Small in Size, Extraordinary in Significance
The coin is a Corieltavi tribe gold stater, dating from 50–10BC, and it represents an exceptionally scarce example of its type. Current expert opinion suggests it may be only the second ever recorded.
The Corieltavi were a Celtic tribe occupying much of the East Midlands, including all of Lincolnshire and reaching right up to the south bank of the Humber. The fact that this coin was found near the Holderness village of Lelley makes the discovery even more intriguing, as that area is traditionally associated with the smaller and still somewhat mysterious Parisi tribe. Finds like this help illuminate how objects – and influence – travelled across tribal boundaries long before Roman rule.
Physically, the stater is modest – roughly the size of an old decimal halfpenny – yet its importance is immediately apparent. It weighs 5.5 grams and has a composition of approximately 33% gold, 54% copper, and 9.5% silver. It is a striking survival from an era where wealth and authority were expressed through objects designed to impress, circulate and endure.
The stater belongs to the distinctive ‘domino’ type, named for the pellets arranged in a rectangular frame above an abstract depiction of a horse. It is this detail that makes the coin so exceptional.
The Five-Pellet Variant
Corieltavi staters of this design are traditionally known with four pellets. That long-standing assumption changed only recently when a rare five-pellet variant was identified, following the discovery of a similar example in Northamptonshire last year. The East Yorkshire coin appears to be only the second known.
To non-specialists, the addition of a single pellet may seem minor, but for collectors and researchers it is an extremely significant variation. Newly recognised types are among the most exciting areas of numismatics – and rarity of this level has a dramatic impact on desirability and value.
Why a Corieltavian mint introduced an extra pellet on a very small number of coins remains unknown. The mint is believed to have been located at Sleaford in south Lincolnshire, and there are several plausible explanations. The die may have been recut after wear, with the fifth pellet added during that process. Alternatively, the additional pellet may represent a deliberate variation, possibly linked to a different issue, marking, standard or date.
As with many of the most compelling Celtic coins, the unanswered questions are part of the appeal, and the subject of ongoing study.