3,000 Roman 3rd Century coins found in Montgomery field

BBC ^ | Wednesday, July 27, 2011 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

...The hoard of copper alloy coins, dating from the 3rd Century, was unearthed in Montgomery, Powys, several weeks ago.

About 900 were found by a member of a Welshpool metal detecting club, with the rest of the discovery made with help from archaeologists.

The exact location is being kept secret to protect the site. The Powys coroner will determine whether they qualify as treasure.

Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT), which helped unearth the coins, said the discovery had the potential to reveal more about Roman life in mid Wales in the late 3rd Century.

The find in Montgomery is a few miles away from where a Roman fort once stood in the village of Forden...

"This was probably a time of considerable political and economic unrest and the coins may have been buried for safekeeping with the intention of returning for them in the future. Unfortunately for the original owner, but happily for us, for some reason they never had the chance to recover them."

[SunkenCiv]

Adrian Simmons (R) found some of the coins using a metal detector

The top of the ceramic pot in which many of the coins were found buried

[knarf]

So THAT’S where I lost them.

[mlocher]

At last, Obama’s solution to the debt crisis.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Immerito]

Where YOU lost them?

I beg to differ, that’s where I secured them for safekeeping. :-)

[BreezyDog]

I should really start using my two nice White’s Metal Detectors...

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Back off you two. Those are MINE.

[stefanbatory]

some lucky stiff is gonna find a similar stash 1000 years after I’m dead...

[PGR88]

It seems to me that most Roman coin finds, especially when gobs of the stuff are found, are from 3rd century, or later. This lot is also from the late 3rd century. I have always considered it odd that ancient people would bury, lose, or misplace so much valuable money. They surely worried about money as much as we do today.

I have come to the conclusion therefore that the currency of that time was NOT very valuable. From what I know of that period, the debasement of Rome's currency was at its worst during the 3rd century. Like the penny jar you keep on your dresser, I suspect that these coins had lost much of their purchasing power due to debasement and inflation, so burying them in the yard or basement was no big deal. See below chart.

[Delta 21]

Was Obama running things back then too?

[HereInTheHeartland]

“At last, Obama’s solution to the debt crisis.”

No; Obama is Superman. He only needs 2 coins:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/07/28/balkin.obama.options/index.html

[married21]

I did a double-take when I saw the title. Montgomery Field is a little airport in San Diego County. Wonder how ancient coins could end up there?

[Oratam]

Arthur’s hoard?

[SunkenCiv]

The Roman Empire had an ongoing political crisis, and that brought about all the other problems. Money wasn’t one of them.

[JoeProBono]

[tsowellfan]

Oh how I would love to go to Rome and dig for bottles.

[Calvin Locke]

Arthur's Stash...

More likely it was buried to escape tax collector/seizures and/or bandits/burglars.

It was quite the agrarian lifestyle, and I would speculate that most of the hovels would be vacant while the family was out working the fields, tending the live stock, etc.

And the owners probably were killed in accidents or by robbers, or dropped dead of one natural thing or another.

[davisfh]

"some lucky stiff is gonna find a similar stash 1000 years after I’m dead..."

My brother buried a quart jar full of dimes in the early 1940s and was unable to locate them later. I suppose they're still in the same location.

[Immerito]

Sez who?

[Ciexyz]

LOL good one.

[Trajan88]

Cool... Trajan88 gives this thread a thumb's up

:-)

[Tainan]

There is a lot of really old stuff in the ground in what is now Great Britain.

It is frequently unearthed.

This unearthing is expected to continue for quite a long time.

[SunkenCiv]

His sister hoard half of it.

[SunkenCiv]

You’re among friends — did you dig them up and not tell him? ;’)

[SunkenCiv]

Better take a cap.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks JPB.

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[davisfh]

"did you dig them up and not tell him?"

No, I was just a small kid then (born in'36). I didn't mention that a highway runs through part of that property now. Perhaps during construction of that road some worker struck it rich.

[SunkenCiv]

Maybe it got buried even deeper.

[davisfh]

If so, it will be a great find 2K years from now. None of those coins in that day were silver clad copper.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Sez me. :-)

[Godebert]

Here are a few 4th century Roman coins from my Slovenia hoard:

[mad_as_he$$]

http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens

[Immerito]

Yeah? How about if I don’t recognize your claim to my coin? :-)

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

I'll sue you for falsely claiming ownership of MY coins!!!!!

[Jet Jaguar]

Nice find!

I wish I brought my detector to Italy.

Oh well...

[Immerito]

Promises, promises.

At least no one has found my hoard of 4th century B.C. Greek drachmas....

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

For that matter, I doubt anybody will find my jugs full of ancient Hebrew shekels, my buried gold Aztec head peices, my 15 chests of Spanish gold doubloons, or my cave full of jeweled bracelets from Atlantis.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Britain in the 3rd Century was one long string of rebellions, mutinies, barbarian attacks, the withdrawal and return of legions and so on. People were constantly abandoning places to run for their lives.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Godebert. Were these a hoard you found, or was it one of those cleaning projects I’ve seen on the web? That’s another thing that has beguiled me, carefully “excavating” coins from a block of 1000+ years of accumulated crud.

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[Godebert]

I purchased the uncleaned Roman coins on eBay for about $1.50 per coin. I've tried various sellers and a guy named Pannonii from Slovenia seems to have the best quality coins. Most of the coins will be from the 4th century and will contain bronze coins of Constantine the Great, Constantius II, Constans, Licinius, Julianus, Constantine II, Valens, Valentinian etc. Some of the coins sold individually should recoup the initial investment, plus it's just good fun.