File:121, Two Roman blank coins fused together (FindID 265603).jpg

English: A forger's hoard. This record and the associated records linked to this one are for 121 coins or blanks which were found in around 1994. The finder also found a fragment of copper alloy rod, a sherd of courseware pottery and a brooch. Some coins (not included in the above total) were given to the farmer. From a study of the material it is most likely that this constitutes a forgers’ hoard which consisted mainly of metal blanks, destined to be struck into coins. Given that the two identifiable coins are ‘barbarous radiates’ of the period c. 275-85, it is reasonable to assume that the hoard was buried at around this time. The piece of copper-alloy rod and brooch (not seen by the author) might have also been scrap metal destined for melting down to make more flans. It is possible, but by no means certain that the hoard was secreted in a pot, but the surviving rim comes from a vessel much larger than was needed to contain the coins and other objects.

The coins are poorly preserved, most suffering from corrosion due to wet soil conditions. However, on closer inspection, it is clear that many, if not the great majority are in fact blanks which have not been struck (nos. 3-121). Two appear to have casting flanges (nos. 11-12). A small number have a distinctive circular pattern which might have resulted from cutting into a clay mould (nos. 13-17).

The coins that can be identified are two ‘barbarous radiates’, copying prototypes of Victorinus (269-71) or Tetricus I (271-4) (nos. 1-2). There are possibly other very poorly preserved coins amongst the blanks.

The evidence does suggest that this was a small forger’s hoard. There is no reason to believe that the identifiable coins were struck by the forger; they would have probably have been over-struck when the blanks were struck.

This record is for 2 blanks:

2 blanks or poorly corroded coins fused together, c. 15mm; 4.24g