BRETAGNE – durotriges Statère d’or
Avers : Restes de tête humaine laurée à droite, avec un bourrelet devant les restes du visage.
Revers : Cheval disloqué galopant à gauche avec douze globules; derrière, trois lignes horizontales ; à l’exergue, restes de motif géométrique.
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British B (Chute) – Belgae Tribe, Chute Type Gold Stater (circa 50 BC)
Obverse: Wreath, cloak, and crescents.
Reverse: Disjointed horse facing left, crab below.
These staters have traditionally been attributed to the Belgae tribe, but it is more likely that they were struck by an unidentified group that has since vanished from historical records.
The design follows an indigenous Westerham style, whereas the Belgae, originally from northern Gaul, had their own distinctive coinage traditions. British B was followed by British Da and then British Db before disappearing from the numismatic record.
In comparison to British B, British D coins have a more limited distribution, lower gold content, and reduced weight, suggesting they were issued by a tribe experiencing territorial and economic decline. Chute staters have been discovered in numerous large hoards, making them one of the most commonly preserved examples of insular coinage.
If these hoards had still been under the tribe’s control when British D was struck, they would likely have been melted down and reused, resulting in a higher gold content in the new coinage. The low gold content of British D suggests that the issuing authority had lost control over the regions where British B hoards had been buried.
