REMARKS

UPON

Ancient British Coins.

BEFORE I dismiss the subject of Druidism, it may not be improper to take some notice of those singular coins, which have been ascribed to the ancient Britons, and examine how far the design of the engraver harmonizes with that national superstition, which has been transmitted to us by the Bards and mythological Triads.

It is known to most readers, that these coins have been published, as British, by Camden and his editors, by Dr. Borlase, and other learned antiquaries; that repeated attempts have been made to explain them, and that, notwithstanding this, the peculiarity of their drawing has not been satisfactorily accounted for.

The reason of this difficulty, as it appears to me, is simply this: the earliest coins of the Britons, like those of most other nations, are impressed with religious, rather than with civil or military devices; and the imagery of their national superstition has not been hitherto understood by our medallists.

That these coins are genuine monuments of some nations who occupied ancient Britain, cannot be matter of doubt to the candid critic. They are often found in various districts of this island, and in no other country. It is observed, that they have a remote similarity to some old Gaulish coins, and yet retain a style and character of their own, sufficient to mark them as the property of a distinct people. This is just what might be expected, supposing that they are British, as our ancestors originally sprung from the same stock as the Gauls, with whom they maintained a religious intercourse to the very æra of the Roman conquest, though they had been for many ages locally and

politically distinct from them. And lastly, Camden and his editors have shewn, that many of these coins bear the names of British princes and cities, which are well known in history. And the style and character of the pieces thus ascertained to be British, as well as the figures with which they are charged, unite them indisputably with certain more rude and uninscribed specimens, and prove them to have been the property of the saine people.

As to the antiquity of these monuments, it may be remarked, that those which are inscribed with legends, generally present the names of princes who are known to have lived in the century immediately preceding the birth of Christ, or in the first century of our present æra-as Cassivellaunus, Cunobelinus, Caractacus, Arviragus, Boadicia, &c. And these have not only inscriptions in Roman characters, but also display a comparative degree of elegance in the design and execution. Here we may imagine the drawing of the Briton corrected by the Roman artist: and this series commences with Cassivellaunus, who was contemporary with Julius Cæsar.

Upon the uninscribed coins, we generally perceive figures of the same kind; but they exhibit a drawing comparatively rude and uncouth: hence it is reasonable to infer, that they are of somewhat higher antiquity than the more finished specimens; and that they were struck sometime before the Roman invasion; and consequently, were the production of ages, during which the Britons were independent, and their religious and political establishments as yet continued to subsist.

To him who is advanced a single degree in the study of antiquity, the symbols of heathen superstition upon several of these coins, must present themselves at the first glance. We have here the figures of the sun and moon, well-known objects of British devotion; the figure of Janus, the Saidi of the Britons; the figure of Apollo with his harp, or the Beli and Tydain of the same people; with many others equally decisive. Several specimens also present masks of different shapes, implying the mysterious nature of the subject. Hence it may be conjectured, that the Britons did not intend these pieces for the common medium of trade, but that they were struck in honour of their gods, in commemoration of the solemnities of their great festivals, and upon other sacred occasions.

Upon the sacred medals of the Greeks and Romans, we often find the elevation of magnificent temples, stately porticoes, or elegant altars.

The Britons could display nothing in this style of magnificence: but, if 1 mistake not, they have taken care to exhibit something that more immediately connects their medals with their national superstition. We here find large studded circles, occupying a considerable part of the field; and these are often concentric with other plain circles, so that they give exact representations of those heathenish temples, which abound in this island, and which generally consist of a circle of massy stones, either surrounded by a bank of earth, or else inclosing such a bank.

It may also be worthy of remark, that the curious gold coins published by Dr. Borlase, were discovered in the hill of Karn-bré, a place remarkable for its assemblage of almost every species of monument pertaining to British superstition. The learned author describes these monuments at large, and then recapitulates their names, as follows:

"In this hill of Karn-brê, then, we find rock-basons, circles, stones erect, remains of Cromléhs, Carns, a grove "of oaks, a cave, and an inclosure, not of military, but "religious structure: and these are evidences sufficient of "its having been a place of Druid worship; of which it 66 may be some confirmation, that the town, about half-a"mile cross the brook, which runs at the bottom of this ❝hill, was anciently called Red-drew, or, more rightly, "Ryd-drew, i. e. the Druid's Ford, or crossing of the "brook." (Antiq. of Cornwall, p. 120.)

