The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of May 13, 2024
Cunobeline Stater: Tablet on Wreath (reverse); Two Horses and Wheel (reverse)
c. 10–40 CE
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
Cunobeline's name is derived from Common Brittonic Cunobelinos, which translates to "strong as a dog."Description
Cunobeline is mentioned by various Roman historians. He was a powerful ruler, the son of Tasciovanus. He is known to have had one brother, Epaticcus, and possibly another, Sego, as well as two sons, Caratacus and Togodumnus. The history of this ancient time is very confused, particularly over family relationships; some of the sons and brothers may well have been sons-in-law and brothers-in-law. Cunobeline had his capital at Camulodunum, now Colchester. The workmanship of this extremely rare piece is remarkable in many ways. Study of the obverse shows that at least one of the V-shaped ornaments referred to by scholars is traditionally described as "heart" shape. In fact it is the little ivy leaf frequently found on Roman coins. The two well-executed, three-dimensional spirited horses on the reverse are unusual. One such animal is normally all the engraver of the period usually attempts. The wheel of the lost chariot is still present and the neat design of a leaf as an ornament is interesting. All this design detail serves to crowd off all but a few letters of the ruler's name. The CAMVL on the obverse makes this one of the earliest British native coins to state its mint town origin.- -1969Mrs. Emery May Holden Norweb (1895-1984), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art1969-The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Cleveland Museum of Art, and Emery May Norweb. English Gold Coins, Ancient to Modern Times, On Loan to the Cleveland Museum of Art from the Norweb Collection. 1968. pp. 11Emery May Norweb Collection (Cleveland, Ohio), Emery May Norweb, C. E. Blunt, F. Elmore Jones, and R. P. Mack. Collection of Ancient British, Romano-British and English Coins. London: Spink, 1971. pp. 1, 17-18Fliegel, Stephen. "A Little-Known Celtic Stone Head." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 77, no. 3 (1990): 82-103. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 88 www.jstor.org
- Year in Review: 1969. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 27-February 22, 1970).English Gold Coins: Ancient to Modern Times. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1963).
- {{cite web|title=Cunobeline Stater: Tablet on Wreath (reverse); Two Horses and Wheel (reverse)|url=false|author=|year=c. 10–40 CE|access-date=13 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1969.152