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GROUP O

Group O is the final group in the series. These coins are defined by a reversal in the configuration of the tail; here, the central line is solid and the outside lines are beaded. Again the chronology is uncertain:

Group

O

Coins

89, 90, (91, 92, 93)

Chronology of Group O Coins

The obverse of Coin 89 is similar to that of Coin 87, but there is a single bead for a mouth, and the base of the nose swells a little.

The reverse has only two isolated beads for the lower emblem. The upper emblem, if it exists, is off the coin.

On the obverse of Coin 90, the whisks are abandoned. Two beads are again used for the mouth. The lower eyelid is shaped like a hockey stick. The bottom curl of the mouth ornament is absent. The forelock is similar to that on Coin 86. There is an extra hair between the lower ear-spiral and the back of the neck.

On the reverse of Coin 90, the two beaded lines meet at the curl as on Coin 83. The emblems consist of four beads unconnected by lines.

The obverse of Coin 91 has a normal lower eyelid, and the bead lips are abandoned and replaced by "V" stalked lips as in Group C. The forelock is similar to the previous coin. The back of the neck is made up of two lines, as in Coins 83 and 85, but the truncation of the neck is a novelty: it is an ellipse, the lower line solid, the upper line beaded.

The reverse of Coin 91 is the same as Coin 90.

The obverse of Coin 92 is similar to the previous coin, except that there is a normal truncation, and the forelock is of the same type as on Coin 89. There is an extra hair between the lower ear-spiral and the back of the neck.

The reverse of Coin 92 is the same as Coin 90.

The obverse of Coin 93 has eyelids that do not connect to the nose, although the upper lid just touches it. A horizontal line extends backward from the pupil of the eye. The forelock is the same type as on Coin 91. There is the extra hair at the neck as in the previous coin.

Again, the reverse is the same as Coin 90.

The order of the coins in group O is more obvious than in the preceding group, but both of these groups should be treated with caution in this respect. There are not enough varieties of coins in Class II to be certain of the habits of the die engravers, although it is encouraging that the last three coins, having the same mouth on the obverse, appear to be die-linked to the same reverse die. The large number of Class II coins in the Jersey hoards, coupled with the relatively few dies, indicates that the issue was very late and there was little time for the coins to disperse before the Roman yoke descended on the people of Armorica.

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