When in Rome: A 2,000-year-old gold coin depicting a sexy Celtic king who imported massive amounts of Roman wine after joining the invaders could be auctioned for £4,000.
- The newly discovered gold stater dates from between AD 30 and 40 and was issued by King Verica, whose kingdom was what is now Kent, Sussex and Hampshire.
- Was dug up by a treasure hunter in a field at Endmondsham on the Dorset border.
- One side shows a large vine leaf, signifying his love of wine, while the other shows Verika on horseback under the letters VIRI, which are believed to have several meanings.
A 2,000-year-old coin depicting a Celtic king drinking wine and showing off his high sex drive has been discovered by a detective and sold for £4,000.
The gold stater dates from between AD 30-40 and was issued by King Verica, whose kingdom was what is now Kent, Sussex and Hampshire.
He joined the Romans and imported large quantities of Italian wine and drinking vessels in exchange for British slaves.
The gold stater dates from 30-40 AD and was issued by King Verica.
Who was King Verica?
Verica was a British client king in the Roman Empire in the early first century AD, following an invasion by Claudius in 43 AD.
A client king is a ruler who is dependent on another state or country for his own power, but the coins suggest that Verica was the ruler of a tribe of Belgian atrebates. He had commercial and diplomatic ties with the Roman Empire, hence his title of client king, and was recognized as a rex in Rome.
Records state that “Bericus” (believed to be Verica) was expelled from Britain around AD 40–42 during a rebellion. The expulsion of Verica as an ally of Rome was the perfect pretext for the Roman emperor Claudius to launch an invasion.
After the invasion, Verica may have been restored as king, but this is not supported by the facts. Later he was replaced by Kogidubn.
Verica’s relationship with the Roman Empire has been the basis of much of the argument that the site of the Roman invasion of Britain was on the south coast rather than the now recognized site at Richborough in Kent.
He also encouraged the Roman invasion of Britain in the 1st century after his own kingdom was threatened by an invading tribe.
Last summer the coin was dug up by a treasure hunter in a field in Edmondsham on the Dorset/Hampshire border.
On one side is a large vine leaf, which signifies his love of wine.
The other shows Verika on horseback under the letters VIRI. It is believed that four letters have several meanings.
They are said to represent Verik’s name. They also mean the word “manly” in Latin, which may also be a nod to his reputation as a lotario.
Finally, the letters could also be read as the Latin Venum Rex – the wine king.
The stater, made from a mix of gold, silver and copper, will go under the hammer at Chris Rudd Auctions in Norwich.
Mr Rudd said: “Verica was on good terms with the Romans and imported quite a lot of wine.
“This coin has a large vine leaf on one side, which is a very unusual decoration for a British coin.
“Near his seat of power, Chichester, were found Roman wine vessels built before the Roman invasion. Verica was definitely a wine importer and probably traded wine for British slaves.
Verica was responsible for the Roman invasion. He gave them a reason to come here and conquer Britain in 43 AD.
“He was angry that a rival tribe north of the Thames was trying to take over his region and his cities.
“So he went to the emperor Claudius to ask for help and urged the Romans to come over to the other side. Claudius wanted to prove himself to the Romans and thought he could make himself famous by invading Britain.
“The coin was found in Dorset, which is the furthest west where one of these coins was found.
“This is a rare coin, and 50 to 100 such coins are known.
“The stater was hit for military purposes so that Verica would pay her warriors to fight the invading force.”
Mr. Rudd compared Verika to Russian dictator Putin.
He added: “On this stater, he poses as a strong man on horseback, a bit like Putin.
“VIRI” has many meanings. It means his name in Latin, it means the word virile, it means “high” and it means king of wine. The Celts loved to play with words when minting coins.
The stater is on sale March 20th.
On one side of the coin, Verika is depicted on horseback under the letters VIRI.
Roman occupation of Britain
AD 43 is known among historians as the year that the Roman Emperor Claudius began to take steps to invade what was then known as Britain.
Britain and the Roman Empire used to have a close relationship, especially in the century following the expeditions of Julius Caesar in 55 and 54 BC.
By the 40s of our era, a political situation was brewing in Britain. A tribe in southeast Britain known as the Catuvellauni displaced the Trinovantes as the most powerful kingdom in southeast Britain and took over their capital, present-day Colchester. A tribe of Atrebates that had friendly ties with the Roman Empire, but their king Verica was soon forced out and expelled. The entire kingdom was quickly taken over by Caratacus.
Opposing the Roman Empire, Caratacus left Claudius troubled. He decided to invade the country under the guise of restoring Verica. After landing and meeting some resistance, the reinforcements proved too strong for the Belgians and they withdrew.
The Medway would be the decisive battle in Britain because it would leave the Belgian kingdom helpless and open to Roman occupation. Caratacus was forced to flee to Wales and Verica was reinstated.
This laid the foundations for Roman influence in shaping modern Britain. Roman economic and cultural influence played a huge role in Britain’s Late Pre-Roman Iron Age, especially in the south of the country.