UK treasure hunter finds 52,000 ancient Roman coins

Yahoo ^ | July 6, 2010 | Robert Barr

[GeronL]

LONDON – A treasure hunter has found about 52,500 Roman coins, one of the largest such discoveries ever in Britain, officials said Thursday.

The hoard, which was valued at 3.3 million pounds ($5 million), includes hundreds of coins bearing the image of Marcus Aurelius Carausius, who seized power in Britain and northern France in the late third century and proclaimed himself emperor.

[anglian]

Carausius was the commander of the Roman North Sea Fleet who siezed control of Britain in AD286 and proclaimed himself emperor. He was treacherously slain later that same year by his trusted first-minister and treasurer Allectus. Allectus, whom he had put in charge of his treasury, assassinated him and assumed power himself.[10] His reign would last only three years, after which he was defeated and killed by Constantius’s subordinate Julius Asclepiodotus.[11]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carausius

[Cheburashka]

Very noble of him to call the proper authorities and hand it over knowing that he will get nothing and instead it will be locked up somewhere or sold to pay for more fabulous British health care.

---

Under English Common Law treasure trove belongs to the Queen, unless someone can prove the treasure belongs to them, i.e. he is the one, or the heir of the one, who hid it. Concealing the fact you found a treasure is a misdemeanor and punishable by fines and a prison term.

In practice the government goes over the treasure, takes the items it feels like keeping, pays the finder for them, and returns everything else to the finder. But you have to report your find to have any chance of getting good title to it.

[edzo4]

Good news you found 52000 thousand of old roman coins bads news they are worth less because there are 52000 more of them on the market.

I would have kept my mouth shut and sold them off a few at a time to keep the value high

[GeronL]

Yes, the market is clogged now.

[UCANSEE2]

just under the surface and oceans, holds many undiscovered, fantastic objects.

[csvset]

Here's a short video clip of Mr. Crisp, the happy hobbyist.

Metal detector finds buried Roman treasure

[SunkenCiv]