Celtic currency of Britain

Part of the Farmborough Hoard consisting of staters inscribed "CORIO"

The Celtic currency of Britain were the various items and coins used as currency between approximately 200 BC and AD 60. The earliest currency consisted of various forms of iron bars. Coins were first imported in large numbers in around 150 BC and domestic minting began around 100BC. Coin production was largely ended by the Roman conquest of Britain, first by the Claudian invasion of AD 43 and later by the Defeat of Boudica in AD 60 or 61. Cast coins may have been produced for a few more years around Hengistbury Head. Exact dating of coins often changes in the light of new research.[1]

Coin use is usually divided into a core area which covers the home counties as well as parts of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire.[2] This was surrounded by a periphery of coin using groups some of which, the Corieltauvi, Durotriges, Dobunni and Iceni, appear to have minted their own coinage.[2] The coins in the core area are generally attributed to the Atrebates and Cantii in the areas south of the Thames and the Trinovantes and Catuvellauni to the north.[2]

The archaeological record may be distorted by cases of the deliberate falsification of find spots.[3][4] Historically this falsification may have been driven by farm-workers wanting to hide that they had taken the coins from their employer's land.[4] More recently, false provenances have been produced to hide the source of coins looted by metal detectorists such as the mass looting of the Wanborough Temple site.[4][5]

  1. ^ Curteis, Mark Edward (2001). "5.Iron Age coinages of the south midlands" (PDF). The Iron Age coinages of the south midlands, with particular reference to distribution and deposition (Ph.D.). Durham University. p. 23. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Curteis, Mark Edward (2001). "4.The study area" (PDF). The Iron Age coinages of the south midlands, with particular reference to distribution and deposition (Ph.D.). Durham University. p. 20. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  3. ^ Burnett, A.M. (1990). "Celtic Coinage in Britain III: The Waltham St Lawrence Treasure Trove" (PDF). British Numismatic Journal. 60. The British Numismatic Society: 13–28. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Bean, Simon C (1994). "Methodology" (PDF). The coinage of Atrebates and Regni (Ph.D.). University of Nottingham. pp. 22–23. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  5. ^ Thomas, Suzie (27 May 2013). "Wanborough". Trafficking Culture. Retrieved 21 July 2016.