A cache of ancient coins found buried in a Welsh field is reported to be more than two millennia old and may have been hidden by Roman soldiers from the nearby Canovium fort.
Two men, David Moss and Tom Taylor, found the coins with a metal detector in December 2018 while wandering through fields in the community of Caerhun in the North Wales town of Conwy, according to USA Today.
Years later, the two hoards of Roman silver and copper alloy coins, which were probably buried between 270 and 220 AD, were officially declared treasures after intensive micro-excavation and identification by the Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum of Wales.
“People don’t realize how much work goes on behind the scenes at the national museum, from excavating the coins to caring for them and identifying them so they can be considered treasures,” Moss said in a museum statement.
“Being able to see how the work develops is a huge process,” he added. “Being involved firsthand as searchers is an incredible experience.”
The 2,733 coins, some of which were minted just 32 years after the birth of Christ, were declared treasure earlier this month by Kate Robertson, assistant coroner for North Wales.
The two collections of Roman coins were found by two men using metal detectors in a field in Wales. Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
Moss and Taylor had just started using metal detectors that rainy December day, Moss said. They were impressed by their discovery.
“It was raining really hard, so I took one look at Tom and walked across the field to him to tell him to finish the detection,” Moss said.
“When all of a sudden I accidentally cut into a deep object that was making a sign,” Moss said. “It was a big surprise when I dug down and finally revealed the top of the container containing the coins.”
They removed the two collections, wrapped them in bandages and took them to Dr Susie White, finds officer for the Welsh Portable Antiquities Scheme.
The coins, some of which were minted just three decades after the birth of Christ, will now be in a Welsh museum. Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
Researchers performed CT scans, took photographs and 3D modeling to get a better idea of the coins and their origins, USA Today reported.
They concluded that the largest cache was buried around 270 AD and the smallest around 220 AD.
The museum said it was very likely that the money was hidden where it was as an offering to a deity; There is a temple nearby dating back to the 3rd century.
The coins may have first belonged to Roman soldiers stationed at Canovium, a fort in what was then the Roman province of Britannia.
Llandudno Museum will house the treasures, which will now join other collections on display at the military post.
“The opportunity to purchase these important coin hoards associated with the Roman Fort of Kanovium will allow future generations to see and experience an important collection of ancient silver coins dating back to 32 BC and depicting 50 rulers,” Dawn Lancaster, museum director, said in the statement.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn