Rights Holder: West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service
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Unique ID: SWYOR-3C0EF4
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A scattered hoard of Late Roman silver coins; siliqua, consisting of:
2012 T196a (SWYOR-740718): 27 coins (of which 1 has broken into two piece post deposition, and some are fragmentary) recovered by two joint finders.
2012 T196b (SWYOR-5C72E1): 3 coins found by a third finder (of which one is a rare Jovian issue from the Lyon mint, one is fragmentary, and one is a large copper alloy coin).
2012 T196c (SWYOR-3C0EF4): 13 further coins recovered by the original two finders.
Some of the coins are clearly contemporary copies.
British Museum Curatorial Report:
Nr. WETHERBY, N. YORKSHIRE
Eleanor Ghey
38 AR siliquae and 2 AE nummi to c. AD378-402 BM ref.: 2012 T196 PAS: SWYOR-740718, 5C72E1 and 3C0EF4
Circumstances of discovery
A group of 27 silver coins were found by [finder 1] and [finder 2] on 13th March 2012 whilst metal-detecting on cultivated land. They were found in the topsoil at a depth of about 2 feet, scattered in an area of about 8 square yards. A spring and large rocks were reported from the area of the findspot. Three further coins were found on 25th and 27th March at the same site by [finder 3]. These consisted of two silver coins about six feet apart and a copper alloy coin about 20 yards or less from the main findspot. One of the coins was fragmentary and actually joins to a fragment found in the first group. A further 13 coins were found by [finder 1] and [finder 2] in the month following the initial discovery. Another two fragments from the first group were found to join with two fragments from this third group (giving a total of 40 coins). All coins were received at the British Museum on 11th May 2012.
Description of the find
With the exception of one highly clipped coin (probably VIRTVS ROMANORVM 'cuirass' type, second issue) the siliquae date from AD 355 to 378. The relative lack of clipping fits the pattern of a hoard of this date. However the presence of the above mentioned coin makes it difficult to date the deposition of the hoard precisely. It appears to be of a slightly later type (AD 395-402) and could have been deposited well into the fifth century after a long period of circulation. The difference in the degree of clipping of this coin and the others in the group suggests that they were deposited some time before this. It may therefore be that this later coin is a stray find and not part of the main hoard.
In addition to the silver coins, there are two nummi, one of small module contemporary with the hoard and another of larger module slightly earlier than the group. Mixed hoards of nummi and siliquae are not unknown (for example the Bishops Cannings hoard, which had a large proportion of bronze, and Hoxne, which contained a few smaller module bronze coins mixed in with the siliquae). It is therefore not inconceivable that the larger module bronze coin was also either part of the hoard or associated with the same pattern of deposition at this site. The fact that the hoard was found near a spring points to a votive or ritual context for this deposition.
The hoard contained one notable siliqua of a type not listed in RIC (although previously recorded through PAS, see note below). This was the Jovian coin of the Lyon mint with the obverse legend DN IOVIANV-S PEP AVG.
CATALOGUE
Notes
The following abbreviations are used for the names of the rulers:
Cs Constantius II G Gratian
Cn Constans V2 Valentinian II
JC/A Julian Caesar / Augustus Jv Jovian
V1 Valentinian I Vn Valens
Busts as RIC VIII & X:
1 no diadem
D Draped & cuirassed 3 pearl-diademed
4 rosette-diademed
CF1-4 = degrees of clipping evident
Summary: Siliquae
MINT
Trier
Lyon
Arles
Milan
Rome
Aqu.
Sisc.
Sirm.
Thess.
Const.
Nico.
Ant.
Unc.
Totala
355-64
-
6
8
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
16
364-7
-
6
1
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
2
10
367-75
6
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
6
375-378
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
395-402
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
1
Irregular
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4
4
Total
7
12
9
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
9
38
SILVER: SILIQUAE (38)
355-364, Lyons (6)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC VIII
Qty.
Wt.
CF
1.
Cs/D3
VICTORIA DD NN AVG
LVG
-
210
1
1.99
1
2.
JA/D4
VICTORIA DD NN AVG
LVG
-
213
1
2.07
0
3.
Cs/D3
VOTIS XXX MVLTIS XXXX
LVG
139
216
1
1.95
1
4.
JA/D3
VOTIS V MVLTIS X
PLVG
145
227
1
1.52
0[1]
5.
JA/D3
VOT X MVLT XX
SLVG
151
233
1
1.57
0
6.
Jv/D3
VOT V MVLT X
LVG
-
-
1
1.23
0[2]
355-364, Arles (8)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC VIII
Qty.
Wt.
CF
7.
Cs/D3
VOTIS XXX MVLTIS XXXX
PCON
83
261/291
2
1.78, 1.77
0, 0
8.
Cs/D3
VOTIS XXX MVLTIS XXXX
SCON
84
261/291
3
1.76, 2.41, 1.99
1, 0, 1
9.
JC/D1
VOTIS V MVLTIS X
TCON
91
264
1
2.25
0
10.
JA/D3
VOT X MVLT XX
TCONST
Cf 109
309/ 312
1
2.01
1
11.
JA/D3
VOT X MVLT XX
SCONST
120
312
1
1.89
1
355-364, Uncertain mint (2)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC VIII
Qty.
Wt.
CF
12.
JA/D3
VOT X MVLT XX
[...]
Cf 179/180
?
1
1.58
0[3]
13.
Jv/D3
VOT V MVLT X
[...]
