33. Celtic Silver Staters of the Durotriges Tribe (2)

Silver Staters

The largest silver coin used in Britain was the Durotrigan silver stater. The Durotriges had traditional ties to the Armorican peninsula, an area of Gaul populated by silver-using tribes. Trading contact with this area resulted in the adoption of silver coins and the Durotrigan coinage consequently remained outside the mainstream of British types for much of its history. The Durotrigan silver stater is roughly the same size as a gold stater and the stylistic devices were initially copied from the Atrebatic/Regnan/Belgic Westerham (Southern) Type staters. Initially, the Durotriges struck these coins in white gold, but during the Gallic War they debased them to silver, then billon, and finally to bronze. Struck on silver-plated bronze cores, ancient forgeries of staters are fairly common and some of the so-called bronze staters may actually have been silver plated when new.

Large hoards of Durotrigan silver staters have been found and they are amongst the commonest of Ancient British coins. Unfortunately, most examples are struck in very base silver and are often corroded. Staters struck in fine silver are less common and are quite attractive when well-preserved – such specimens normally command a premium. All are struck on dish-shaped flans, as are the gold staters. Diameters run about 19 mm and weights about 4.9 to 5.8 gms. Several varieties of obverse and reverse types exist, and some are excessively rare.