Roman Hoard Archives - Regton Metal Detectors

Metal detectorists unearthed Roman coin hoard in Cornwall

24 August 201724 August 2017 Regton Detectors Leave a comment

The pair had been detecting a ploughed field with metal detectors when they discovered the hoard of nearly 2000 roman coins mixed up with the remains of a pure tin container, with a handle and lead stopper, which it is believed had once contained the coins.

1,965 coins were found inside a stone-lined pit. They date from 253AD to 274AD.

The hoard was discovered by Kyle Neil, 18, from Scorrier, and Darren Troon, 45, from Redruth. They are members of the Kernow Search and Recovery metal detecting club.

The coins were taken away for inspection by Royal Cornwall Museum and the British Museum after their discovery. Details of the find were revealed at a Cornwall Coroner’s Court where coroner Emma Carlyon officially recorded that the hoard was classed as treasure.

The recovered coins are known as radiates. They are all made of bronze with one per cent silver. They were a common currency in the late Roman period. In about 260AD, Briton was part of a breakaway Gallic empire. The court heard from a report by an expert at the British Museum who was able to identify the following Roman emperors on the coins.

Valerian, AD 253-60, 3 coins
Salonina, 14 coins
Saloninus, 1 coin
Gallienus, AD 260-8, 130 coins
Claudius II, AD 268-70, 164 coins
Divus Claudius II, AD 270, 32 coins
Quintillus, AD 270, 8 coins
Aurelian, AD 270-5, 1 coin
Postumus, AD 260-8, 1 coin
Postumus (debased), AD 268-9, 6 coins
Marius, AD 269, 1 coin
Victorinus, AD 269-71, 188 coins
Divus Victorinus, 1 coin
Tetricus I, AD 271-4, 438 coins
Tetricus II, 200 coins.

Of the rest, 78 coins were of uncertain Gallic origin, there were 54 where the emperor could be seen but not identified and 645 coins which were too badly corroded to be made out.

Perhaps of most interest is the remains of the tin vessel, although little of it has survived. Anna Tyacke, the liaison officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Cornwall, said that it is a rare type of container for coin hoards, which are more often found in pottery.

Roman hoard unearthed in a field in Peover Superior

13 July 201613 July 2016 Regton Detectors Leave a comment

METAL detecting enthusiast Ronald Lees unearthed the find of a lifetime in a field at Peover Superior. The 62-year-old initially found dozens of Roman coins, which became a hoard of almost 7,800 after archaeologists helped reveal the full extent of the amazing discovery. The bronze coins were produced in the third century, and the majority were found in a pot a few inches under the ground.

Mr Lees, from Altrincham, discovered the coins when he and friend Rick Parker made their fifth trawl of a field on a cold, wet winter’s day in January 2015. At an inquest into the find at Macclesfield Town Hall on Wednesday, Alan Moore, deputy coroner for Cheshire, declared the coin hoard to be treasure. Museums can express an interest in a find if it’s treasure, and if a museum wants the treasure the Treasure Valuation Committee will decide how much it is worth and how much will go to anyone entitled to a share of the find.

Mr Moore told Mr Lees at the inquest that It is an absolutely amazing find. Mr Moore read out a report by Richard Abdy from the British Museum. In his report Mr Abdy said the coins date from AD 251 to 274, and are similar to the many Romano-British coin hoards buried in the aftermath of the breakaway Gallic Empire. The empire was established in AD 260, he said, had held dominion over Britain and was reconquered by the legitimate ‘central’ Empire under Aurelian in AD 274. The coins include ones from the earliest years of Aurelian’s reign, and the latest are those of Tetricus I, AD 271-4 and his young son Tetricus II, the last of the Gallic Emperors. The greatest number, 1,902, are from the reign of Tetricus I, with 745 from his son’s reign. There are 1,670 coins from the reign of Victorinus, AD 269-71, 899 from Gallienus’ reign, AD 260-8, 599 from the reign of Claudius II, AD 268-70, and 354 from Posthumus’ reign, AD 260-9.

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Lees said he took up metal detecting again three years ago after being interested in it in his 20s.

South Norfolk Hoard Declared Treasure

7 October 20157 October 2015 Regton Detectors Leave a comment

Ancient coin hoards discovered near Downham Market and Pulham St Mary have been declared treasure.

A hoard of Roman silver coins and a number of early medieval coins have been ruled to be treasure. A total of 26 Roman denarii were discovered by a metal detectorist John Kineavy. The trove is the third hoard from the same area in Pulham St Mary and it is thought more could still be at the site. Norfolk coroner Jacqueline Lake, sitting at King’s Lynn County Court, said the coins ranged from Republican issue to those of Roman Emperor Tiberius. They were issued between 154BC and AD37.

