Guy With Metal Detector Finds $1 Million in Roman Coins

Gizmodo ^ | July 10, 2010 | Gizmodo

[James C. Bennett]

Considering how thrilled I was just to find this story, I can only imagine the delirious, all-consuming excitement felt by Dave Crisp, a British hospital chef, when his metal detector uncovered this pot of 52,000 Roman coins.

Crisp was lolling with his detector in a field in southwestern England when he made the discovery, eventually unearthing some 50,000 silver and bronze coins dating from 253 to 293 AD. Over 700 of them bear the face of Marcus Aurelius Carausius, a Roman general who ruled Britain and was the first to make coins in the region.

Crisp, a self-described "metal detectorist," explained that he would have to share the coins' estimated $1 million value with the farmer who owns the land on which they were buried. Still, I imagine that the prospect of a $500,000 payday will be enough to inspire a whole new generation of detectorists. [CNN]

Send an email to Kyle VanHemert, the author of this post, at kvanhemert@gizmodo.com.

[Ditter]

Only worth 1 million? I am surprised they aren't worth more. I'll buy one from him right now.

[digger48]

"Let me call in a buddy who's an expert in this sorta thing...."

[historyrepeatz]

Looks more like a Romancoinus Rex dinosaur egg to me.

[Right Wing Assault]

Only worth 1 million?

That's on $20 each. Lot's of people would pay more than that.

Some good marketing, presentation, certificates of authenticity, and all that would fetch a lot more.

[InternetTuffGuy]

So ancient metal coins from a government which no longer exists hold their value moreso than Federal Reserve Notes printed on paper?

There’s a lesson in there somewhere.

[Crawdad]

Better call Chumley.

[John 3_19-21]

Why do i like that show?

[A. Morgan]

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/07/09/uk.roman.coin.treasure/index.html?hpt=C2&fbid=0sR9KByBzYR

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

This man is a fool for going public.
If he needed to contact the landowner, he should have done it privately.
If I ever find old coins I ain't telling nobody.

[mac_truck]

So ancient metal coins from a government which no longer exists hold their value moreso than Federal Reserve Notes printed on paper? There’s a lesson in there somewhere.

Indeed.

[Lockbar]

Fake show. The only one mildly entertaining is the “old man”.

[winodog]

More staged then fake.
I enjoy it, but the owners have to feel a little slighted the way Chumley has become the star.

[Hillbillary]

Everybody that cusses, puts money in the cuss jar.

[BookaT]

I bet he will get less of that than they say right now. I believe there are some rules over there about this type of stuff. Like the Gubment gets first dibs.

Might be wrong but I think I read about this a few months ago, not this one exactly but another treasure found in England.

Probably read it here on FR

[T-Bird45]

I will second your recollection with my own memory of a recent historical find in the UK. IIRC, the Brit .gov has total say (not just first dibs) on historical artifacts. Basically “thanks for digging that up, old sod, we never would have found it without you — now begone with you...”

[digger48]

[Outlaw Woman]

Follow-up story ‘ping’

[Chode]

surprised the government dint take it...

[packrat35]

Me either.