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For the second week
running we bring a
great rarity to your
attention - one of
the rarest and most
enigmatic silver
coins in the ancient
British series. This
is the AGR Bitch,
named after the
animal on the
reverse. Van Arsdell
refers to two gold
quarter staters with
"an anonomous(sic)
'AGE' legend on the
reverse" but doesn't
refer to a silver
unit. Hobbs says
that AGR "perhaps
represents another
unknown individual"
(p.19).
Coins inscribed A
and AGR have been
found mostly in
Essex and Suffolk.
The meaning of AGR
is uncertain. If the
letters refer to a
person, as seems
likely, who and
when? Was it an ally
or relative of
Cunobelin ruling in
the final decade of
his life? Or was it
a son or daughter
ruling after his
death? On balance we
favour the latter.
Agr- might be short
for a British name
such as Agriccos,
Agrecios or Agricu
‘war dog’ or a Roman
name like Agrippa
‘griffin’ or ‘hook
nose’ or perhaps
even Agrippina. Why
not? As Dr John
Creighton says: “I
think the British
court was probably
riddled with
Romans.” For further
discussion on the
significance of Agr-
see Dr Philip de
Jersey’s comments in
Chris Rudd List
64 and Dr John
Sills’s in Chris
Rudd List 70.
This Agr- coin is a
great rarity,
unlisted by Evans,
Allen, Mack or Van
Arsdell.
Only five others are
recorded including
one in the British
Museum. Chris Rudd
January list.
1.12.08 |
