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Coin
Unique ID: NARC-B683C2
Object type certainty: Certain
A copper-alloy Roman coin. This coin is an example of a rare sub-group of Trajan's aes coinage. They are probably from an eastern mint (often thought to be Antioch, but this is perhaps unnecessarily precise). The reverse, an S C in a laurel wreath, is associated with that mint, as is the bucranium (bulls-head) countermark. The coins are dated to circa 116 when Trajan was resident in Antioch. The denomination is not really known; although radiate and of oricalcum (brass) they are smaller than dupondii. RIC / BMC label them as asses, but they are labelled as semises by Metcalf (W E Metcalf, 'A note of Trajan's aes from Antioch', American Numismatic Society Museum Notes (1977) 22, 67). They may have circulated as semises (half asses) or as half-dupondii / oricalcum asses (the as was normally struck in copper). Many examples of this type have a 'bucranium' (bulls-head) countermark like this one. There are 20 coins of this denomination at Bath, and one of them has the bucranium countermark. Outside of Syria these coins are only common in the N W provinces suggesting that they may have formed part of an official government consignment of coinage from the East (D R Walker, 'The Roman Coins' in B Cunliffe (ed.) The Temple of Sulis Minerva at Bath, Volume 2, The Finds from the Sacred Springs, Oxford 1988). The degree of wear (often worn flat, as here) suggests that they may have circulated for more than a century after their importation.
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Date from: Circa AD 116
Dimensions and weight
Weight: 7.9 g
Diameter: 24 mm
Quantity: 1
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Coin data (numismatics)
Denomination: Semis [scope notes | View all attributed records]
Ruler/issuer: Trajan [scope notes | View all attributed records]
Reece period: Period 5 [96-117] [scope notes | View all attributed records]
Mint or issue place: Eastern mint [scope notes | View all attributed records]
Obverse description: Emperor radiate facing right, bucranium (bulls-head) countermark behind.
Obverse inscription: [IMP CAES NER TRAIA]NO OPTI[MO AVG GERM]
Reverse description: Traces of wreath
Reverse inscription: Illegible
Reverse mintmark: Illegible
Coin references
No coin references available.
Spatial data
Region: East Midlands
County: Northamptonshire
District: Daventry
Parish: Norton
Restricted 4 Figure grid reference: SP6064
The map has been degraded and provides an approximate location with a degree of random obfuscation.
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
Method of discovery: Metal detector
[scope notes]
General landuse: Cultivated land [scope notes]
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 26th August 2004
Personal details
Found by: This information is restricted for your login.
Recorded by: Dr Tom Brindle
- [
view all attributed records]
Identified by: Mr Ian Leins - [view all attributed records]
Other reference numbers
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Audit data
Created:
Friday 5th November 2004
Updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
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