me, they appear to be of the same find. The date of the denarius is consistent with that of the coins and it is conceivable that it was deposited at the same time.

[1] Portable Antiquities Scheme reference KENT-B3CDF1

[2] ABC = Cottam et al. Ancient British Coins, 2010

[3] CCI = Celtic Coin Index (Oxford University). To be allocated later (images in BM).

[4] VA = Van Arsdell 1989 Celtic Coinage of Britain.