Ancient Iron Age Coin Recording Project
In the Kent Archaeological Review No. 12 (1968), an article by Sheppard Frere appeared detailing the setting-up of the Celtic Coin Index (CCI) at Oxford. The aim of this index was to provide a central database for the recording of Iron Age coins found in Britain. There are now several thousand entries held in the records of the CCI.
Recent cooperation between archaeologists and responsible metal-detectorists in Kent has allowed the recording of some 650 previously unknown Iron Age coins, full details of which have been forwarded to the CCI. The collections of Kentish metal-detectorists are a largely untapped source of information often ignored and unknown to field archaeologists, yet through increasing goodwill there is great potential for study here.
Since September 1991, the writer has been working with metal-detectorists across Kent with a view to recording their Iron Age coins. This has necessitated the invention of a workable standard reference system for all finds, which has proved of great help when reference to a particular coin is required, putting an end to the bad old days of inadequately recorded coins. Most of the Iron Age coins found by members of three of the metal-detector clubs in Kent have now been recorded, in addition to a number of private individuals' finds, totaling some 650 coins in all and we are very grateful to the people concerned for allowing access to, and recording of, their respective collections. A number of interesting discoveries have been made, not the least of which is the demonstration beyond reasonable doubt that the so-called 'Thurrock' (Essex) type potin coins are actually the first Kentish potin series, pre-dating the familiar 'linear' types classified by Allen (1971) and as such are the earliest British coinage. They are not an Essex series as proposed by Van Arsdell (1989). Other discoveries include several unique coins of types previously unknown in addition to new varieties of known types. The number of recorded specimens of certain types has been increased by 100% in some cases.
The Celtic Coin Study Group (CCSG) exists at Nottingham University to further the study of Iron Age coins; membership of this has provided contacts with people at the forefront of Iron Age coin studies in Britain. The CCSG produces a Celtic Coin Bulletin in which members can publish their findings. An interim report on Iron Age coins from sites at Sandwich and Worth has been produced for the Bulletin and should appear later this year. Worth has produced more Iron Age coins than Canterbury (and a totally different distribution of types) and is now the largest Celtic coin producing site in Kent, while Sandwich has yielded a higher than normal percentage of imported Gaulish coinage of various types. The site at Sandwich (Parfitt 1987) was found by members of the Thanet and Wantsum Relic Association and is an excellent example of cooperation between metal-detectorists and archaeologists as no archaeology had previously been suspected in that area.
The writer would be extremely grateful if any local groups or individuals with unrecorded Iron Age coins would contact him at: 5 Poulders Road, Sandwich, Kent.
References
Allen, D. F. 1968. The Pre-Roman Coins. In the 5th report on the Excavations of the Roman Fort at Richborough, Kent. B. Cunliffe. Report of the Research Committee of the Soc. of Antiquaries of London. No. XXIII Oxford.
Allen, D. F. 1971. British Potin Coins; A Review. The Iron Age and its Hillforts, Southampton, Jesson, D. and Hill, D. (eds) pp127-154.
Frere, S. B. 1968. Index of Iron Age Coins. K.A.R. Vol. 12. p.9.
Holman, D. J. (Forthcoming) Iron Age Coins from Worth and Sandwich, Kent. An Interim Report. Celtic Coin Bulletin. Nottingham University.
Parfitt, K. 1987. K.A.R. Vol. 90, pp.220-222.
Parfitt, K. 1990. K.A.R. Vol. 101, pp. 9-18.
Van Ardsell, R. D. 1989. Celtic Coinage of Britain, Spink, London.
David Holman