The hoard was unearthed on October 30 2014 and earlier collections, discovered in September 2012 and August 2013, included about 100 coins from the same period. The court heard Norwich Castle Museum are interested in housing the collection.

At yesterday’s inquest Mrs Lakes also declared another collection of coins found in Fincham near Downham Market as treasure. The coins were found by Stephen Sproule using a metal detector on August 30 2014. Mr Sproule also discovered a number of coins in October 2011 while metal detecting on land at Fincham. The coins were scattered over a wide area and appeared represent a hoard or part of a hoard. The most recent collection of treasure comprised eight silver Sceattas and described them as “porcupine types” – which refers to the design on the coin. They dated back to 730AD to 750AD.

Source: http://www.edp24.co.uk/

Archaeologists Discover Hoard of Silver Roman Coins in Bulgaria

10 September 201510 September 2015 Regton Detectors Leave a comment

A hoard of 2,976 silver Roman coins from the 1^st-2^nd century AD has been unearthed by archaeologists during the excavations of the ruins of the Ancient Thracian and Roman city of Serdica in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.The silver coin treasure has been found hidden inside a ceramic jug with a lid in the structures from Ancient Serdica which are being excavated on the square near the St. Nedelya (Holy Sunday) Cathedral and the Hotel Balkan (formerly the Sofia Sheraton) as part of the efforts for the further study of the Thracian and Roman city and its partial archaeological restoration. The treasure of silver coins is the largest collective coin treasure to have ever been found during the excavations of Ancient Serdica, Sofia Municipality has announced.The coins in question were collected for a period of at least 100 years since the earliest ones are coins of Roman Emperor Vespasian (69-79 AD), and the latest – coins of Emperor Commodus (r. 177/180-192 AD).

The vessel itself containing the silver coin treasure was found in Late Antiquity archaeological layers, i.e. the layers dating to the 3^rd, 4^th, and even the beginning of the 5^th century AD but the treasure itself was certainly collected during the 1^st and the 2^nd century AD.

There are also coins that feature almost all of the other Roman Emperors in-between and some of their wives, daughters, or sisters, from the Nerva-Antonine Dynasty (r. 96-192 AD) – including Emperor Nerva (r. 96 – 98 D), Emperor Trajan (r. 98-117 AD), Emperor Hadrian (r. 117-138 AD), Emperor Antonius Pius (r. 138-161 AD), as well as Vibia Sabina (wife of Emperor Hadrian), Faustina the Elder (wife of Emperor Antonius Pius), Faustina the Younger (daughter of Emperor Antonius Pius and wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius), Bruttia Crispina (wife of Emperor Commodus), and Lucilla (daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and elder sister of Emperor Commodus).

The discovery of the Roman silver coin treasure from Serdica is especially interesting because on the outside of the ceramic vessel containing the coins. Its (last) owner scratched their name – Selvius Calistus, apparently a Roman citizen with a Greek surname.

The silver treasure and the pottery vessels have been taken to the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences where experts are working on their further examination and restoration. Once they are done, the finds will be exhibited in the future Museum of Sofia’s History.

Source: http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/

Roman coin hoard found by metal detectorists in Leominster

7 August 20157 August 2015 Regton Detectors 2 Comments

Leominster Roman coin hoard unearthed by a pair of Herefordshire metal detectorists. The British Museum has revealed a hoard of more than 500 Roman coins was found by two metal detector enthusiasts in a Herefordshire field. The 518 mixed copper coins, found near Leominster, had been placed in cloth bags and hidden in the ground in a leather satchel. Experts believe the coins were deliberately buried. The British Museum said it was very rare to find hoards so well-preserved.

The hoard was found in July 2013 by paramedics and metal detector enthusiasts Jeremy Daw and Martin Fulloway. The news of the find has only just been made public by the British Museum. Mr Fulloway said four of the coins were stuck to a stone, while others were in the loose soil. Mr Daw said the coins were possibly buried during a time of unrest in the Roman empire. The earth was x-rayed at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and then examined by the British Museum. The coins range from from AD 260 to circa 290 and include eight coins of the Britannic Empire.

The hoard was declared treasure trove in June by the Hereford coroner and will now be valued by the British Museum. The value will then be shared with the two finders, landowner and Hereford and Leominster Museum.

Peter Reavill, a finds officer for the British Museum, said that this is one of the best-preserved coin hoards I have seen. He said he hoped funds would be raised to keep the collection in the county.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

Roman coin hoard found by metal detectorists in Leominster

7 August 20157 August 2015 Regton Detectors 2 Comments

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

Roman rings unearthed in Ireland declared as treasure.

