March 31, 2010 – A rare gold stater of Tasciovanos, believed to be one of the finest known, will be auctioned in early May by Celtic dealer Chris Rudd.
Rare gold stater of Tasciovanus
Based in Hertfordshire, Tasciovanos ruled the Catuvellauni tribe around 25BC-AD10. His name means ‘Killer-of-Badgers’ and most of his gold staters reflect his aggressive character. This rare one, issued in the latter part of his reign, describes him as ricon which may mean something like ‘great king’ or ‘supreme king’, implying perhaps that other chiefs were reporting to him.
Artist’s impression of Tasciovanos ‘killer of badgers’ as commander of Catuvellaunian cavalry.
“This coin is of interest to military historians,” says Elizabeth Cottam, “because it seems to confirm that some of the wealthier British warriors were wearing chain-mail armour by the beginning of the first century AD. In 1924 fragments of chain-mail were found in a royal grave at Colchester, Essex, dated to about 15-10 BC.”