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Five Republican Denarii Found
#1
Near Sheffield in UK:

http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news...-1-5389722

"A HOARD of Roman coins worth hundreds of pounds was unearthed in a farmer’s field in Sheffield - and this week was declared treasure.


The five republican silver denarii were discovered by a metal detector enthusiast on land at Plumbley Hall Farm, near Mosborough.

The find was reported to the authorities before the coins were seized by the British Museum - and on Tuesday assistant deputy coroner David Urpeth ruled they were the property of the Crown.

Mr Urpeth told Sheffield Coroner’s Court that the finder of the coins - Edward Bailey - would receive a cash reward, along with the landowner, Raymond Woolley.

They were unearthed between May 28 and June 3 last year.

Archaeology expert Amy Downes, who examined the find, said the oldest coin dated from 211BC to 120BC.

She said the money was probably hidden or lost from a purse sometime after 74AD.

“It’s quite unusual to find a group of such early silver Roman coins,” she said.

“It’s great that it’s been reported, there have not been many finds in the area recently. The hoard was probably personal rather than anything deliberately buried.”

Ms Downes said Roman republican coins were ‘known for their longevity’, and went out of circulation in the reign of Hadrian, 117AD to 138AD.

A soldier or unskilled worker living in the first century AD could expect to earn one denarius for a day’s work.

Mr Urpeth said the coins belonged to the Crown under the Treasure Act 1996, and a value for the hoard will be set by the Treasure Valuation Committee.

Roman republican coins are known for their longevity, and it seems that most were lost in Britain during the second half of the 1st century AD"
Moi Watson

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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#2
Excellent find, and it's nice they were properly declared and didn't end up on the black market. But I wonder why she suggests they were lost after 74 AD? I gather from the article they were all Republican-era coins. Was there something else found that suggests after 74 AD?
David J. Cord
www.davidcord.com
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#3
If it is the coins in the picture the article is wrong. 2 coins are Flavian (middle top and bottom) and one of Augustus (bottom left) and one is an Imperatorial coin of Mark Antony (top left). They are all pretty common coins and I'm not sure why the BM would be interested in them unless they are from dies not previously known. Republican coins, especially those of Antony circulated well into the reign of Marcus Aurelius. It would be cool to find such a "hoard" but these are all common types that really reveal nothing new...In fact I have almost all of these types in my own collection.

EDIT: on second look the bottom left may also be Antony. I'd need to see the reverse to know for sure.


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"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#4
I'm not familiar with British law. Is it normal for the Crown / government to seize something like this when it's found on private property? Would the property owner not have a say in the matter?
Cheers,

Ralph Young
Clinton, UT
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#5
There is a law that tries to pay the landowner / discoverer the market value of the find while simultaneously giving museums the chance to acquire it. The government doesn't just swoop in and seize it with no compensation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Act_1996
David J. Cord
www.davidcord.com
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#6
Jay

I have to agree with you on the Flavian coin for it looks very like a one of Vespasian, so this must be where they get the later than AD 74 conclusion.
Brian Stobbs
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#7
Good silver is always appreciated, no matter what the year!
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
Batavian Coh I
Byron Angel
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#8
What if either the finder or the land owner are collectors, and choose to keep the find... even after reporting it. Are they allowed to? Or is that up to the courts/government?
Cheers,

Ralph Young
Clinton, UT
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#9
From my understanding if they report it then it is up to the Portable Antiquities Scheme to decide if it is treasure or not. But I believe this does not apply to single coin finds. I think this legislation should be adopted by all European countries. It would encourage people to turn in their finds so they can be logged and would reduce the amount of pieces on the black market.

Italy is a prime example. It is completely illegal to find and keep anything. All ancient material is property of the state. This may sound reasonable but what ends up happening is that museums have more things then they can examine and research and the finds get lost in warehouses collecting dust for decades. It also causes people to simply cover over their finds for fear of the government taking over their property. If Italy adopted a form of the UK's PAS then more important items would come to light and the insignificant pieces could be made available to the general public.

Finding a single coin or even a "hoard" like this one really tells us nothing. Take this find for instance. We have very worn Flavian denarii mixed with Republican denarii. All it tells us is that someone lost spare change at some point later than the Flavian era. We already had evidence that Republican coins circulated with Imperial coins, so what does this tell us that is new? The coins are common so no need to display them. Now if one of those denarii was an EID MAR of Brutus that would be a different story...
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#10
Quote:I have to agree with you on the Flavian coin for it looks very like a one of Vespasian, so this must be where they get the later than AD 74 conclusion.
Indeed, it seems to be a version of RIC 684, minted in AD 74:
[attachment=6410]RIC_684.jpg[/attachment]


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posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#11
Quote:Jay

I have to agree with you on the Flavian coin for it looks very like a one of Vespasian, so this must be where they get the later than AD 74 conclusion.

Actually looking again those are 3 coins not 6! It's the obverse and reverse. So the first is an Imperatorial denarius of Antony with Octavian on the reverse:

M ANT IMP AVG III VIR R P C M BARBAT Q P (MP and AV in monogram)
Bare hd of Mark Antony right

Rev
CAESAR IMP PONT III VIR R P C
Bare head of Octavian right

Ephesus spring/summer 41 BC

Sear 1504

The second coin is a denarius of Vespasian:

IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG.
Laureate head at right.

PON MAX TR P COS V.
Winged caduceus.

RIC II 703.
Rome mint, A.D. 74

And the 3rd coin is a Republican Denarius of the moneyers Q. Fufius Calenus and Mucius Cordus:

Jugate heads right of laureate Honos and helmeted Virtus.

Reverse: Italia standing right, holding cornucopiae, clasping hands with Roma standing left, holding spaer and stepping on globe; to left, winged caduceus. RO on right, ITAL on left, CORDI in exergue

Rome, 70 BC.

Sear 338; Fufia 1; Cr. 403/1; Syd. 797

So the time period covered between the oldest and newest coin is about 100 years
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#12
You beat me to it Duncan! In the new RIC it is RIC 703
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#13
Quote:So the first is an Imperatorial denarius of Antony with Octavian on the reverse: M ANT IMP AVG III VIR R P C M BARBAT Q P (MP and AV in monogram) : Bare hd of Mark Antony right / CAESAR IMP PONT III VIR R P C : Bare head of Octavian right (Ephesus spring/summer 41 BC)
Well done on the first one -- it took me a while to decipher the (badly degraded) inscription. For anyone who wants to see what it should look like, here it is:
[attachment=6411]RSC_08_Antony-Octavian.jpg[/attachment]


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posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#14
Thanks! It was familiar to me because I try to collect Antony coins. Here is my own example:

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery...pos=-58718
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones"

Antony
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#15
Quote:And the 3rd coin is a Republican Denarius of the moneyers Q. Fufius Calenus and Mucius Cordus: Jugate heads right of laureate Honos and helmeted Virtus. Reverse: Italia standing right, holding cornucopiae, clasping hands with Roma standing left, holding spear and stepping on globe; to left, winged caduceus. RO on right, ITAL on left, CORDI in exergue. Rome, 70 BC.
This one was new to me. Thanks for posting the description -- which enabled me to track down this:
[attachment=6412]Sear_338_Fufia.jpg[/attachment]


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posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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