52,000 Roman coins found in Britannia

[Robert Vermaat]

It is estimated the coins were worth about four years' pay for a legionary soldier

That's rather a clue. I didn't see any mention of the composition of the hoard apart from a mention of a handful of silver coins. If this was worth only 4 years of salary (was it still 300 HS or more by the late 3rd C, I forget?) this would have to be a hoard of small denomination, copper coins. That would make it less likely that this is an official trying to pay someone and more likely that it's a community's savings, wouldn't it?

Contrary to some reports, the number of coins of Carausius is reduced to a very small number, which shatters my theory.
Yes, copper coins would not be used as a bribe (which would be silver and/or gold), but could be used as pay. Communities would have to use silver and gold to pay their taxes, and would not be willing to offer that to the gods.

Perhaps it is not a coincidence that another very large hoard (found at Normanby in Lincolnshire with 47,912 coins) dated to AD 251-90, which is almost the same period as this one?