• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

Iron Age gold coin bears name of unknown British king

by Dario Radley
October 29, 2023

A metal detectorist unearthed a rare gold coin in Hampshire County in March 2023. The coin, bearing the inscription “Esunertos,” was auctioned on September 28 for a remarkable £20,400 ($24,720) at Spink auction house, surpassing all expectations and setting a new world record.

Iron Age gold coin bears name of unknown British king
Iron Age Coin, Stater of the Corieltauvi. CC BY-SA 2.0

The coin, described as a quarter slater by Spink Auctions, dates back to sometime between 50 BCE and 30 BCE, a period following Julius Caesar’s initial Roman raids on Britain in 55 BCE. The Latin alphabetic inscription on the coin translates to “mighty as the god Esos” in Gaulish, a language commonly spoken in the region during that era.

John Sills, an archaeologist at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Archaeology, told Live Science that Esunertos is a little-known Iron Age ruler who may have held sway in what is now western Hampshire. Sills hails the discovery as “one of the outstanding discoveries of recent decades in Celtic numismatics.”

Esunertos, speculated to have ruled from the formidable Danebury Fort, emerges from history as a potentially influential leader during a politically tumultuous period. Ian Leins, a curator of collections and interiors at English Heritage, told Live Science that in the aftermath of Caesar’s invasions, Britain experienced a dynamic political landscape, giving rise to leaders like Esunertos who, based on contacts, ancestry, land, or control of resources, minted coins to expand their influence.

The auctioned coin, one of only three known to bear Esunertos’ name, has opened a new chapter in the understanding of Iron Age Britain. The imagery on the coin includes a worn head of Apollo and a triple-tailed horse on the reverse side, depicting elements of Iron Age artistry and classical influences.

RelatedStories

Roman coin hoard discovered by Romanian metal detectorist is among the country’s largest

Roman coin hoard discovered by Romanian metal detectorist is among the country’s largest

May 13, 2025
New discovery links Sutton Hoo helmet to Denmark, not Sweden

New discovery links Sutton Hoo helmet to Denmark, not Sweden

April 7, 2025

Gregory Edmund, Iron Age Coin Specialist at Spink Auctioneers, who led the team of experts in the recording of this new find, remarks on the coin’s significance, stating, “This fabulous piece of prehistoric artwork completes the mental image we have when we think of Iron Age Britain – the war horse and chariot.”

Lewis Fudge, the metal detectorist who made the discovery, expressed his elation after the auction, stating, “I am over the moon. To think my find has generated its own Wikipedia page is incredible.”

Fudge’s initial expectation for the coin’s value was around £4,000 ($5,000), but the intense bidding at Spink Auctions surpassed all predictions, setting a new world record.


Stay updated with us! Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter, and Linkedin, and join our WhatsApp and Telegram channels for the latest in archaeology, all directly on your favorite platforms!
ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history
Archaeology

Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

May 17, 2025
Medieval man with crippled knee reveals disability care in Sweden
Anthropology

Medieval man with crippled knee reveals disability care in Sweden

May 17, 2025
Six centuries-old shipwrecks unearthed in Sweden reveal secrets of medieval maritime history
Archaeology

Six centuries-old shipwrecks unearthed in Sweden reveal secrets of medieval maritime history

May 16, 2025
Homo erectus in Java: 140,000-year-old fossils found in submerged river valley
Anthropology

Homo erectus in Java: 140,000-year-old fossils found in submerged river valley

May 16, 2025
1,500-year-old African-style figurines found in southern Israel reveal ancient trade links
Archaeology

Rare 1,500-year-old African-style figurines unearthed in southern Israel reveal ancient trade links

May 15, 2025
Assyrian relief of King Ashurbanipal unearthed in Nineveh
Archaeology

Assyrian relief of King Ashurbanipal unearthed in Nineveh

May 15, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
248K

Facebook
105K

Threads
42K

LinkedIn
12K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Ancient DNA confirms Picuris Pueblo’s ancestral link to Chaco Canyon

Ancient DNA confirms Picuris Pueblo’s ancestral link to Chaco Canyon

May 1, 2025
Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

May 17, 2025
Medieval man with crippled knee reveals disability care in Sweden

Medieval man with crippled knee reveals disability care in Sweden

May 17, 2025
Six centuries-old shipwrecks unearthed in Sweden reveal secrets of medieval maritime history

Six centuries-old shipwrecks unearthed in Sweden reveal secrets of medieval maritime history

May 16, 2025
New study reveals wealth inequality was never inevitable

New study reveals wealth inequality was never inevitable

April 15, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado's expedition

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado’s expedition

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

May 17, 2025
Medieval man with crippled knee reveals disability care in Sweden

Medieval man with crippled knee reveals disability care in Sweden

May 17, 2025
Six centuries-old shipwrecks unearthed in Sweden reveal secrets of medieval maritime history

Six centuries-old shipwrecks unearthed in Sweden reveal secrets of medieval maritime history

May 16, 2025
Homo erectus in Java: 140,000-year-old fossils found in submerged river valley

Homo erectus in Java: 140,000-year-old fossils found in submerged river valley

May 16, 2025
1,500-year-old African-style figurines found in southern Israel reveal ancient trade links

Rare 1,500-year-old African-style figurines unearthed in southern Israel reveal ancient trade links

May 15, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Mail Us: info@archaeologymag.com

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience and enable functionality and security of this site. Further detail is available in our Privacy Policy. By accepting all cookies, you consent to our use of cookies and use of data.