This find of the month for the start of 2024 is a coin of an Emperor I don’t see much. In fact it is only the second I have recorded. The coin was found in Leckhampstead, West Berkshire and is a denarius of the Roman Emperor Tiberius (AD 14-37). BERK-242C7B

The coin shows a female figure, draped, right, seated, right holding branch and long vertical sceptre, on chair with ornamented legs; below chair, a single line. It was minted in Rome.

Either side of the figure is the words ‘PONTIF MAXIM’ which refers to the title of Pontifex Maximus, a title held by each of the Roman Emperors and signified the religious authority held by the Roman Emperor

The coins of Tiberius are usually grouped with those dating before the accession of Claudius in AD 41. This group includes coins of Augustus, Caligula and the Roman Republic. In total, only 33 coins (click here) of this period have been found in Berkshire, five of which are of Tiberius and each one is the same PONTIF MAXIM type with the seated female figure.

While there was much trade between the continent and Britain at this time, pre-AD 41 coins were primarily carried over by the military as part of their pay. It is possible that one of them lost this coin during the early years of Roman Britannia.