Construction workers unearth over half a tonne of Roman coins in Spain

Usually emperors were very careful to pay the army in good coin. Troops got cranky when paid in debased money. Ordinary folks used copper coins with a silver wash that made them look silverish, but nobody was fooled—kind of like our coins after 1964—the coins by this time had no intrinsic value.

Earlier emperors, like Nero issued silver-covered copper coins that had to be accepted at their weight’s value, but refused these same coins when used to pay taxes.

42 posted on 04/29/2016 8:59:09 AM PDT by Lazamataz (When the world is running down, you make the best of what's still around.)

Beats a bag of salt!

Are you alluding to the fact that the word "salary" comes from the Latin word salarium, meaning "salt-money?" Because Roman soldiers were famously paid a portion of their wages in salt?

Depending upon how debased the currency was at the time, an equal weight of salt might have been more valuable.

Regards,

From the CNN link:

The initial hypothesis is that the coins were to be used to pay taxes to the Roman empire, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.

That is how armies were paid. Coins buried and the location provided after battle.

49 posted on 04/29/2016 9:41:17 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)

50 posted on 04/29/2016 9:43:00 AM PDT by dp0622 (The only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)

51 posted on 04/29/2016 9:43:33 AM PDT by dp0622 (The only thing an upper crust conservative hates more than a liberal is a middle class conservative)

[[I hid those there to keep them safe and now look what happened.]]

Oh sure, I hid them there, told you about it, and you claim they are yours? Tell you what- I’ll share them with you if you admit they are mine

[[All I ever find is empty beer cans.]]

you’re lucky, i only ever find the pull tabs

That source *may* not allow posting, not sure.

Getty is the source at the Telegraph article, definitely can’t post these as graphics:

57 posted on 04/29/2016 10:05:04 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)

No, they’re not worth more as scrap — Roman bronze coins tend to fall to crap during their long burials. Perhaps because of the clay jugs protecting them, these appear to be in excellent shape.

58 posted on 04/29/2016 10:07:54 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)

Thanks!

600kg (1300lb) of Roman coins found in Spain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC4Ac6cYO3E

59 posted on 04/29/2016 10:10:47 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)

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