File:X2 Silvered copper alloy coins of Diocletian from Layer 4 cleaned for ID, September 2018. Upper register, Diocletian, right IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG. Rev standing nude male, left. C in left fie (FindID 915176-1027514).jpg

1850 Roman radiates and one denarius to AD 286, BM Ref.: 2018 T583

Andrew Brown

Circumstances of discovery

A hoard of Roman base silver coins was found during a metal detecting rally on arable land near Salisbury, Wiltshire, on August 19th 2018. The finders, upon realising that the hoard remained undisturbed within its original ceramic container, left the hoard in situ so that it could be examined archaeologically. It was reported to the PAS and on August 20th the findspot was subject to controlled archaeological excavation by PAS and British Museum staff. Excavation revealed a small, complete Roman grey ware vessel (jar) buried upright within a pit not much larger than the vessel itself that had been cut into the natural chalk. This vessel contained all of the Roman coins catalogued below. There were no other associated archaeological features within the excavated area and the hoard was lifted in its entirety before being transported back to the British Museum for micro-excavation and conservation. A full report on the excavation is held at the British Museum.

Once at the British Museum conservation laboratories x-ray analysis revealed coins filled the interior up to the neck of the vessel. These were removed from the pot in eight layers by BM conservator Hayley Bullock. The contents of each layer were analysed by emperor but no difference was found between the layers to suggest that they had been sorted or deposited at different dates. The coins were consequently re-integrated and catalogued as a single assemblage.

The coins

The coins in the hoard are, with a single exception, all of the denomination commonly referred to as a 'radiate' and date from the joint reign of Valerian I and Gallienus (AD 253-260) to early in the reign of Diocletian (AD 284-305), the latest datable coin of Diocletian in the hoard struck in c.AD 286 (catalogue no. 308). The earliest coins have a moderate silver content but the bulk of the hoard is made up of the debased copper-alloy coinage issued in large quantities under the Gallic empire (AD 260-274). The hoard has a small number of later coins with higher silver content that post-date the coinage reform under Aurelian (AD 270-274). A single base-silver coin of a denomination known as a denarius from the sole reign of Gallienus (AD 260-268) was identified within the hoard.

The Bourne Valley hoard is not unusual for similar late-3rd century assemblages, with comparative material evident in the much larger Cunetio and Normanby hoards. Parallels in terms of composition, with peaks of coinage for Gallienus, Claudius, and the Gallic Emperors Victorinus, Tetricus I & II, can be seen in other radiate hoards from Wiltshire, including the Monkton Farleigh hoard (Carradice, 1984) that has a similar terminus post quem during the reign of Diocletian in c.AD 285-286.

Associated artefacts

The coins were contained within a complete Roman grey ware pottery vessel measuring 151mm in height. This has a flat base of 64mm diameter, expanding to c.160mm in diameter at the widest point of the body, and with an everted rim that measures 86mm in diameter. It was not possible to comment on the fabric of the vessel due to adhering soil and examination by a local pottery specialist is recommended.

A small assemblage of fragmentary grey ware pottery sherds of unclear date, flint, and animal bone, were recovered during excavation from the disturbed ploughzone (topsoil). These have no clear archaeological association to the hoard and appear unrelated.

Summary (all radiates unless otherwise stated):

Central empire

Valerian and Gallienus, AD 253-260

Valerian I 2

Gallienus 1

Salonina 6

Gallienus, AD 260-68 277 + 1 denarius

Salonina, 20

Claudius II, AD 268-70 200

Divus Claudius II 50

Quintillus, AD 270 20

Aurelian, AD 270-5 8

Severina 1

Tacitus, AD 275-6 10

Probus, AD 276-282 16

Divus Carus, AD 282-283 1

Numerian, AD 282-284 2

Diocletian, AD 284-286 2

Gallic empire

Postumus, AD 260-9 18

Laelian, AD 269 1

Marius, AD 269 4

Victorinus, AD 269-71 347

Divus Victorinus 1

Tetricus I, AD 271-4 550

Tetricus II 254

Uncertain Gallic empire 14

Irregular 42

Uncertain emperor (inc. frags) 3

Total 1851