Quarter Stater of the North Thames region

This finder of this Ancient British gold quarter stater is not the same as the detectorist who unearthed the VEP CORF stater but he also asked to remain anonymous. It measures 11mm in diameter, it is 1.4 grams in weight and the finder asked for my opinion on its possible commercial value.

The obverse is blank except for a segment of a circle, which looks somewhat like an eyebrow. On the reverse, facing right, is a horse with a beaded mane and a floating ear. Below, above, under the head and in front of the horse’s nose is a ring and dot, the last with three pellets below; over the rump and head is an annulet and a pellet; above the rump is a large cogwheel.

All the preceding information adds up to this quarter stater being a variety of number 2252 in Ancient British Coins. In ABC it falls under the Eastern part of the North Thames region and is listed as the Gold Tit type, as the obverse usually looks like a miniature depiction of the breast of a female. The type is extremely rare but this variety is excessively rare. The reverse is very similar to the Pellets type but the obverse is different. Rather than the Gold Tit type, a more appropriate name might be the Gold Eyebrow type.

Valuation

In the edge there are a few of the usual striking flaws and there is a short hairline crack in the flan but the coin is otherwise very attractive and in good VF condition. It’s a significant rarity so if I was cataloguing this quarter stater for sale at auction I would set the pre-sale estimate at £1,500-1,800.

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