The coin found by Roy PagePosted on 09/16/2008 6:39:52 AM PDT by BGHater
A ROMAN coin unearthed by a Wrexham metal detecting enthusiast has been confirmed as one of the oldest ever found in Wales.
Retired butcher Roy Page, 69, of Coedpoeth, found the detailed 2,000-year-old coin on a farm near St Asaph when he went on a search there with the Mold-based Historical Search Society earlier this year.
Roy gave the tiny silver coin, which depicts two horses being driven by a man on a chariot, to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), who have recently confirmed the specific date that it was made.
It is believed to have been brought over some time after the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, or during earlier visits in the first century BC.
Roy said: "The PAS have now told me the date that the coin would have been used is about 150 BC, which I was really pleased about.
"I don't want to sell it because it is a piece of history and I am going to keep hold of it."
The coin found by Roy Page
Roman coin find ping.
Cool beans. But Roman coins are very common. Still, a pre-empire coin in a place like Wales is especially cool.
It should have the quadriga chariot on the other side. I have that particular type of coin in my own collection...
I didn't think the Romans were there that early.
During the Roman occupation of Britain, I thought they really didn’t get into Wales that much. In other areas of England they are always finding Roman coins. I purchased a bunch up at Hadrian’s wall.
cool! wish i could help look for more...
I was under the impression that Roman traders and merchants often went where Roman legionaries never trod.
I was also under the impression that Roman coins were often legal tender in places even the Romans barely knew existed.
Coins last a long time, and money gets around.
I think you are correct. Who is to say that it wasn’t brought into Wales by someone who lost it traveling around Britain in any ensuing time between then and now!
Correct. Not because they were Roman, but because in ancient times no one cared who minted the coin; only its metal content and weight. If a certain mint's coinage was more preferred in some parts, it was because of the mint's reputation for metal purity and consistent weights.
This remained true up into the 19th century. The USA used foreign coins as legal tender for many years: the Spanish 8 Real (frequently cut into pie shaped wedges for change, hence: “2bits; 4bits; 6bits; a dollar” and “pieces of eight”) and the highly reputable German/Austrian Thaler, which is pronounced “Taller”, eventually becoming “Dollar.”
Yup, the guy it said so right on the coin, 150 BC, gotta’ be the real deal.
LOL!
looks to me like an alien octopus wearing a darth vader helmet.
well, it is a repeat, but I just took so much time finding the freakin’ topic that, just out of sheer orneriness (plus, in the process of the hunt I found a forgotten couple of other topics which also look interesting) I’m going to ping this one too. :’)
Metal detecting pensioner finds Wales’ oldest coin
Evening Leader | 20 February 2008 8:49 AM
Posted on 02/20/2008 3:46:01 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1973641/posts
I would guess that its a barbarous copy of a Roman Republican coin with a Victory in Biga reverse, because there's no inscription.
It should look more like this:
(I know this is a different coin. I don't have access to my references here at work. Bummer.)
|
|
|||
Gods |
Thanks BGHater. |
||
|
· Mirabilis · Texas AM Anthropology News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · · History or Science & Nature Podcasts · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
|||
Cthulhu
g-d bless you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.