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52,000 Roman coins found in Britannia
#16
Quote:
Quote: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?
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#17
This all becomes very interesting as far as coins of Carausius are concerned, for I was happy some time back when I found my single coin of Carausius with my metal detecting hobby.
The situation now is with 52,000 of them around now it will make Carausius coins in the market not worth a great deal any more.
I would also have to agree with Robert just how uncommon it is for a hoard to contain only one type of coin, some official maybe met his end for not telling where he hid them and that is how they have surfaced now.
Brian Stobbs
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#18
Hi Brian,
Quote: The situation now is with 52,000 of them around now it will make Carausius coins in the market not worth a great deal any more.
Well, as it seem now, only 760 were from Carausius. That's not very much. The only oddity is that they were all on top.
Quote:I would also have to agree with Robert just how uncommon it is for a hoard to contain only one type of coin, some official maybe met his end for not telling where he hid them and that is how they have surfaced now.
It would if it was indeed just one type, but that part of the story seems no longer valid.

Later, in the early 5th c., it seems that large hoards of bronze coins were scuttled because they had lost their value. That does not seem to be the cae here, though.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#19
Hi Robert.

That puts a new slant on the whole story and like you say it does appear to be very odd that these 760 just happen to be on the top.
There is also the strange way in which archaeologists can run off at a tangent about votive offerings, and likewise where in the article the public ar given to believe that Diocletian and Maximianus sorted the problem out about Carausius. When in fact they created the problem in the first place by letting him have the northern fleet to sort out Saxon pirates, for he simply kept the fleet on the other side of the Channel and pulled out of the Empire. Then of course Allectus who was sent to sort it tried the same stunt but was himself sorted out after yet another 3 years.

Indeed like you mention the Roman monetary system was going a bit crazy at later times and many hoards of bronze coins finish up being buried.
Brian Stobbs
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#20
Old Timers during The Great Depression have told me they buried their savings in Mayonnaise jars in their backyards. I don't think the money was donated for any religious aspect but hard times were probably approaching and they didn't exactly have bank vaults back then! Big Grin The ancient cultures liked hoarding things underground from what I have read about the history of alcohol. Why not money?
Craig Bellofatto

Going to college for Massage Therapy. So reading alot of Latin TerminologyWink

It is like a finger pointing to the moon. DON\'T concentrate on the finger or you miss all the heavenly glory before you!-Bruce Lee

Train easy; the fight is hard. Train hard; the fight is easy.- Thai Proverb
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#21
Without anything published on the context of the find, any speculation is just that. Based on empirical fact, it is a pot containing 52,000 coins buried outside a city wall. The apparent absolute date of deposition is 293. A frequency histogram may tell us something other than it was buried during a turbulent time. Coinage of this period is common and there have been coins sold as a group, still corroded together, uncleaned, that made their way to the market.
There’s really no way to attribute function, unless a note found with the hoard attests to a religious or ceremonial usage, such as:

Dear Jupiter,
How are you. We are fine. The weather here is nice. Here is 52,000 in small change that we promise not to dig up, and you can keep, if you keep us safe from the next gang of marauding scruffy looking thugs that comes slouching down the road. We don't care if they are with the government or not. Also, please note we have deducted a small handling fee for ouselves, which we know you would want us to do. Thanks very much.
Signed,
The town elders and assorted priests of various cults
P.S. If it helps, you can have the pot also.

I have a pot next to my desk that I throw all my change in (except quarters commemorating states that I do not like, which I use for parking meters). I cash them in when my mother- in- law visits and use the money to stay in a motel. This could be considered ceremonial, I guess.
The hoard could equally be the personal stash of some miser or someone who was into tax evasion.

Ralph
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#22
Quote:I have a pot next to my desk that I throw all my change in (except quarters commemorating states that I do not like, which I use for parking meters). I cash them in when my mother- in- law visits and use the money to stay in a motel. This could be considered ceremonial, I guess.

LOL! Great analogy! :lol:
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#23
Coin in type layers implies places in the jar from smaller containers . Perhaps packed at the mint
as made. (Think mint bags of modern coins)
Perhaps the original bags were emptied and refilled with rocks/dirt as a ruse and the intended
target of the deception didn't like the ruse to the point of killing the original owner before the location could be extracted. A much more likely scenario than religious deposition I think.
John Kaler MSG, USA Retired
Member Legio V (Tenn, USA)
Staff Member Ludus Militus https://www.facebook.com/groups/671041919589478/
Owner Vicus and Village: https://www.facebook.com/groups/361968853851510/
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#24
The Portable Antiquities Scheme portal has a modelic quantity of information, up to the number of coins of each (at least so called by himself :roll: )"emperor":

[url:b1z0nwqh]http://finds.org.uk/blogs/fromehoard/[/url]


A must see :wink:
-This new learning amazes me, Sir Bedevere. Explain again how
sheep´s bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes.
[Image: escudocopia.jpg]Iagoba Ferreira Benito, member of Cohors Prima Gallica
and current Medieval Martial Arts teacher of Comilitium Sacrae Ensis, fencing club.
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#25
The Frome Hoard has been declared 'treasure trove': http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-10722715
Lindsay Powell
[url:1j6646pm]http://www.Lindsay-Powell.com[/url] website
@Lindsay_Powell twitter
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#26
That is great news !

The guy who found it seems like a very nice chap according to the video.

Look at those photos, wow !!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/somerset/hi ... 802261.stm

M.VIB.M.
Bushido wa watashi no shuukyou de gozaru.

Katte Kabuto no O wo shimeyo!

H.J.Vrielink.
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