Unearthed Marvel: 63-Year-Old Discovers 52,000 Roman Coins in 350-Pound Ancient Vase!

For 1,800 years the story of the ‘lost British emperor’ who defied ancient Rome has been merely a footnote in history books.

Carausius’s audacious seizure of power and seven-year reign over Britain and much of Gaul have largely been forgotten.

But thanks to the astonishing discovery of 52,000 Roman coins, new light is being shed on one of the most turbulent periods of our island story.

YXJ0aWNsZV8xMjkyOTkwXzBBNUREOTRGMDAwMDA1RENfODkxXzMwNng0MjMuanBn.png

Hands covered in mud, Dave Crisp crouches down (left) in the field where he made the find. And, right, he examines one of the 52,500 coins, dating to the 3rd century AD, he found

YXJ0aWNsZV8xMjkyOTkwXzBBNUREOEM5MDAwMDA1RENfNDk5XzYzNHg0NzAuanBn.png

Slowly but surely the pot of coins emerges from the field near Frome, in Somerset

Hundreds of the coins – buried in a gigantic clay jar and weighing as much as two men – bear the image of Carausius.

The discovery was made by hospital chef Dave Crisp using a metal detector.

The 63-year-old unearthed 21 of the coins on a farm near Frome in Somerset before realising the find was so significant expert help was needed. He called in archaeologists who set about the delicate task of excavating the site.

YXJ0aWNsZV8xMjkyOTkwXzBBNUNGQjU4MDAwMDA1RENfMTM0XzMwNngyOTQuanBn.png

The pot was filled to the brim with 3rd century Roman coins, making the find one of the biggest ever in Britain

YXJ0aWNsZV8xMjkyOTkwXzBBNUNGODQ0MDAwMDA1RENfNzIxXzYzNHgzNzAuanBn.png

The coins are laid out on a table to be sorted. One of the most important aspects of the hoard is that it contains a large group of coins of Carausius, who ruled Britain independently from AD 286 to AD 293

The hoard was then taken to the British Museum to be cleaned up and recorded.

The coins span 40 years from AD253 to AD293 and the great majority are ‘radiates’ made from debased silver or bronze.

The hoard was the equivalent of four years of pay for a Roman legionary – and could now fetch at least £250,000. Weighing 350lb, the coins may have been buried as an offering for a good harvest or favourable weather.

Mr Crisp, 63, today told how his detector gave a ‘funny signal’, prompting him to dig through the soil.

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

c3RlcF9ieV9zdGVwX2V4Y2F2YXRpb25fb2ZfdGhlX2Zyb21lX2hvYXJkX2Rpc2NvdmVyZWRfYnlfdjBfeHJldWJ5dGt4YXBhMS5qcGc=.png

He added: ‘I have made many finds over the years, but this is my first major coin hoard.’

Initially, Mr Crisp unearthed 21 coins in the field near Frome in Somerset. But when he came across the top of a pot, he began to realise the significance of his find.

Archaeologists set about the delicate task of excavating the 2ft tall pot and its contents. The hoard was taken to the British Museum so that the coins could be cleaned and recorded.

‘Leaving it in the ground for the archaeologists to excavate was a very hard decision to take, but as it had been there for 1,800 years I thought a few days more would not hurt,’ said Mr Crisp. ‘My family thought I was mad to walk away and leave it.’

The coins were found in a large, well preserved pot around 18 inches across – a type of jar normally used for storing food.

The hoard includes more than 760 Carausius coins – the largest group ever found. They include five rare silver denarii, the only coins of their type struck in the Roman Empire at that time.

cDAyYnExNnEuanBn.png

Roger Bland, Head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum where the coins are going on display, said: ‘This hoard, which is one of the largest ever found in Britain, has a huge amount to tell about the coinage and history of the period as we study over the next two years.

‘The late 3rd Century AD was a time when Britain suffered barbarian invasions, economic crises and civil wars. Roman rule was finally stabilised when the Emperor Diocletian formed a coalition with the Emperor Maximian, which lasted 20 years.

‘This defeated the separatist regime which had been established in Britain by Carausius.

emV3cW9fNjQweDM3NS5qcGc=.png

‘This find presents us with an opportunity to put Carausius on the map. School children across the country have been studying Roman Britain for decades, but are never taught about Carausius, our lost British emperor.’

Under the 1996 Treasure Act, anyone who finds a group of buried coins has to declare it to the coroner within two weeks. If the coins are bought, as planned, by the Museum of Somerset, the reward will shared between Mr Crisp and the landowner.

A selection of the coins, found in April, is to go on display at the British Museum from July 22 until mid-August.

The largest hoard ever found in Britain contained 54,912 coins dating from 180AD to 274AD and was found in two containers near Mildenhall, Wiltshire.

YXJ0aWNsZV8xMjkyOTkwXzBBNUNGODY4MDAwMDA1RENfODA3XzMwNngzMDkuanBn.png

The 18in pot, buried in the field, was packed with coins and weighed around 25 stone

YXJ0aWNsZV8xMjkyOTkwXzBBNUQwNTE1MDAwMDA1RENfNDI1XzMwNngyNzcuanBn.png

The find was in a field near the town of Frome in Somerset

Since the discovery in late April experts from the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) at the British Museum have been sifting through the coins.

The coins were all contained in a single clay pot., which although it only measured 18 inches across, would have weighed an estimated 25 stone.

The discovery of the Roman coins follows last year’s discovery of a hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins in central England.

The so-called Staffordshire Hoard included more than 1,500 objects, mostly made from gold.

‘Because Mr Crisp resisted the temptation to dig up the coins, it has allowed archaeologists from Somerset County Council to carefully excavate the pot and its contents,’ said Anna Booth, local finds liaison officer.

The story of the excavation will be told in a new BBC Two series, Digging for Britain, which will be broadcast next month.

YXJ0aWNsZV8xMjkyOTkwXzBBNUNGODM4MDAwMDA1RENfNDI4XzYzNHgzODcuanBn.png

Treasure hunter Dave Crisp, centre in purple T shirt, oversees the dig in the field in Frome

Related Posts

Hoy es mi cumpleaños espero recibir un poco de amor aquí💕

**La historia de un perro que, después de seis meses de recuperación, ha transformado su vida de manera sorprendente es realmente inspiradora.** Este valiente perro, que llegó a su nuevo…

Read more

Descubre el escondite romano oculto tras 1.700 años bajo el mar

La ciudad hundida de Baiae, situada frente a la costa occidental de Italia, ha cautivado a historiadores y arqueólogos durante siglos. Baiae, que en su día fue un lujoso refugio…

Read more

Timeless White Nail Designs That Always Impress

White nails are a timeless classic that always add elegance and freshness to any look. In “White Nail Ideas That Never Go Out of Style,” we explore a variety of designs that combine the simplicity of white with creative touches. …

Read more

Ideas de uñas rojas de amor que son un clásico atemporal.

Las uñas rojas son un símbolo eterno de amor y pasión, y siempre han sido una elección popular entre los amantes de la belleza. Con su vibrante tono rojo, aportan…

Read more

Ideas de uñas que expresan el amor nunca te decepcionarán.

Read more

Ideas de flores que florecen en tus manos para traer un día de trabajo alegre.

Las flores son un símbolo de belleza y vitalidad, y tenerlas en tus manos puede alegrar cualquier jornada laboral. Las ideas de diseños de uñas con motivos florales pueden transformar…

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *