File:Roman coin, Republican denarius of C. Hosidius Geta (FindID 741246).jpg

English: A possible scattered hoard of three silver Roman denarii dating to the period 68 BC - AD 79.

A silver Republican denarius of C. Hosidius Geta dating to the year 68 BC (Reece period 1). C. HOSIDI C. F reverse type depicting a boar facing right, wounded by a spear and attacked by a hound. Mint of Rome. Cf. RRC, no. 407/2.

A silver denarius of Augustus dating to the period 18 - 17 BC (Reece period 1). VOT P SVSC PRO SAL ET RED I O M SACR reverse type depicting Mars, helmeted and cloaked, standing left, holding a vertical vexilum in his right hand and a parazonium over his left shoulder. Mint of Colonia Patricia. Cf. RIC, Vol. I, p. 51, no. 150a. Both the obverse and reverse legends are in retrograde.

A silver denarius of Domitian as Caesar under Vespasian dating to the year AD 79 (Reece period 4). PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS reverse type depicting Spes standing right, resting on column, feeding a snake out of a patera. Mint of Rome. Cf. RIC Vol. II (Second edition), p. 136, no. 1084. The obverse legend is in retrogade.

Discussion

The group consists of three silver Roman denarii ranging in date from 68 BC - AD 79. The composition of the group appears typical of Roman denarius hoards found in Britain (Cf. SWYOR-9A0FFD, HESH-70C170). Furthermore, the republican and the Augustan coins both exhibit wear and patination consistent with coins from a first or second century denarius hoard. Silver coins of the Roman Republic continued in use as currency until the beginning of the second century AD, when they were withdrawn under the emperor Trajan ( AD 98 - 117). A single cast contemporary copy of a denarius of Septimius Severus (SOM-A0AD17) from the same field was previously reported to the PAS in 2011 and this may represent an associated find, although under the terms of the Treasure Act 1996 it cannot retrospectively be declared Treasure.

The coins were found individually over the course of approximately one year, however, all three were reported to the PAS as part of a larger assemblage of metal detected finds on the same day. According to the finders the coins were found within close proximity of one another, within a c. 30 - 60m radius. This is well within the established scatter zone for Roman coin hoards. Cf. SOM-6E89B0, SOM-111833 & SOM-B72B90 which constitute the original find, plus two addenda of a hoard of Roman siliquae found scattered over a 40m radius & WILT-5E83F4 which was distributed over a maximum radius of 155m.

Metal Content

Roman silver coinage from the late first century BC to the early second century AD usually exhibited a purity of c. 90 - 98% silver. Under the terms of the Treasure Act 1996 coin hoards must consist of at least two coins each comprising a minimum of 10% precious metal.

Conclusion

In conclusion, on the balance of probabilities, the coins belong together as a hoard and constitute a prima facie case of treasure by being silver coins consisting of more than 10% precious metal content of an antiquity greater than 300 years.