Huge Roman coin find for hobbyist

[madokie]

One of the largest ever finds of Roman coins in Britain has been made by a man using a metal detector.

The hoard of more than 52,000 coins dating from the 3rd Century AD was found buried in a field near Frome in Somerset.

The coins were found in a huge jar just over a foot (30cm) below the surface by Dave Crisp, from Devizes in Wiltshire.

"I have made many finds over the years, but this is my first major coin hoard," he said.

After his metal detector gave a "funny signal", Mr Crisp says he dug down 14in before he found what had caused it.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/10546960.stm

[MicaelS]

1. Good to see an honest man n/t

[madokie]

2. That was the first thought that I had too

[csziggy]

3. Britain has a really good law that compensates the finders of this kind of treasure

So they have more incentive to notify authorities and allow proper archeological excavations instead of just looting the goods.

[MicaelS]

5. That is great, and here is another....

More in depth article about the story. Looks at those pics. Wow! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1292990/Treasure-hunter-unearths-Britains-largest-hoard-Roman-coins.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. Isn't that great when our laws are written to reward the honest?

[malaise]

4. Great find

:applause:

[old mark]

6. Britain has such wonderful antiquities and has developed a good workable system to

study an d preserve them...Here in the US, I recall a find of dinosaur footprints revealed by an excavation nearby in PA...they were paved over to make a parking lot for a minimall development.
I think someone photographed them, though...

mark

[pipoman]

7. Cool find, and very early

such great history. That said, what's up with this?

Somerset County Council Heritage Service now hope the coroner will declare the find as treasure. That would allow the Museum of Somerset to acquire the coins at market value with the reward shared by Mr Crisp and the land owner.

Is the local historical society saying it is somehow claiming the rewards of the land owner and the finder of the treasure?

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. I believe it means the museum will pay for the coins, buying them from the finder and land owner.

so that the finder and the land owner will split the proceeds of the sale.

[pipoman]

9. In re-reading I see..

sometimes British use of the language throws me..:)

[hootinholler]

10. Two countries

Separated by a common language.

-Hoot

[Art_from_Ark]

12. In England, if a person finds a hoard of ancient coins

buried in the ground, they are considered to belong to the state-- thus the finder is being "rewarded" for finding them.

[petronius]

17. It does seem like a good law, although I hope the finder gets to keep a sampling at least. (nt)

[Art_from_Ark]

18. It depends on how the ruling is made, I guess

Apparently, if this find is declared to be "Treasure", then it will become the property of the Crown, and the finder and landowner will each be given a "reward" based on the market value of the coins. Since the find contains more than 10 base-metal ancient coins, it apparently falls within the category of "Treasure"

http://metaldetectingtours.com/htm/treasure_act.htm

However, after reading about the details of this find, it appears that nearly all of the coins are common copper coins that can be purchased for a few dollars each. I don't see how a museum would deem it necessary to purchase 52,000 common Roman coins, given that there is bound to be lots of duplication.

[cbdo2007]

11. Pretty cool.

[applegrove]

14. I've often thought it would be a good passtime....good excercise at least. But not in North america.

You'd have to be in what was "old europe" to find the cool stuff.

[canetoad]

15. Thanks, good story

Here's what puzzles me:

"I don't believe myself that this is a hoard of coins intended for recovery," says Sam Moorhead from the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

"I think what you could see is a community of people who are actually making offerings and they are each pouring in their own contribution to a communal ritual votive offering to the gods."

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

How come, in the eyes of archaeologists, these ancient people always had higher motives? Ceremonial, ritual, sacrifical.....

You never hear that it may just be loot from an short-sword armed robbery, or that the cave paintings were a bunch of guys stoned on datura or the stone-age equivalent of Banksie.

[petronius]

16. Think what future archaeologists will say about us:

"These glass-fronted devices with keyboards must have been means of ritually communicating with the gods."

"The prevalence of these 12 ounce bottles indicates that the contents must have had religious significance."

"21st century humans often went to rooms containing metal objects like disks and bars, along with racks, pulleys, mats, and inflatable spheres - where they must have performed symbolic sacrifices."

"Many of their homes had large pools of water on the premises, perhaps representing an ocean-centered cosmology and probably serving spiritual purposes."

:)