THE PREHISTORIC PERIOD 



As already observed the indigenous coinage of this country, belong- 

 ing to a period anterior to the complete subjugation of Britain by the 

 Romans, is well represented in Hertfordshire. Before considering the 

 coins themselves, and the light that they throw upon history, it will 

 be well to say a few words as to the origin of the art of coinage and 

 the course of its introduction into Britain, although I have treated of 

 the whole subject in great detail elsewhere. 1 



Coins, that is to say pieces of metal of a certain weight and fineness 

 guaranteed by a duly authorized stamp, were first issued in Greece and 

 Asia Minor not earlier than the seventh century B.C., and for a long 

 period they were in the main confined to silver, bronze, and electrum, 

 an alloy of gold and silver. About the year B.C. 356 Philip II. of 

 Macedon, acquired the rich gold mines of Crenides (or Philippi), and 

 shortly afterwards issued gold coins to the value of nearly 250,000 

 annually. These coins, which weighed about 133 grains troy each, 

 were known as Philippi and were diffused through the whole of Greece 

 and her colonies, while barbarians who came in contact with Greek 

 civilization seem to have seized upon them as objects for imitation. In 

 Gaul, on the Mediterranean coast of which were several Greek colonies, 

 this seems to have been especially the case ; and the whole of the early 

 gold coinage of that country may be said to consist of imitations more 

 or less rude and degenerate of the Macedonian Philippus. 



The types of the Philippus, as will be seen from the annexed wood- 

 cut are on the obverse the laureate head of Apollo, and on the reverse 

 a charioteer in a biga with the name of Philip 

 underneath. The earliest of the Gaulish imi- 

 tations follow the prototype pretty closely, but 

 eventually both the head and the biga become 

 completely transformed. 



By the time that the art of coining had FlG - I0 - 



reached the north-west shores of Gaul, and had thence passed over into 

 Britain, the original Philippus had been developed into the coin of which 

 two varieties are shown below. 



FIG. II. FIG. 12. 



The size of the piece has increased, a crossbar, ending in a hook, 

 and rich drapery on the neck have been added to the head ; the hair of 

 which has in front been converted into hollow crescents, and at back 

 ranged in two symmetrical rows, while the laurel wreath becomes an 

 important feature in the design. On the reverse the two horses have 



1 The Coins of the Ancient Britons, 1864, with Supplement, 1890. Quaritch : London. 



237 



