Potin Unit Nipples / Dump / Holman G3 60 BC - 45 BC

Weight

1.2 g

Diameter

12.5 mm

Thickness

NA

Material

Potin

Shape

Round (irregular)

Edge Type

NA

Technique

Cast

Front design

Crude outline head left, right or indeterminate, large pellet in eye ring, no head outline.

Back design

Crude outline bull of straight lines, indeterminate direction, central pellet, one crescent above. Exergual line below.

Year of Minting

60 BC - 45 BC

Ruler

NA

Mint location

NA

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

Variable alignment ↺

Inscriptions

NA

Context

Evans: H8 (1864, p. 123 , pl. H ). Allen Type: P1, P2. Mack 25: Class 2 (small module). Extreme degradation of head, which is now two circles with a pellet in centre. Square enclosing pellet (Allen P). Van Arsdell ‘Dump Type’. Van Arsdell Classification: Cantian E, Adjustment Period . His corresponding variety is: VA 139 - 01 (Late Dump Type, 45-40BC, Holman G3/6-1): Obverse head of Apollo now only a circle with a line for the nose, pronounced pellet in centre. Reverse barely recognisable bull made up of straight lines, pronounced pellet in centre of coin. Chris Rudd (ABC) ‘Nipples’. David Holman proposes a detailed classification in A New Classification System for the Flat Linear Potin Coinage . These coins correspond with his Group G, which derive from Holman Group F . Holman characterises Group G (Allen Class II) as the latest and most degraded of the series and have a significantly smaller diameter (11.0-14.5mm). Striations appear for the final time in the early stages of the group. The crudity of the designs and number of variants makes detailed classification problematic. Given the variability of the series, Holman suggests a degree of flexibility, where the features given are not taken to be exact. There are four subgroups in Group G, of which this is the third: Subgroup G3 (including Allen P) has crude, barely recognisable designs bearing very little resemblance to Groups A to F. The obverse is dominated by the eye ring and central pellet and any attempt at an outline head has disappeared, although the facial crescents survive until the very last stages. The reverse is also dominated by the central pellet and the bull is little more than an abstract pattern of lines. There is usually one crescent above the bull. Coins are 12-13mm and 0.9-1.3g. There is a vairant of G3/6-1 with two necklines, which Holman thinks is a die flaw. See CCI 06.0754 . Next in the chronological sequence is Holman G4 . The previous type is Holman G2 . The previous group is Holman F . The illustrated coin is in the Portable Antiquities Scheme database ( CC BY 2.0 ).

Rarity

Ultra rare

Coin type

Standard circulation

In circulation

No

Demonetized

Yes

Marketplace listings

0