Freckenham Crescents. Ring and Star Type. Talbot BHB, die group I, dies D/7. c.30-10 BC. Gold stater. 17mm. 5.39g. Back-to-back crescents, pellet triad above and below, row of pellets projecting each side with V-shapes, kerb below./ Bent-legged horse right, beaded ring above containing pellet triad, ringed-pellet in front, star below. ABC 1447, VA 620-7, BMC 3386-88, S 426. CCI 03.0282 (this coin). Good VF, rich rose-gold, crisp crescents, bonny horse. Ex John Follows collection. Found near Chatteris, Cambs., 2009-10. VERY RARE 25 others recorded from these dies including 18 in the Dallinghoo hoard, now in Ipswich Museum.

As we gaze admiringly at Follows’ Freckenham Crescents stater we are reminded of two questions: Why did the Iceni suddenly adopt crescent moons as their tribal emblem and continue using them until they stopped minting coins? And why did the Iceni, an apparently wealthy tribe, suddenly stop striking gold coins around AD 10? The answer to both questions, in our opinion, is the same: the Catuvellauni. We believe the Iceni became a client state of the Catuvellauni who bled them dry of gold by demanding regular payments of tribute – ‘protection money’ or ‘blood money’, if you will. In return for these payments, we think that the Catuvellauni allowed the Iceni to govern themselves and to mint their own silver coins.