?
?
1
0.86 + 0.70
2[4]
364-367, Lyons (6)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC IX
Qty.
Wt.
CF
14.
V1/D3
RESTITVTOR REIP
SLVG•
-
6c
1
2.01
1
15.
V1/D3
RESTITVTOR REIP
PLVG
-
6e
1
1.70
1
16.
Vn/D3
RESTITVTOR REIP
PLVG
-
6f
1
1.82
1
17.
Vn/D3
RESTITVTOR REIP
PLVG•
-
6f
1
1.69
0
18.
Vn/D3
RESTITVTOR REIP
SLVG•
-
6f
1
2.43
1
19.
Vn/D3
RESTITVTOR REIP
[.]LV[G.]
-
6f
1
1.82
2
364-367, Arles (1)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC IX
Qty.
Wt.
CF
20.
V1/D3
RESTITVTOR REIP
OF III/CON[ST]
-
6a
1
1.71
0[5]
364-367, Thessalonica (1)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC IX
Qty.
Wt.
CF
21.
V1/D3
RESTITVTOR REIP
TES
225
12a
1
1.92[6]
0
364-375, Uncertain mint (2)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC IX
Qty.
Wt.
CF
22.
V1/Vn
[V]RBS ROM[A]
[...]
?
?
1
0.48 + 0.36
?[7]
23.
G/D3
VRBS [ROMA]
[...]
?
?
1
0.64 + 0.39
?[8]
367-375, Trier (6)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC IX
Qty.
Wt.
CF
24.
Vn/D3
VRBS ROMA
TRPS
260
27e/ 45b
1
2.24
0
25.
G/D3
VRBS ROMA
TRPS•
275
27f/ 45c
2
1.98, 1.95
0, 0
26.
G/D3
VRBS ROMA
TRPS•
276
27f/ 45c
1
1.75
0
27.
G/D3
VRBS ROMA
TRPS•
277
27f/ 45c
2
2.06, 1.86
0, 1
375-378, Trier (1)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC IX
Qty.
Wt.
CF
28.
V2/D3
VICTORIA AVGGG
[TR]PS
327
43/57a
1
1.22
3
?395-402, Mint uncertain (1)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Hoxne
RIC X
Qty.
Wt.
CF
29.
?/D3
[VIRTVS ROMANORVM] (cuirass)
[...]
?
?
1
0.64
4[9]
Irregular (4)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
Qty.
Wt.
CF
30.
DN CONST[AN]-TIVS P F AVG
VOT X MVLT XX
[...]
1
1.71
0[10]
31.
FL CL IVL[I-]ANVS P P AVG
VOTIS V MVLTIS XX
[..O]NST
1
1.00
?[11]
32.
NNNNNN[IIIIINII]
L / IIIIII / T
-
1
1.65
0
33.
DN FL CL IVLI-ANVS P F AVG
VOT X MVLT XX
PCONNS
1
1.80
1[12]
COPPER ALLOY NUMMI (2)
Lyon, AD 348-353 (1)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
RIC VIII
Qty.
Wt.
34.
Cs/D4
[FEL TEMP REPARATIO] (Fallen horseman)
[..LG]
Cf 79
1
3.82[13]
Arles, AD 367-375 (1)
No.
Obv
Reverse
M.-m.
RIC IX
Qty.
Wt.
35.
G/D3
[GLORIA NOVI SAEC]VLI (Emperor stg. r.)
[...]
15
1
0.67[14]
[1] Broken. Obverse die link with Hoxne 145,20. Possibly a forgery? XX in bottom of wreath.
[2] Obverse DN IOVIANV-S PEP AVG. Another previously recorded by PAS SUSS-F74487. One with this mintmark and obverse D N IOVIAN-VS P F AVG from Whitwell hoard in BM 1992,0904.2. Finder [Finder 3].
[3] Broken. Reverse concreted.
[4] Two joining fragments. 0.86 g fragment found in first group ([Finder 1] and [Finder 2]), 0.70g fragment in second group ([Finder 3]). Mintmark not clearly legible.
[5] Incomplete.
[6] In two joining fragments.
[7] Two joining fragments of an incomplete coin. Obverse D N VAL[...]
[8] Two joining fragments of an incomplete coin.
[9] Possibly Milan, second issue, dated AD 395-402.
[10] Broken. This legend not used for Constantius. Good style.
[11] Broken edges. Appears cast.
[12] Cf RIC 309. Double-struck?
[13] Finder [Finder 3]. Mintmark indistinct, requires further cleaning.
[14] Abraded and incomplete.
Notes:
This hoard has been scattered by the plough and no evidence of a container or a main area of concentration has been identified. The top soil is about two feet deep. The hoard will probably have been buried in the sub soil. It is not clear whether there is still part of the hoard in situ or whether it has been completely scattered by agricultural work. The finders describe large stones (currently being removed by the farmer) and a spring in the area. The field has been deeply cultivated for potatoes.
2012 T196d: 12 further coins were found please see PAS record (YORYM-2449B5)
This is a find of note and has been designated: For inclusion in British Numismatic Journal ‘Coin Register’
Subsequent action after recording: Submitted for consideration as Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2012T196C
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 378
Date to: Circa AD 402
Quantity: 13
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 16th March 2012 - Tuesday 17th April 2012
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference: PAS form number 1834
Treasure case number: 2012T196C
Primary material: Silver
Secondary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Complete
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.