David Crisp, a 63-year-old hospital chef, located the 52,503 coins in a single earthenware pot in a field near Frome, Somerset. Mr Crisp, from Devizes in Wiltshire, said his detector gave a "funny signal" prompting him to dig down and have a look. What he found was an astonishing collection of coins from the 3rd century AD, a period barely touched in most history books on Roman Britain. All the coins had been left in a single two foot high pot. At 160kg, just over 25 stone, the haul weighs as much as two fully grown men.
Photo by PAS via dailymail: Dave Crisp at his treasure site.Mr Crisp said: "I put my hand in, pulled out a bit of clay and there was a little Radial, a little bronze Roman coin. Very, very small, about the size of my fingernail."
He added: "I have made many finds over the years, but this is my first major coin hoard."
Since the discovery in late April, experts from the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) at the British Museum have been sifting through the coins. They believe the stash was probably intended as some sort of religious offering, rather than storage for later use.
Sam Moorhead, from the PAS, said: "I don't believe myself that this is a hoard of coins intended for recovery. 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."
Photo by PAS via dailymail: single two foot high pot containing the hoard.Roger Bland, head of British Museum portable antiquities and treasure, said 766 coins were from the reign of the "lost" British emperor Carausius, who ruled the province from 286 to 293 without the authority of Rome. He became the first emperor to strike coins in Britain, which he did to affirm his legitimacy. Five of the Carausius coins are solid silver, the first such pure coins minted anywhere in the Roman empire in over 150 years. A selection of the Frome coins is to go on display at the British Museum from July 22 until mid August.
Photo by PAS via dailymail: Roman coins hoard found by crisp.Despite the Frome haul's quantity, most are a relatively common denomination known as 'radiates', made of debased silver and bronze. The haul is likely to be worth around £250,000, given prices for individual coins. That is less than a tenth of the £3.285 million Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasures, which contained more than 5kg (11lb) of gold and 1.3kg (2.9lb) of silver. A coroner is set to declare the find a treasure trove at an inquest on July 22, paving the way for Somerset County Council to acquire it off Mr Crisp and the landowner. Each is entitled to a 50 per cent share of its value under the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
A coroner ruled Dave's remarkable discovery was treasure trove, meaning it belongs to the Crown but he will be rewarded with its value. Art fund had lunched a campaign to save the Frome Hoard for Somerset museum in Taunton. The largest coin hoard ever found in a single container in Britain has been valued at £320,250 after hours of debate and conflicting opinions from three experts.
Source: The press association,Telegraph.co.uk, Dailymail.UK.
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