Ancient British coins display some magnificent heads and Chris Rudd’s May auction has some exceptional examples. There is an excessively rare Boduoc Old Head silver unit which was found at Standlake, West Oxfordshire last year and was possibly struck in memoriam to mark Boduoc’s passing. It depicts a grave and venerable sage with a long flowing beard giving an air of divinity and has an estimate of £3,000. Also being offered is a more stylized coin, a Cotswold Cock silver unit which has a moon-shaped head with large crescents for hair. Celtic coin specialist Elizabeth Cottam comments: “This is one of the nicest examples we’ve seen for several years and has an estimate of £1,000.” There is also an example of the divine Waveney Diadem silver unit with a magnificent female head wearing a lunar diadem, she has an S-shaped serpent in front with ram-horned head. It’s the largest and heaviest example of a recently recognised excessively rare type and it has an estimate of £3,000. All three silver units will be offered by Chris Rudd in Norwich on 19 May 2024.
Boduoc Old Head silver unit, of the Dobunni tribe c.25-5 BC, ABC 2045. Excessively rare, only four others.
Cotswold Cock silver unit of the Dobunni tribe c.50-35 BC, ABC 2012. One of the nicest we’ve seen.
Waveney Diadem silver unit of the Iceni tribe c.50-40 BC, ABC–.
Excessively rare, only three others these dies.
For more information contact Chris Rudd, tel: (44) 1263 735 007, email: liz@celticcoins.com If you publish the above news item, please send a copy of the magazine to: Chris Rudd, PO Box 1500, Norwich NR10 5WS, England.