A rare Celtic gold coin, considered one of the most significant ancient coins ever discovered in Britain, is set to go under the hammer with a starting price of £70,000.
Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s will present the coin at its Ancient, British, and World Coins Auction on March 12. Minted by Caratacus, the famed warlord of Iron Age Britain, the coin is believed to be of major historical importance. Caratacus, known for resisting Roman rule, played a key role in the events leading up to the Roman invasion of Britain.
The gold stater, now recognized as the most significant Iron Age coin from Britain, features an ear of grain on its obverse with the inscription “Cunobelinus,” a tribute to Caratacus’s father. The reverse depicts a horseman accompanied by the Latin inscription “Carat,” clearly identifying its origin.
The coin was unearthed in 2019 by a metal detectorist in a field near Newbury, Berkshire. It was first auctioned the following year, fetching a record £88,000, including the buyer’s premium.
Caratacus, a central figure in British history and folklore, led the Catuvellauni tribe’s expansion into what is now Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and parts of Essex, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire. For nearly a decade, he waged a campaign against Roman forces before facing defeat at the Battle of Caer Caradoc in AD 50.
Following his capture, Caratacus was taken to Rome, where his eloquent speech in Latin reportedly impressed Emperor Claudius. Instead of execution, he was granted a pardon and allowed to live in Rome with his family.
For centuries, scholars believed no coins bearing Caratacus’s name existed. In his 1864 numismatic study The Coins of the Ancient Britons, numismatist John Evans dismissed their existence as “dubious at best.”
Dominic Chorney, an ancient coin specialist at Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s, emphasized the rarity of the find.
“While we often sell extremely rare coins at Baldwin’s, it’s unusual to offer something completely unique and of national importance,” he said. “We’re all excited to be auctioning this beautiful piece of British history.”
The auction, set to take place at 399 Strand in London, is expected to attract significant interest from collectors and historians alike. In addition to the Caratacus coin, the event will feature a selection of ancient, British, and world coins, offering a unique opportunity for numismatic enthusiasts to acquire rare and valuable pieces.
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