THE PREHISTORIC PERIOD 



No. 24 represents a remarkable coin, the type of which has been 

 known since the days of Camden, some 260 years ago. The device of 

 the two interlacing squares on the obverse is almost identical with that on 

 some of the copper coins of Verulamium, while the legend VI R or VER 

 beneath the horse on the reverse seems conclusively to prove that it was 

 issued from the mint of that town. It must, however, be admitted that 

 the type of the interlacing square is also found on a small silver coin of 

 Verica, a son of Commius the Atrebatian. The legend DIAS on the 

 obverse suffices, notwithstanding, to settle the question of attribution, as 

 it occurs in conjunction with the name TASC on the copper coins of 

 Verulamium, PL ii., Nos. 7, 8. The finding, moreover, of the coin here 

 engraved must not be left out of consideration. It was dug up near 

 Harlow, on the borders of Herts and Essex. As to the meaning of DIAS 

 it is difficult to offer a conjecture. Its occurrence on coins inscribed also 

 TASC seems to show that it is not merely a variant of the beginning of 

 the name Tasciovanus. Of its being in some manner connected with the 

 city of Verulamium or its rulers there can be no doubt, but the nature of 

 the connection has still to be discovered. 



It will be noticed that the usual weight of a well preserved silver 

 coin of Tasciovanus is from 18 to 21 1 grains, or approximately the 

 same weight as the smaller denomination of his gold coins. There is, 

 however, a small variety of the coin, No. 14, which weighs less than 

 12 grains, and which may therefore have been intended to pass current 

 as the half of the larger and more common silver coins. As to the pro- 

 portionate value of silver, gold and copper among the ancient Britons 

 nothing can safely be asserted. It may be remarked that the weight 

 of the Roman denarius of the first century, of which examples are 

 occasionally found with hoards of British coins, is about 60 grains. 

 The native coins may therefore have been of the value of one third of 

 the denarius. 



The whole of the coins shown in Plate ii. were in all probability 

 minted at Verulamium. Though classed as copper, some few of them 

 were struck on blanks of yellow brass. The type of the two interlacing 

 squares, of which varieties appear on Nos. I, 2, 3, is, as already re- 

 marked, closely connected with that on the obverse of the silver coin 

 reading DIAS, PL i., No. 24. On No. i the name of the town is 

 given in the locative case VERLAMIO, ' at Verulam,' in the same 

 manner as on some copper coins of Cunobelinus, the name of his 

 capital town is given on a double tablet as CAMVLODVNO, * at 

 Camulodunum.' The connection with the cruciform ornament deve- 

 loped from the laureate head of Apollo can be traced in the obverse 

 type of No. 4. The obverse type of No. 5 with two heads side by side 

 still requires elucidation. It is worthy of remark that on the first six 

 coins in the plate there are representations of all the chief domesticated 

 animals the bull, horse, boar, ram and goat. These are suggestive of 

 the country being rich in flocks and herds. On the other coins the 

 types seem to be more indicative of contact with Roman civilization. 

 J 241 R 



