Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/41

Rh 2. CVNOBEL, unbearded head and bust in armour, galeated to the r.

℞. TASC • FIL. Boar biting a branch, or ear of corn, facing to the left. Æ 3. Mr. Wigan's cabinet, Clare House, East Mailing. Mr. Neville's coin found at Chesterford.

3. CVNOBELIN, unbearded head galleated to the r.

℞. TASCIIOVANIF. Boar running to the left. Æ 2.—British Museum.

4. CVNOBELINI. Head, laureated to the left.

℞. TACIOVANI • F Centaur gradient to the r. and blowing a horn. Æ 3.—British Museum.

Now it is evident from an inspection of these legends, that TASC No. 1, 2, is a contraction for TASCIOVANI • No. 3, 4; and this is the correct form of the inscription read TASIOVANIT • both by Combe, and Ruding, who although he found on Mr. Rebellos' coin TASCIOVAIF, and on another specimen TASCIOVAN , was yet unable to combine the proper reading of his two legends, and restore the inscription as he might have done to its true form TASCIOVANI. F. But he preferred following his predecessors and contemporaries in either attempting to etymologize the word, or referring it to towns in the Narbonnese Gaul or in Spain. This spirit is not yet altogether abandoned: but it is necessary to return to the second part of the inscription. This is F • and on No. 2, FIL •, Mr. Neville's coin enabling us to pronounce certainly on the last letters, which Mr. Wigan's, owing to its rather honey-combed condition, did not. Some doubt existed whether the last letter might not be an R, but not only on some coins of Cunobelin does the L much resemble the R in its form, which might account for the appearance of Mr. Wigan's coin, but Mr. Neville's, as already stated, removes all doubt as to the reading of this last letter, and confirms what was already evident from the form F, that the contraction is for filius, and that Cunobelin, for certain reasons subsequently touched on, called himself Cunobelin the son of Tasciovan, thus restoring to the series of British monarchs one whose existence is only known numismatically, and resolving what for two centuries has been an inexplicable problem in this branch of numismatics. It will be instructive for future enquirers, and at the same time a literary exer-