Posted on 07/22/2011 4:51:17 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A hoard of twenty one silver denarii has been recovered during the recent excavation of the foundations of a clay floor in a centurion's apartment of the late Antonine period (cAD180-200) at Vindolanda, northeast England.
The hoard had been buried, possibly in a purse or some similar organic package which had long since rotted away, in a shallow pit within the foundation material of the floor of the structure in the middle of the room.
Dr Andrew Birley, director of excavations at the site explains, "The coins were tightly packed together and several had corroded onto one another, held together as a group by the foundation clay of the building on the surrounding packaging that had rotted away. The surface area covered by the coins was no greater than 10cms, suggesting that there had been little movement by post depositional processes. The archaeological context suggests that the hoard may well have been deliberately buried, rather than lost, and was probably the savings of an individual who was unable to recover his money."
Twenty-one denarii in the late second century represented a substantial sum being roughly one tenth of a ranking auxiliary's gross annual salary and the equivalent of perhaps two or three thousand pounds in today's money.
The hoard has now been conserved at Vindolanda and reported as treasure trove under the 1996 Treasure Act. It is hoped that the hoard will remain at Vindolanda, as part of the site archive, and for public display at the Vindolanda Trust's site museum.
(Excerpt) Read more at pasthorizonspr.com ...
Old silver dollars are 90% silver and worth around $31/32 melt value today. Check your 1880’s coins for cc mint mark, Carson City. Those have a collector’s value above the melt value. Also, if any of those Morgan’s are tarnished they have a value higher than melt.
My mother’s aunt had two old double Eagles that she, or rather my mother’s grandparents, never turned in to FDR. I do not know what happened to them.
BTW, Father Andreus thought that Patton was a very cultured and decent man and did not think the movie did him justice.
I wish my granddad hadn’t been so law-abiding, his cache of gold pieces would be worth a lot now.
Thanks! I’m not too sure the fam’ would all agree to such a disposal of ‘em. But, ask me again when silver hits $200. ;’)
The coolest jewelry pendant I’ve seen is fairly common in FL after the Atocha recovery. A shiny, polished piece of eight is rimmed in gold to hang from a gold chain. Very cool. Wearing history.
Thanks for the links. I especially enjoyed the three versions of how the bank fooled the bank examiner!
That would be a good documentary to view again, thanks for the reminder. :’)
Strange that it was so easy, usually gov’t employees are the creme d’ la creme.
:-))
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