A gold coin minted by a little-known ruler in ancient Britain — an Iron Age man who said he was as “mighty” as a god — has been found by a metal detectorist and auctioned off in England.
The rare coin was discovered in March 2023 in Hampshire county and was auctioned Sept. 28 for 20,400 British pounds ($24,720), Spink auction house said in a series of statements.
A Latin alphabetic inscription on the coin bears the name “Esunertos,” which can be translated as “mighty as the god Esos,” (also spelled Esus) the statements said.
It’s a fascinating glimpse into the last days of Celtic Britain. My Y DNA is Gaulish, so I take a bit of an interest in the topic, even if it’s unclear quite when my distant paternal ancestors arrived in the British Isles.