The new Roman emperor discovered from a coin - Domitianus [16:19]

YouTube ^ | January 9, 2026 | TopRomanFacts

[SunkenCiv]

In 2003, metal detectorist Brian Malin found the Chalgrove Hoard near Chalgrove, around 10 miles from Oxford. Inside a huge jar were nearly 5,000 late Roman coins, mostly copper-alloy radiates with that familiar "silvered" look that is really just debased coinage from the Crisis of the Third Century. After numismatists worked through the hoard coin by coin, one piece stood out. It looks ordinary, but the legend names an emperor who should not exist: Domitianus.

The new Roman emperor discovered from a coin - Domitianus | 16:19
TopRomanFacts | 37.2K subscribers | 25,111 views | January 9, 2026

YouTube transcript reformatted at textformatter.ai follows.

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: chalgrovehoard; coins; crisisofthirdcentury; domitianus; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; romanempire; sponsianus

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Crisis of Third Century keyword, sorted:

• 1,800-year-old 'piggy banks' full of Roman-era coins unearthed in French village [12/15/2025]
• How a Syrian Desert Fort Rewrote Roman History [10:27] [09/27/2025]
• Coin Hoard in Germany Contains Roman and Gallic Coins [10/25/2024]
• Advice for America from Emperor Aurelian [07/26/2024]

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[SunkenCiv]

(for an upcoming topic, 3rd century Roman Empire related, thanks for sending these links)

How a hobbyist’s hunch uncovered hidden Roman military camps

The finds are forcing historians to reconsider the extent of the Roman military’s advance in Germany.
https://www.popsci.com/science/roman-military-camps-germany/

First Roman marching camps discovered in Saxony-Anhalt prove Roman advances in the 3rd century AD
https://idw-online.de/en/news864361

https://grokipedia.com/page/aken_elbe
Aken (Elbe) is a historic town in the Anhalt-Bitterfeld district of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated on the southern bank of the middle Elbe River, approximately eight kilometers west of Dessau-Roßlau, and encompassing river kilometers 275 to 277 within the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve.

[ConservativeMind]

Is that a Sponge on a Stick?

[minnesota_bound]

Domitianus is where we get Dementius which was Biden.

[TigersEye]

Well, Biden was a Roamin’ Emperor Penguin. At least he walked like one.

[neverevergiveup]

Looks a little like Jughead from the old Archie comics..

[an amused spectator]

https://finds.org.uk/news/story/97

Until this discovery was made some scholars doubted the historical significance of Domitianus who is named just twice in the historical sources. The Oxfordshire coin provides archaeological evidence suggesting that he successfully proclaimed himself emperor of a breakaway part of the Roman Empire during the reign of Aurelian (AD 270-5).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domitian_II

Domitian II (Latin: Domitianus) was a Roman soldier of the mid 3rd century who was acclaimed emperor, probably in northern Gaul in late 270 or early 271, and struck coins to advertise his elevation. It is now generally assumed that this man is to be equated with the Domitianus who is twice mentioned in the literary sources as a significant figure in the politics of the age, but on neither occasion as an outright contender for the Imperial throne.

Given that his reign lasted for, at best, only a few weeks after his acclamation and he does not seem to have secured significant military or political support, Domitianus is more properly categorized as a Roman usurper rather than an emperor. His attempted coup should also be understood in the context of the troubled later history of the Gallic Empire rather than that of the Empire as a whole.

[Nateman]

Seems like a hoax. Domitianus. Like dominate anus. A clever joke hoax.

[FreeperCell]

My concern lies with the the sponge too.

[SunkenCiv]

You may be thinking of Charles III.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[Yardstick]

No real Roman would take a selfie with their rumpswab in the frame. This guy is clearly an imposter.

[telescope115]

I have a Roman coin that I bought at a coin show a few years back that looks exactly the same on the obverse, but it bears the name Postamus. He proclaimed himself emperor and was eventually killed by his own soldiers.

[telescope115]

As per the Wikipedia article, the reverse is different. It seems they just changed their names on the obverse and kept the same image for the faces.

[gleeaikin]

Where is there a sponge on a stick in #1. Is it in one of the 4 links listed if you go to that site?

[gleeaikin]

After I posted my comment regarding #1, and I went back to the top, this time there was the photo in the Intro with the man with the stick. That was NOT comment #1, and for some reason it was not there when I first looked at the introduction.