Dubnovellaunos Branch. E Type. Sills class 2c, dies 26/33. c.5BC-AD10. Gold stater. 18mm. 5.40g. Banded flan with wreath motif, two outline crescents and two ringed-pellets in centre, forming two ‘sad’ hidden faces./ Full-bodied horse prancing left, with corded mane, pellet under head, ringed-pellet in front, wavy branch below, ringed-pellet and DVBNOVEL[LA] above. ABC−, VA 1650-1, 1655-1, BMC 2440, DK 539, S−. CCI 14.0602 (this coin). EF, rose gold, magnificent horse with bold inscription. Ex John Follows collection. Found near Great Waltham, Essex, 2011. RARE type, only 30 others recorded UNIQUE die pair.

Like Rainer Kretz and Dr John Sills we’re convinced that the Dubnovellaunos who struck this beautiful gold stater at Camulodunon in Essex is the same Dubnovellaunos who struck coins in Cantion, modern Kent (see lot 2) and who was the son of the ‘Weald King’ (see lot 1). This is one of the best Essex staters of Dubnovellaunos we’ve ever had the pleasure of handling. The wreath band is perfectly centred, precisely parallel with the flan bands, and when viewed vertically the two ‘sad’ little faces are unmissable (not unlike the ‘happy’ faces we see on the Verica Smiley silver unit, ABC 1220). The reverse is equally breathtaking, with a skilfully sculpted, spread legged horse, a very elegant victory palm and a most impressive inscription that’s almost wholly on the flan. This superbly designed stater is known as E Type on account of the letter E in DVBNOVELLA. It was found by the late Greg ‘Golden Boy’ Newitt, a dyslexic window cleaner who unearthed no fewer than three important Iron Age gold hoards in Essex. Published in Divided Kingdoms, pp.595 and 619 (this coin). Not in ABC nor Spink.