Bronze ½ Unit - Tasciovanos Mercury TAS

21 in Kretz (including ABC 2712 and VA 1826).

Van Arsdell Classification: Trinovantian O, Earlier Dynastic Issues, Tasciovanus Third Coinage.

Rainer Kretz, “The Bronze Coinage of Tasciovanos”, BNJ 85, 2015:
Kretz Type C (Roman Heads). Much more Romanised designs than Type A or Type B, based on issues of Augustus and Mark Antony. Kretz lists seven types, listed separately here. For Type C1, the inscription in front of the bust can be VER (CCI 78.0024) or TAS (CCI 14.0539) although many seem to have no inscription (ANS 2004.14.5). This coin is C1 var. 1:
C1 (half unit): Head right; VER. Boar right, crescent above; TASCI (see ABC 2712).
C1 var. 1 (half unit): Head right; TAS. Boar right, crescent above; TASCI (this coin).
C1 var. 2 (half unit): Head right; VER. Boar right, annulets around (see VA 1826).
C2: Head right; TAS. Horseman holding carnyx right (see ABC 2676).
C3: Head right. Ram left; VER or VIR (see ABC 2694).
C4: Bare-headed head right; TASC. Pegasus left; VER or VIR (see ABC 2664).
C5 (double unit): Head right; TASCIA in front, VA behind. Pegasus left; T-A-S (see ABC 2652).
C5 var. 1 (double unit): TASCIAV in front, A behind.
C6: Laureate head right; TASCIO. Facing lion right; TA-SC-IO (see ABC 2691).
C6 var. 1: Facing lion right; TAS-CI-O.
C6 var. 2: Facing lion right; TASC-IO.
C6 var. 3: Facing lion right; TA-SCI-O.
C7 (Half unit): Laureate head left. Calf left, head turned back, S-shaped tail (see ABC 2697).

Tasciovanos is thought to have been related to Rues, Andoco and Dias(su). Sills believes the high zinc content of bronze coins of Tasciovanos (ABC 2688, ABC 2691, ABC 2712), Andoco (ABC 2727) and Diassu (ABC 2748, ABC 2751) come from a shipment of old Augustan coinage, dating them to several years after 18BC, but significantly before Cunobelin's bronzes which do not contain high levels of zinc. Along with stylistic elements, this puts them before Tasciovanos's third coinage.