The Portable Antiquities Scheme

This coin is of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, 27BC - AD14 It is very rare, the only published example being in Paris in the Bibliotheque Nationale. Its mint is unknown, but it is probably from the Western half of the Roman Empire. The moon was in Capricorn when Augustus was born - he was the only emperor to have his zodaical sign on a coin. The star might represent the soul of Julius Caesar (who had adopted Augustus as his son). It possibly arrived in Britain before the Roman Conquest in AD43. Between Julius Caesar's expeditions in 55 and 54 BC and the Claudian invasion of AD43, southern Britain had increasing contact with Gaul and the Roman world. Indeed, Roman silver coins would have been a major source of silver for the Britons - it appears that no silver was mined in Britain prior to the Roman period. However, it is also possible that the coin arrived with or soon after the invasion of AD43. With an army of about 50,000 men, there would be a great demand for coins to pay the troops. We also know that Legio II Augusta (commanded by Vespasian, who was later to be emperor, AD69-79) advanced towards the south-west between AD43 and about AD45 - we are told by his biographer, Suetonius, that he even took Vectis so we can assume a military presence on the Isle of Wight soon after AD43. It might have been at this time that the coin was lost. This coin is not in good condition, but it is of enormous interest to coin experts. It is through the reporting of such coins that we can find out more about rare coins - given that it is found in the north-western part of the Roman Empire, I am beginning to wonder whether it might suggest (with the French specimen) that it was struck in Gaul or even Spain; the style of the coin does suggest it is probably struck at 'Spanish Mint Two' ('?Colonia Patricia'). What this underlines is the importance of reporting all finds, however poorly preserved they might be (Pers. comm. Sam Moorhead, 23/01/2007).