A cache of ancient coins found buried in a Welsh field is reportedly more than two millennia old — and may have been hidden by Roman soldiers from the nearby fortress of Canovium.
Two men – David Moss and Tom Taylor – found the coin with a metal detector in December 2018 while strolling in the Caerhun Community field in the north Wales town of Conwy, according to USA Today.
Years later, two hoards of Roman silver and copper alloy coins – which were probably buried between 270 and 220 AD – were officially declared treasure after intense micro-excavation and identification by Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum of Wales.
“People don’t realize the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes at national museums, from digging up coins, to caring for them and identifying them, so they can be reported as treasure,” Moss said in a statement from the museum.
“It’s a big process to be able to see the work going,” he added. “To be directly involved as a searcher 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 discovered by two men using a metal detector in a field in Wales. Amgueddfa Cymru â Museum of Wales
Moss and Taylor had just started using metal detectors on that wet December day, Moss said. They were fascinated by their discovery.
“It was raining hard, so I saw Tom and walked across the field to him to tell him to call it a day on tracking,” Moss said.
“When all of a sudden, I accidentally cut the deep object that was making the signal,” Moss said. “It was a big surprise when I dug in and finally uncovered the top of the ship that held the coins.”
They removed the two collections, wrapped them in bandages and brought them to Dr. Susie White, Discovery Officer for the Mobile Antiquities Scheme in Wales.
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 of Wales
Researchers performed CT scans, took photographs and performed 3D modeling to get a better idea of the coin and its origins, USA Today reported.
They concluded that the larger cache was buried around 270 AD and the smaller one around 220 AD.
The museum said the money was most likely hidden where it was as an offering to a deity — there is a temple nearby that dates back to the third century.
The coins were probably first owned by Roman soldiers stationed at Canovium, a fortress in what was then the Roman province of Britannia.
Llandudno Museum will hold the treasures, which will now join other collections on display from the military post.
“The opportunity to purchase this important hoard of coins associated with the Canovium Roman Fort will allow future generations to see and experience a significant collection of ancient silver coins dating back to 32BC and representing 50 rulers,” said Dawn Lancaster, the museum’s director, in the statement.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
