Video: Roman Republic Coins in Cheshire, England

[guy]

Here's an interesting video of Roman Republic coins found in Cheshire, England.

 

Sorry. The video was disabled. See the video in a post #5.

 

 

According to the video some of these coins date from 109 BCE. These coins would predate Caesar's visit to Britain (55-54 BCE) and Claudius's arrival (AD 43) by many years.

 

Instead of being decirculated (like modern coinage), many older Roman coins would continue to be used in Ancient Rome more than a hundred years after they were minted. A possible analogue would be finding an Indian Head penny in modern American change or a Queen Victoria penny in British change.

 

 

guy also known as gaius

 

 

Addendum:

 

I made out this not so rare coin of Augustus at 0:58 of the newer video:

 

http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?searc...amp;a=&l=#0

 

 

The reverse shows two heirs and grandsons of Augustus (both of whom prematurely died): Lucius and Gaius. They are holding honorary shields and spears. Also pictured are a ladle and lituus. Lucius died in AD 2, followed by his brother Gaius in AD 4.

 

These coins were probably brought to Britain after AD 43 when Claudius returned after Caesar's departure almost a century earlier.

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited October 28, 2010 by guy

[Melvadius]

<SNIP> (A possible analogue would be finding an Indian Head penny in American change or [a Queen Victoria penny in British change*].)

 

guy also known as gaius

 

*Unfortunately this is unlikely since decimalisation in the late 60's. A QV penny is somewhat different from a modern penny so a 'modern British' analogy would have to be finding a QV shilling as the [first version of the modern 5p was] based on the same size as an old shilling.

 

Mind you having said that not long back we found an old Victorian coin stuck inside a secret drawer of a piece of furniture on sale in an antique shop but that's another story

 

[Edit (10/5/10) - My mistake when I originally posted this message I forgot that in the last few years the size of the 5p coin was reduced to about half the size of the old shilling (12d) and the original version of the 5p coin - it is now closer to the size of an old sixpence (6d = tanner). The equivalent would therefore probably be finding an old florin (2 shilling piece = 24d) mixed up with your change instead of a modern a 10p piece]

Edited May 10, 2010 by Melvadius

[guy]

<SNIP> (A possible analogue would be finding an Indian Head penny in American change or [a Queen Victoria penny in British change*].)

 

guy also known as gaius

 

*Unfortunately this is unlikely since decimalisation in the late 60's. A QV penny is somewhat different from a modern penny so a 'modern British' analogy would have to be finding a QV shilling as the modern 5P is based on the same size as an old shilling.

 

Mind you having said that not long back we found an old Victorian coin stuck inside a secret drawer of a piece of furniture on sale in an antique shop but that's another story

 

Point well made. (One can guess on which side of the Atlantic I reside.)

 

Hey, wait a minute.... You mean I can't spend those farthings I collected as a kid on my trip to England?

 

Well, thanks for reading my post, anyway.

 

I think the analogy of old coins in modern American change is still valid, however.

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited April 6, 2010 by guy

[M. Porcius Cato]

One key point about the longevity of circulation of coins from the Roman republic--as opposed to ours -- is that Roman coins were minted in species (gold and silver) and hardly debased. In contrast, the silver content of American coins has debased enormously -- consequently, (1) you'd be a fool to spend a silver quarter when you've got a zinc one handy, and (2) it's not as likely a silver American quarter from 1850 is going to show up in a field in Kenya as it is that a more recent one would do so. From this perspective, it was the stability of the economy of the Roman republic that propelled its money so far in space and time.

[guy]

Here's a newer video on the Ancient Roman coins found at the site:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy3pIvd-RvY

 

 

guy also known as gaius