Roman treasure found in pond dig: A man unearthed a priceless hoard of 20,000 Roman coins...

BBC News ^ | 3.11.04

[ambrose]

Roman treasure found in pond dig

A man unearthed a priceless hoard of 20,000 Roman coins as he dug a new fishpond in his back garden.

Experts say the money may date from the 4th Century and could be the biggest find of its kind in Britain.

The coins were crammed into a ceramic pot which broke up as it was dug out of the ground at Thornbury, Gloucestershire.

Now a coroner must decide if Ken Allen, who made the discovery, can keep the treasure.

Gail Boyle, from Bristol Museum, said: "This is the most amazing find of treasure to come out of this area for 30 years."

Mr Allen said: "It was a great surprise and at first I didn't realise what we had found.

"The pot was perfectly upright, I can't believe that this discovery was only 20ft from our house."

I can't believe that this discovery was only 20ft from our house.

Ken Allen Kurt Adams, the Finds Liaison Officer for Gloucestershire and Avon, said: "The coins identified so far can be attributed to Constantine the Great.

"The mint marks - a letter or symbol used to indicate the mint which produced the coin - suggest Trier, Germany and Constantinople as possible places of origin."

Treasure trove

The coins are in the care of Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery where they are being cleaned in a special laboratory.

They will then be taken to the British Museum in London for further examination.

A spokeswoman for Bristol Coroner's Court said that even though the coins were found on Mr Allen's property they could still be ruled as being property of the state.

"What determines this is if the coins were buried there intentionally or lost.

"It is possible somebody put them there and forgot about them, or never intended for them to be found.

"The coroner can rule whether they are the finder's treasure or not."

[Indrid Cold]

Maybe he thought Rome was gonna take his spear away, and he was saving up to skip the country.

[Burkeman1]

The Romans did confiscate arms when they first conquered the Celtic Brit tribes. But they stashed them and made them in secret anyway and had more than enough when Boudica rouse up.

[pax_et_bonum]

ping!

[CdMGuy]

Once again, the Crown screws another serf. He is going to need a coroner after he finds out they intend to take all of his newly found treasure.

Ain't too hard to figure out why all those royal citizens sailed off to the American colonies, and they just keep on coming. And in return, we send them Madonna and Gwyneth. Don't you just love it?

[infowarrior]

Was Rome's influence so weak that it's currency meant little and only those things that kept you alive mattered?

Bingo! 4th Century Britain was the time of the first of the invasions of the the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. Rome had withdrawn their legions from Britain, and the empire in rapid decline. Swords, more than coin reigned in Britain of the late 4th century, as it was the time of "Arthur", if such a personage ever existed (and he may well have been a composite of several strong leaders, slowing, but never succeeding in stemming the tide which turned Roman-Celtic Britain into Anglo-Saxon Britain)...

the infowarrior

[ruoflaw]

I read your link and I don't believe that the law is fair in many cases. I am glad that I am an American but of course that means that I will not find a treasure trove of Roman coins in my yard. :o)

[SunkenCiv]

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[<1/1,000,000th%]

A man unearthed a priceless hoard of 20,000 Roman coins as he dug a new fishpond in his back garden.

This happens all the time in Britain. These'll be selling for $2 a piece in a year.

[fella]

Even if "they" rule he can keep it, will "they" then tell him to pay the back taxes on it. Back taxes and penalties from the 4th century may be worth more to "them" than if "they" just took it.

[tarheelswamprat]

Even if "they" rule he can keep it, will "they" then tell him to pay the back taxes on it. Back taxes and penalties from the 4th century may be worth more to "them" than if "they" just took it.

Fair is only fair. He should be happy to pay the back taxes. Just make the check out to Emperor Constantine!

[SunkenCiv]

Just updating the GGG information, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
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[Bear_Slayer]

You can buy 'em by the hundreds on eBay

Back in he 80' my friends grandfather would buy buckets of them, elctroplate gold onto them, attach them to gaudy, thick gold chains, and then sell them for exorbitant prices to the rapper wannabees.

[isom35]

first it was a mistake to report it. his next mistake would be to hand the find over to "them" while custody is decided. if they decide agaisnt him, and he still had them, he should report "oops, I cant find them, I guess they're lost again"

[SunkenCiv]

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