Silver ½ Unit - Ecen Mini Stick Horse

Features

Issuer	Iceni tribe (Celtic Britain)
Type	Standard circulation coins
Years	25-35
Value	Silver ½ Unit
Currency	Stater
Composition	Silver
Weight	0.6 g
Diameter	11 mm
Shape	Round (irregular)
Technique	Hammered
Orientation	Variable alignment ↺
Demonetized	Yes
Number	N# 460820
References	ABC# 1693 Elizabeth Cottam, Philip de Jersey, Chris Rudd, John Sills; 2010. Ancient British Coins. Chris Rudd, Aylsham, United Kingdom. , Van Arsdell# 683, 744 Robert D. Van Arsdell; 1989. Celtic Coinage of Britain. Spink & Son, London, United Kingdom. , Sp# 438 Standard Catalogue of British Coins (37 volumes). , BMC Iron# 3781, 3782, 3783, 3784 Richard Hobbs; 1996. British Iron Age coins in the British Museum. British Museum, London, United Kingdom. , Mack# 417a Richard Paston Mack; 1975. The Coinage of Ancient Britain. Spink & Son, London, United Kingdom. , Talbot MfT# Ecen John Talbot; 2017. Made for Trade: A New View of Icenian Coinage. Oxbow, Oxford, United Kingdom. , COI# 90f Elizabeth Cottam, Chris Rudd; 2022. Coins of the Iceni. Chris Rudd, Aylsham, United Kingdom.

Series: Ecen

Obverse

Back-to-back linear crescents with pellets at points within lozenge of corded lines. Two pellets between crescents.

Reverse

Stick horse right, solid head, dashes for mane (pellets with thin line attached), rein from chest to nose. V-shaped motif above. Pellet in front. Pellet below.

Comments

Allen Type: British IVd.

Mack lists as a variant of Mack 417.

Van Arsdell Classification: Icenian F, Early Uninscribed Silver Coins, Freckenham Era Types. Type was previously also listed as VA 744 (Silver Coins Inscribed ECEN) but is now considered the same as VA 683.

Talbot Ecen. The end of the denominational period saw the introduction of inscriptions. Anted and Ecen were produced in parallel (Anted starting first), using the same obverse die (staters of ECEN and ANTEDI (ABC 1639) are die linked), and followed Boar Horse C. They were struck at Mint A, which was responsible for most gold and used the most dies, characterised by a horse with an open head. The ECEN, EDN and ED variants (and ECE, ECEV and symbols for half units) are die linked with engraving becoming cruder. Finds are widely-dispersed but concentrated south of Snettisham.

Talbot Chronology: Gallo-Belgic E/Ingoldisthorpe - Early Local Period I (55BC-35BC) - Early Local Period II (35BC-15BC) - Denominational Period I (15BC-5: Snettisham - Plouviez - Irstead - Early Boar Horse) - Denominational Period II (5-25: Boar Horse B - Boar Horse C) - Denominational Period III (25-45).

Cottam and Rudd list one type:
COI 90f (ABC 1693) - Mini Ecen Stick Horse (34 known).
COI 90 is divided into Mini Ecen ECEV (ABC 1684), Mini Ecen ECE (ABC 1687), Mini Ecen ED (ABC 1690), Mini Ecen Y Retro (ABC 1696) and Mini Ecen Stick Horse.

Cottam and Rudd Chronology: Gallic War Unity (55-50BC) - Post-War Austerity (50-35BC) - Peaceful Prosperity (35BC-20) - Client-State Conformity (20-47) - Claudian Regality (43-47).

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Date					VG	F	VF	XF	AU	UNC
Undetermined
ND (25-35)

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Examples of the type

Picture 1 of the example of Silver ½ Unit - Ecen (Mini Stick Horse)

Picture 2 of the example of Silver ½ Unit - Ecen (Mini Stick Horse)

See the examples

Past sales

Pictures	Sale	Date	Grade	Sold price
	Noonans Auction 354 Lot 3025	24 Mar 2026	VF	USD 214.83 (GBP 160.00) (+ buyer's premium)
© NOONANS
	Noonans Auction 346 Lot 38	27 Jan 2026	F	The lot includes several items.
© NOONANS