Huge Roman coin find for hobbyist

[Melvadius]

BBC is reporting on the discovery last April of one of the largest coin hoards found in Britain. A documentary on the find will form part of their Digging for Britain series in August but it is worth noting that the detectorist acted very responsibly by immmediately contacting the Portable Antiquities Scheme when he made the discovery allowing them to fully excavate the find.

 

The full report includes a short video and a photograph of the excavation.

 

One of the largest ever finds of Roman coins in Britain has been made by a man using a metal detector.

 

The hoard of more than 52,000 coins dating from the third century AD was found buried in a field near Frome in Somerset.

 

The coins were found in a huge jar just over a foot (0.3m) below the surface by Dave Crisp, from Devizes in Wiltshire.

 

"I have made many finds over the years, but this is my first major coin hoard," he said.

 

After his metal detector gave a "funny signal", Mr Crisp says he dug down 14 inches before he found what had caused it.

 

"I put my hand in, pulled out a bit of clay and there was a little Radial, a little bronze Roman coin. Very, very small, about the size of my fingernail."

 

Mr Crisp reported the find to the authorities, allowing archaeologists to excavate the site.

 

Offering to gods

 

Since the discovery in late April, experts from the Portable Antiquities Scheme at the British Museum have been working through the find.

...

 

This is already being picked up by the press with short items in some local news services This is Bristol, the The Chard and Ilminster News and one still freely available on-line version of a National paper so far The Telegraph

[Crispina]

I just saw this posted on a travel forum and rushed over here to see if there was any more info.

[Melvadius]

I just saw this posted on a travel forum and rushed over here to see if there was any more info.

 

Since I posted the original item something more interesting has apparently come out which was included in some television reports as well as a later version of the Telegraph article.

 

The hoard apparently contains the largest number of coins ever found together of the rebel British emperor Carausius, who ruled the province from 286 to 293.

[IamJoseph]

BBC is reporting on the discovery last April of one of the largest coin hoards found in Britain. A documentary on the find will form part of their Digging for Britain series in August but it is worth noting that the detectorist acted very responsibly by immmediately contacting the Portable Antiquities Scheme when he made the discovery allowing them to fully excavate the find.

 

 

A find of a coin marked as 'Shekel [coin] of Israel' would be of the greatest interest as well as confirming the Josephus reports. Josephus says that the coins marked as 'Shekel of Judea' was changed to 'Shekel of Israel' - during the period of Rome's wars with the Jews, because the Jews wanted the Latin name of Judea [Ludea] removed from their country.

 

Interestingly, this also says that before the name of Palestine was applied to Judea by Rome - this land was called Israel some 2000 years ago. Finding such a coin would be a big lottery sized winfall.

[Viggen]

thats the best part of the whole story.... Mr Crisp reported the find to the authorities, allowing archaeologists to excavate the site.

 

 

and follow up at The Australian British treasure trove a link to rogue Roman emperor Carausius

[Melvadius]

A find of a coin marked as 'Shekel [coin] of Israel' would be of the greatest interest as well as confirming the Josephus reports. Josephus says that the coins marked as 'Shekel of Judea' was changed to 'Shekel of Israel' - during the period of Rome's wars with the Jews, because the Jews wanted the Latin name of Judea [Ludea] removed from their country.

 

Interestingly, this also says that before the name of Palestine was applied to Judea by Rome - this land was called Israel some 2000 years ago. Finding such a coin would be a big lottery sized winfall.

 

I'm not sure which reports you have been reading about this discovery but everything I have seen up to now refers to the recent British hoard as consisting of mainly 3rd century coins, some of which are very significant regarding a British based usurper Emperor.

 

I would be grateful if you could explain how your comments about Josephus, who was writing in the late First Century AD, and any change in how shekels were described around that period fits into this discovery.

 

EDIT- I have just discovered that a version of the story in the Detroit News seems to have conflated this recent discovery with the Anglo-Saxon hoard which was discovered last year. The value of the hoard quoted in the Detroit News article is actually the value eventually set for the Staffordshire Hoard (

[IamJoseph]

I would be grateful if you could explain how your comments about Josephus, who was writing in the late First Century AD, and any change in how shekels were described around that period fits into this discovery.

 

No, of course it does not connect with Britain, but it can be seen applicable to coins of the Roman era. I thought it may be interesting to coin hobbyists who may throw some light on this item.

[IamJoseph]

The hoard apparently contains the largest number of coins ever found together of the rebel British emperor Carausius, who ruled the province from 286 to 293.

 

The price of all old coins will take a dive after such a large find. However, it is a good history affirming discovery.