Potin Unit Curved Bull / Holman B2 115 BC - 100 BC

Weight

2.1 g

Diameter

16.8 mm

Thickness

NA

Material

Potin

Shape

Round (irregular)

Edge Type

NA

Technique

Cast

Front design

Outline head of Apollo left or right, vertical line in middle of neck, central eye ring with no pellet.

Back design

Butting bull right or left, made up of lines, rear legs may be joined or apart at top, front legs are apart at top, wavy tail above (may or may not show as separate crescents). Exergual line.

Year of Minting

115 BC - 100 BC

Ruler

NA

Mint location

NA

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

3 o'clock ↑→

Inscriptions

NA

Context

Evans: H3 (1864, p. 123 , pl. H ). Allen Type: C5, D1, D2, D3, E. Mack 21: Class 1 (large module). Crude head of Apollo right, eye an annulet without pellet. Crude bull right (Allen D3). Mack 22: Class 1 (large module). Very rough style of Apollo left. Very rough bull (Allen D2). Van Arsdell ‘Curved Bull’. Van Arsdell Classification: Cantian B, Experimental Period . Van Arsdell points out that “occasionally a coin will have an obverse cavity of a different diameter than the reverse. The upper surface of the mould is then imaged at the edge of the coin on the smaller diameter side. This is smooth, indicating a scraping motion was not used to produce the mating surfaces.” His varieties are: VA 106 - 01 (Holman B2/4-1): Head right. Bull right, lines curved. Thicker at the edges because of the edge-circle. VA 108 - 03 (Holman B2/2-2): Head left, line runs vertically through neck. Bull right. David Holman proposes a detailed classification in A New Classification System for the Flat Linear Potin Coinage . This type corresponds with his Group B2, which derives from Group A . Holman characterises Group B as having true linear designs on both obverse and reverse, together with broad, flat and rough flans (although Group B1 retains the thick-bodied bull). There is an eye ring and usually a vertical line through the neck. There is rarely a central eye pellet. The curvilinear bull initially has two rear legs, but later types have only one rear leg which curves round to form an exergual line. The head of the bull is now a front leg. Striations very occasionally appear. Given the variability of the series, Holman suggests a degree of flexibility, where the features given are not taken to be exact. There are six subgroups in Group B, of which this is the second: Subgroup B2 (Allen Groups C5, D1-3 and E) is the commonest in Group B, with slightly thinner flans of 16-18mm and 1.6-2.6g. The head, with an eye ring and a neckline, is well proportioned and neat. The bull has two rear legs, but a front leg disappears by the end of the sequence. The tail is increasingly simple. Striations very rarely appear. Next in the chronological sequence is Holman B3 . The previous type is Holman B1 . The previous group is Holman A and the next is Holman C .

Rarity

Ultra rare

Coin type

Standard circulation

In circulation

No

Demonetized

Yes

Marketplace listings

0