Post by kernos on Nov 12, 2006 15:51:42 GMT -1
This rare silver coin of the Cantaci the Celtic tribe which occupied which is now Kent (from which it drives its name) is a conundrum. The inscription is a personage (likely) or a place un-named in any other source or inscription. The reverse is somewhat debatable.
OBVERSE:
SOLIDV in the center of a plain field, pellet (or die flaw) above, between LI, encircled by 2 lines twsted into guilloche pattern, with dot in the middle of each loop
REVERSE:
Naked male figure standing left, wearing brimmed hat and mantle loosely draped over shoulders; his raised left hand holds a long staff; his extended left hand holds an uncertain object; CV to the left and NO to the right; all enclosed within a beaded border.
ATTRIBUTION
VA 2073; Evans 11.6; Mack 259; BMC 1894-5; Rudd 66 lot 21 (only 5 have been recorded)
The identity of the figure on the reverse is of some contention. Ruding thinks it is Bacchus (Annals of the coinage of Great Britain and its dependencies, 3rd ed., 1840, vol. II, p. 299). Beale Poste thinks it is Hercules (The coins of Cunobeline and the ancient Britons, 1853, p. 32). John Evans says, "The attitude of the figure is very much like that of Neptune on the common coins of Caligula, but on these coins the object in the right hand is certinly not a dolphin, and that in the left has much more the appearance of a pedum or a long caduceus, than of a trident. It seems possible, therefore, that the figure may be Mercury, unless indeed the object in the right hand is a human head, in which case the figure must be that of Perseus" (The coins of the Ancient Britons, 1864, p. 319). Van Arsdell does not name the figure, but says the reverse is adapted from a denarius of L. Papius, Caligula or Tiberius; but the prototypes are uncertain (Celtic Coins of Britain, 1989, p. 419).
Dr. Philip de Jersey positively identified the figure as Neptune ("Cunobeline's Silver" in Britannia, vol. XXXII, 2001, p. 18-19) Rudd agrees with him and Evans, that the Caligula as of Agrippa, RIC 58, is the model for the figure. The Agrippa coin is dated 37-41 CE.
Of this coin, Dr. Philip de Jersey says, "This is undoubtedly the finest known example of the intriguing SOLIDV silver unit. Only 4 others are recorded at the CCI, 2 of them in the British Museum. It was almost certainly a small issue; only 2 pairs of dies are recorded, this coin produced from perhaps the first pair, with the rather more neatly rendered inscriptions than the two examples from the second die pair (by coincidence, both the British Museum coins). In addition to the puzzling obverse inscription — a place name? (as Sir John Evans suggested, somewhat reluctantly, more than 130 years ago), or a personal name? (see Chris Rudd's discussion in this list) — the reverse design is of considerable interest as well. The standing figure appears to be copied from Neptune on an as of Cagiula, dated between 37 and 41 AD, which consequently implies that this is a very late Celtic issue, produced in the final years of Cunobelin's reign. With 3 provenanced examples all coming from Kent, some kind of Kentish association seems undeniable — but the nature of this association remains uncertain. I've already speculated on an otherwise unknown son of Cunobelin, called Agrippa, in a recent Chris Rudd list, and it might be rash to suggest another one so soon, so I'll leave it to Chris to speculate further on the meaning of SOLIDV." [see Rudd list 66, pp. 4-7]
See Solidu, King of Kent (2.4 Mb pdf), reproduced by permission of the author Chris Rudd
I appreciate any suggestions as to the identity of the reverse figure, what he may be holding and any speculation of who Solidu was.
Bill Blank
OBVERSE:
SOLIDV in the center of a plain field, pellet (or die flaw) above, between LI, encircled by 2 lines twsted into guilloche pattern, with dot in the middle of each loop
REVERSE:
Naked male figure standing left, wearing brimmed hat and mantle loosely draped over shoulders; his raised left hand holds a long staff; his extended left hand holds an uncertain object; CV to the left and NO to the right; all enclosed within a beaded border.
ATTRIBUTION
VA 2073; Evans 11.6; Mack 259; BMC 1894-5; Rudd 66 lot 21 (only 5 have been recorded)
The identity of the figure on the reverse is of some contention. Ruding thinks it is Bacchus (Annals of the coinage of Great Britain and its dependencies, 3rd ed., 1840, vol. II, p. 299). Beale Poste thinks it is Hercules (The coins of Cunobeline and the ancient Britons, 1853, p. 32). John Evans says, "The attitude of the figure is very much like that of Neptune on the common coins of Caligula, but on these coins the object in the right hand is certinly not a dolphin, and that in the left has much more the appearance of a pedum or a long caduceus, than of a trident. It seems possible, therefore, that the figure may be Mercury, unless indeed the object in the right hand is a human head, in which case the figure must be that of Perseus" (The coins of the Ancient Britons, 1864, p. 319). Van Arsdell does not name the figure, but says the reverse is adapted from a denarius of L. Papius, Caligula or Tiberius; but the prototypes are uncertain (Celtic Coins of Britain, 1989, p. 419).
Dr. Philip de Jersey positively identified the figure as Neptune ("Cunobeline's Silver" in Britannia, vol. XXXII, 2001, p. 18-19) Rudd agrees with him and Evans, that the Caligula as of Agrippa, RIC 58, is the model for the figure. The Agrippa coin is dated 37-41 CE.
Of this coin, Dr. Philip de Jersey says, "This is undoubtedly the finest known example of the intriguing SOLIDV silver unit. Only 4 others are recorded at the CCI, 2 of them in the British Museum. It was almost certainly a small issue; only 2 pairs of dies are recorded, this coin produced from perhaps the first pair, with the rather more neatly rendered inscriptions than the two examples from the second die pair (by coincidence, both the British Museum coins). In addition to the puzzling obverse inscription — a place name? (as Sir John Evans suggested, somewhat reluctantly, more than 130 years ago), or a personal name? (see Chris Rudd's discussion in this list) — the reverse design is of considerable interest as well. The standing figure appears to be copied from Neptune on an as of Cagiula, dated between 37 and 41 AD, which consequently implies that this is a very late Celtic issue, produced in the final years of Cunobelin's reign. With 3 provenanced examples all coming from Kent, some kind of Kentish association seems undeniable — but the nature of this association remains uncertain. I've already speculated on an otherwise unknown son of Cunobelin, called Agrippa, in a recent Chris Rudd list, and it might be rash to suggest another one so soon, so I'll leave it to Chris to speculate further on the meaning of SOLIDV." [see Rudd list 66, pp. 4-7]
See Solidu, King of Kent (2.4 Mb pdf), reproduced by permission of the author Chris Rudd
I appreciate any suggestions as to the identity of the reverse figure, what he may be holding and any speculation of who Solidu was.
Bill Blank
