dave crisp

Huge Coin Hoard Found In Britain

One lucky treasure hunter in Britain hit the mother lode. Treasure hunter Dave Crisp was hunting in a field using a metal detector in April when he made an amazing discovery. He found a hoard of around 52,500 Roman coins dating from the third century AD, buried in a field in Frome, England. The coins were buried in a large jar and weighed about 350 pounds. Many of the coins bear the image of Marcus Aurelius Carausius, who seized power in Britain and northern France in the late third century and proclaimed himself emperor. He seized power in 286 A.D. and was assassinated in 293 A.D. The find will help draw attention to this little known historical figure, Britain's own emperor.

When Crisp began digging he unearthed a few coins but did not dig up the whole thing on his own. He wisely enlisted the help of the experts. Archaeologists from the Somerset County Council carefully excavated the jar and its contents. According to a report in the Guardian , archaeologists think they may represent the life savings of an entire community or possibly a votive offering to the gods. Because of the weight of the coins it is guessed that the pot was buried in the ground and then filled up.Part of the coins will be on display at the British Museum from July 22nd through the middle of August. it could take a year to clean up all the coins. If the find is declared a treasure, the value of the coins will be split between the finder and the owner of the land when the coins are bought by the government.

Tags: british museum, coins, dave crisp, england, metal detector, metal detectors, roman coins, treasure, treasure hunt

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Huge Coin Hoard Found In Britain

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