This is one of the last coins made in Britain before the Romans arrived, in this case by a king of the Iceni (who was also husband of the warrior queen known to us as Boudica). It’s clear that this silver coin, issued between 35 BC and 45 BC, was made with knowledge of the Roman Empire – the style of the bust and the Latin inscription are similar to those issued by Roman emperors of the time such as Claudius and Nero.

In AD 43, Emperor Claudius invaded Britain and received the submission of eleven British chieftains, including Prasutagus, but it wasn’t as simple a transition of power as the Romans might have hoped for. Prasutagus died in AD 60. When Catus Decianus, Procurator of Britain, was sent to the kingdom to enforce the authority of the Emperor, his outrages against Boudica and her daughters set in chain the events which led to the tribal uprising of AD 60–61.