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| Verica Cavalry Duo |
On
Saturday I found my first Silver unit right at the end of a day with Midweek Searchers
in Hampshire. A bronze arrowhead with a lovely green patina had already come
up, plus some hammered and Roman coins. Most of my good finds have been found
in the late afternoon and this was no exception - it came up at 3:40pm. I was
astounded when I recognised it and there was only one other detectorist left on
site to show it to. Five minutes later he found his own prize – a lovely little
bronze Roman coin.
My
unit is known as a Verica Cavalry Duo, c.AD10-40 of the Atrebates / Regina
tribes. It is a scarce coin and finely produced. The name Duo is because there is a horse and rider on each side of the coin, the only unit with this feature. The second side is less well struck and off centre, but the first side has wonderful detail. The name of King Verica is clear.
There
are few historical references to the Celts in Britain. The following information
is gleaned from some on-line resources.
At the time of the Roman Conquest, the
Atrebates were the second most
powerful tribe in southern Britain, it was an appeal for help from their king,
Verica, which provided the Emperor Claudius with the pretext to launch his
invasion on Britain in 43 AD. The Atrebates were a
Belgic tribe of Gaul and Britain before the Roman conquests. They may
have been united with the Regini, under a common king (Comios, or Comminius). Comminius
was appointed king of the Atrebates in Gaul in 57 BC by Caesar. He was sent to
Britain in 55 BC before Caesar’s first expedition to persuade the Britons
accept Caesar. Instead, Commius was arrested, and handed back to Caesar when
the latter landed.
Atrebates
Regnii
A
secondary, and earlier, capital could be claimed at Noviomagus (Chichester,
West Sussex), which belonged to a division of the tribe known as the Regninses.
These people were thinly scattered north and south of the Weald and seem to
have escaped true conquest or even much influence from the Atrebates. Another
tribal centre was at Cunetio (Mildenhall, Wiltshire)
After the legate Titus Labienus tried to execute Commius for
conspiracy, Commius vowed to never associate with Romans again. He eventually
fled to Britain, where he was again king of the Atrebates.
Eppillus, AD 8 – 15, brother of Tincomarus
Verica, 15 – 40, brother of Eppillus
Following
the Roman Conquest, the territory of the Atrebates was divided
into three separate civitates, one of these was centred at the settlement at
Silchester, near Reading. Another major centre was at Chichester.
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| hammered coin,14mm diameter |
Earlier I had found a rather miserable looking hammered coin, probably a penny around one of the Edwards. The unusual feature of this coin is that the cross appears on both sides. It should have the king's head on the obverse. The first coin I found was what I believe is a Roman minim, a tiny coin without any markings.
