HOARD

Potential Treasure of 13 Roman copper alloy coins from

WALMERSLEY, GREATER MANCHESTER

Report to H M Coroner

BM ref.: 2014 T525

PAS ref.: LANCUM-37BF34

This report will consider these coins with respect to the criteria laid down in the Treasure Act (1996): namely, their age, precious metal content and whether the coins can be said to come from the same find.

Circumstances of Discovery:

Found whilst metal detecting, 10.7.2014.

Description:

These 13 coins appear to be a mixture of Roman copper alloy denominations dating from across most of the four centuries of Roman rule over Britain.

Summary

1st / 2nd century AD sestertii and sestertius fractions

Nero (AD 54-68) 1

Uncertain emperor (1st / 2nd century AD) 3

3rd century AD radiates:

Tetricus II (AD 272-4) 1

Uncertain emperors (AD 260-74) 2

4th century AD nummi:

Mid-Constantinian (AD 330-340) 2

Late Constantinian (AD 341-61) 2

Valentinianic (AD 364-78) 1

Theodosian (AD 383-402) 1

(13 coins)

Age

All are of Roman date and therefore over 300 years old.

Metal content

They are all essentially base metal in composition (copper alloy).

From the same find?

This group of coins has the appearance of an accumulation of losses from different periods over the course of the first to fourth centuries AD. It spans a wider period than is likely for a hoard deposited in, say, the late fourth century and contains a mixture of denominations. The coins were therefore probably not deposited together as a hoard but instead form a series of technically separate finds as a result of random deposition or losses over a period of time. As such, these coins do not appear to constitute Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996 which require that coins must be from the same find.

Richard Abdy

Department of Coins and Medals

The British Museum

23rd October 2014