12 June 201512 June 2015 Regton Detectors Leave a comment

Two Roman rings and a silver belt buckle unearthed at a beach in County Down, Northern Ireland have been declared to be treasure by a coroner in Belfast. The three artefacts were found by Brian Murray, metal detecting enthusiast at Murlough in Dundrum Bay. They have been portrayed as extremely important and rare Roman artefacts in the context of Irish history. They will be shipped to the British Museum in London for further inspection and valuation. Whatever they are worth Mr Murray, from Newtownards in County Down, will get 50% of the value.

A treasure trove inquest was held on Wednesday to establish the circumstances around how the artefacts were discovered. To be classified as treasure, objects must be at least 300 years old and have a metallic content of at least 10%.

Mr Murray said he discovered the items within five minutes and within an area of one square metre.

Dr Greer Ramsey, an expert from the National Museums of Northern Ireland, said it was possible the items had all belonged to the same person. Roman material is incredibly rare, so this makes this hoard of special significance. It is possible that it belonged to a burial and someone was buried at sea. It is equally possible that somebody was wearing it when their ship went down. This is putting the north-east of Ireland on the Roman map. The buckle is similar to those found in Britain dating to the 4th century AD.

St. Albans Roman coins hoard bought for £100,000

28 May 201528 May 2015 Regton Detectors Leave a comment

A hoard of Roman gold coins unearthed in St Albans has been bought by one of the city’s museums for nearly £100,000. The trove was found by a metal detecting enthusiast on private land in October 2012 by a man making his first survey. The catch is believed to be one of the largest Roman gold coin hoards buried in the UK. The 159 coins date from the final years of Roman rule in Britain in the 4th Century and will go on display at Verulamium Museum from mid-September. David Thorold, a curator at the museum, said that Evidence suggests the coins were originally part of a hoard that had been disturbed at some point during the last couple of hundred years. During the Roman occupation of Britain, people buried coins for two reasons – either as a sacrifice to their gods or as a form of secure storage, with the aim of later recovery.

Roman coin hoard found in primary school

12 May 201512 May 2015 Regton Detectors Leave a comment

A hoard of Roman coins has been unearthed in the grounds of a primary school in Reading. A pot with up to 300 coins was discovered during an archaeological exploration of the site before The Ridgeway School’s redevelopment works. Experts believe the container was buried by a Roman citizen or farmer for safe keeping, possibly during a time of crisis or threat. Once assessed, there are plans to display the coins at Reading Museum.

Head teacher Madeleine Cosgrove said: “Both pupils and staff are very excited about this discovery and look forward to the story unfolding so that it can be preserved as part of the heritage of The Ridgeway School.” Investigations have shown there was probably a small Roman farm or hamlet on the site, which was preceded by late Bronze Age activity around 1,000 to 800 BC. The pot, coins and any other artefacts found during the archaeological dig at the school belong to the landowner, Reading Borough Council, and fall under the requirements of the Treasure Act 1996.

Source http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire

Hoard of 22,000 Roman coins found with XP Deus

28 April 201528 April 2015 Regton Detectors Leave a comment

A simple frequency change bagged Laurence 22.000 Roman coins. Whilst detecting on a quiet field in East Devon Laurence Egerton came across a very strange signal, as he passed his 9” coil over the target it sounded like large Iron. I’m sure many of us would have possibly ignored it….He then used his favourite Deus trick and switched from 12Khz to 4Khz, and from that point his whole world changed. Switching to 4Khz to confirm a target made the signal much more confident. As Laurence started digging through the hard compacted stony ground he discovered 3 Iron ingots laying together, they were quite large 30cm long and 7cm wide. He was quite prepared to accept that they were the reason for big signal. As he removed the ingots he could see some bronze Roman coins stuck to the underside of the Iron, like all good detectorists he checked the hole again and the Deus gave another massive signal, this time the audio sound was perfect ! With the help of 4Khz the XP Deus had seen past the iron and led him to a find of a lifetime. As he dug down to just below the plough line (15”) 38cm and was greeted by 22,000 Bronze Roman coins all in fantastic condition.

I interviewed Laurence and asked him about the day, he said the field had been detected by other people in the past, who had never returned. The ground was like concrete to dig and the lack of targets gave him no reason to think there was any ancient history… He went on to say in East Devon the soil is so bad it was very rare to find a Bronze Roman coin in good condition, so to find this large amount was truly unbelievable. I asked Laurence what made him switch to 4Khz, “If I have a suspicious signal, I find switching to 4Khz one of the best way’s to tell if the target is iron or not” he commented. This little tip went on to find one of the biggest 4^th century Roman Bronze coin hoards in Europe, 76 Kilo’s in all, so if in doubt switch to 4Khz, you never know what you are missing! The coins were mainly from the Emperor Constantine and his family.

Gary

Source: http://www.xpmetaldetectors.com