BELLOVACI

Tribe of Belgica in the Oise department of northern France. Their capital was Beauvais, known in Roman times as Caesaromagus Bellovacorum, ‘Caesar’s market of the Bellovaci’. Their name means ‘strong fighters’.

Nerei Helmet. Bronze unit. c.80-50 BC. 15mm. 1.91g. Helmeted head facing left, braided hair, [MVTINOS] in front, NEREI behind, beaded border./ Horse galloping right, six pointed star in front and above, three ringed pellets above, bird below with head turned back.  LT 7976, DT 657. VF, dark green patina, bold head. Ex Anthony Levine collection.                                                                                       Was £200. Now only £185

Daphne Nash Briggs says: “DT says “NIREI – MVTINOS” – No sign of the Mutinos here, but NEREI is nice and clear. Nice Roman lettering, nice art work…And the excellent view of the horseman carrying a Roman-style military standard suggests that this was coinage produced for and by a local auxiliary cavalry commander. Like local police, now that the Romans were in charge. The Romans excelled in getting native units to pay their own expenses. They got bragging rights in return.” (pers. comm. 11.11.25).