Find Spot record MDO8035 - Gold Gallo-Belgic Stater XB, Swanage cliffs

In November 1987, Mr B. Dillon found a gold Iron Age coin in a cliff fall near Swanage. The coin is a globule of gold, marked with a cross (weight 6.55 g). It belongs to Allen's Class XB. These coins are found on the continent in the Soissons-Chalons-Rheims area, and date to the mid to later 1st century BC. Examples in Great Britain are extremely rare.

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1988, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1987, 124 (Serial). SDO87.

In November 1987, Mr B. Dillon found this coin in a cliff fall near Swanage (SY 03657865 approx.), and has kindly allowed its publication. The coin is a globule of gold, marked with a cross (weight 6.55 g). It belongs to Allen's Class XB (D F Allen, 'The origins of coinage in Britain: a reappraisal'. In S S Frere (ed), Problems of the Iron Age in Southern Britain (1961), Instute of Archaeology, Occasional Paper, no. 11, 97-308). These coins are found on the continent in the Soissons-Chalons-Rheims area, and date to the mid to later 1st century BC. Examples in Great Britain are extremely rare. Over 40 were found in 1806 in Peebleshire (Allen op cit, 104, 170). It is remarkable that since the publication of Allen's paper the only other examples have been found in Dorset. In 1986 one was found by P S Gelling at Pilsdon Pen (PPS 43 (1977), 283-4; A J H Gunstone, Ancient British Anglo-Saxon and Norman coins in West Country Museums, Sylloge of Coins, 24 British Academy (1977), Pl I, 7). A second was found by Mr Clark in 1976, close to Long Field, Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth, on the shore of Christchurch Harbour: it weighed 6.80 g. This third example is an important addition to an extremely rare class of coin.

Record last edited

Oct 11 2013 5:05PM