Cantii Tribe, Britain (hippocamp coll.)

[B]Cantii Tribe, Britain (King Amminius; 38-40 AD.) AR Unit[/B] [U]Obv[/U]: Monogram A in circle surrounded by tied wreath; dotted circular border. [U]Rev[/U]: Hippocamp, facing right; monogram S above and AM monogram below; dotted circular border. [u]Attribution[/u]: Hobbs 2520-2551, Van Arsdell 194-1 [u]Provenance[/u]: ex. Freeman & Sear MB13, #42, 8.25.06 [u]Weight[/u]: 1.16 gm [u]Maximal Diameter[/u]: mm [u]Axis[/u]: 12 [u]Note[/u]: A son of Cunobelin who received overlordship of the Cantii around 25 AD. when Eppillus was deposed. In the last years of Cunobelin, family rivalry resulted in the expulsion of Amminius who, with a few faithful followers, fled to the Continent. These events may have been prompted by the threatened invasion of Britain by the emperor Caligula whose troops were stationed in northern Gaul. Amminius went to Caligula, presumably in the hope that Caligula would send soldiers to help him regain his kingdom. Caligula, however, accepted the surrender of Amminius as sufficient sign of conquest and went home in triumph! Nothing more was heard of Amminius, though it is possible he returned to Britain with the Romans as what may have been his tomb was discovered at St Albans. Modern Kent is the ancestral location of the Cantii tribe. CT233