Would it be an unreasonable conjecture, that the gold which was carefully concealed in the centre of this consecrated spot, and which bore evident marks of Druidical superstition, had belonged to the Druids of Karn-brê hill, and had been there deposited, when the order were compelled to consult their safety by a precipitate flight?

These pieces, it is true, must have been some of their most portable property; but if, like the glain and the egg, they were viewed as badges of the order, which, if found upon them, would expose them to the fury of their enemies; or if the devices upon them were regarded as magical

and talismanic, we need not be at a loss to assign the reason why they should have been left behind.

These hints are not thrown out gratuitously. There exists considerable evidence, that the Britons had certain pieces of gold and silver, which they viewed in the several lights here suggested, and which answered the description of several of these coins.

I have shewn at large, that the Welsh people, in the time of their native princes, and even in more recent ages, religiously kept up an imitation of the customs and institu tions of their remote progenitors: and here a custom presents itself, which seems to intimate the real use of some of these ancient pieces.

Mr. Owen, in his Dictionary V. Arian dlws, takes notice of certain silver medals, which were given as the reward of merit to the victors in poetical competition, and also in ́ public sports or games; and observes, that the prize for poetry was marked with a figure of a chair; and for music, with that of a harp.

Thus, the medal awarded to each candidate bore a symbol of the art, in which he had distinguished himself; and was therefore carefully preserved by him, as a memorial of the honour which he had acquired. Hence we may infer, that those pieces which bore an impression of the gods and temples of the Druids, were regarded as badges of Druidical honours.

Taliesin, who, upon all occasions, is ambitious of proving himself a worthy successor of the primitive Druids, seems repeatedly to hint that this was actually the case. Thus he says "With the circle of ruddy gems upon my golden "shield, do I not preside over the area of blood, which is guarded by a hundred chiefs ?"*

Here we find the splendid shield was the appropriate badge of the chief Druid: and what can be implied by the studded circle upon the shield of the Helio-arkite god and of his priest, unless it was an image of Caer Sidi, the celestial zone, and the circular temple-the same, in fact, which appears upon several of these coins?

Again-in the same poem, the Bard exhibits a piece of

* Appendix, No. VII.

gold, as the credential of his order and distinguished rank. With my golden precious device upon my piece of gold, "lo, I am that splendid one, who sportively come from the "invading host of the Feryll."

The piece of gold seems to have been ostentatiously worn, as the public insigne of this heathen priest; for he is thus addressed in another poem-" Come with me into the "city, and thou shalt have mead which I have prepared, "O thou, with the pure gold upon thy clasp!"*

More passages to the same purpose might be adduced; but, for the present, I leave it to the consideration of the reader, whether these hints do not furnish a just presumption, that some of the singular pieces which still remain,, were a kind of honorary medals, which the Druids distributed amongst their disciples, according to their respective ranks and attainments: and if this be admitted, it will fol low, that they were not designed as the medium of trade.

I shall, in the course of this Essay, produce some evidence, that certain pieces of gold or silver, which answer the description of several of these old coins, were also regarded as charms or talismans, and as such delivered to those votaries of Bardism, who took up arms when the Druids sanctified war, for the defence of the country.

But, first of all, let us attentively consider some of the extravagant images which appear upon these reliques of antiquity. Let us select the figure of the horse, upon one of the Karnbrê coins, which Dr. Borlase thus describes.

"No. XVI. (see the annexed plate) is the best preserved "coin, as well as largest and most distinct, which I have "seen of the gold coins found in Cornwall. The profile is "well proportioned, and neither destitute of spirit nor "expression: and it is somewhat surprising, that an artist, "who could design the human face so well, should draw "the horse so very indifferently on the other side. The "head has two rows of curls above the laureated diadem, " and the folds of the garment rise up round the neck, close "to the ear. The reverse, a horse, a wheel, balls and cres"cents, as in the rest; it weighs four pennyweights and "fourteen grains."