Thornbury Hoard
Encyclopedia
The Thornbury Hoard is a hoard
of 11,460 silver Roman coins
, mainly radiates
and nummi
, dating from 260 to 348, found in the back garden
of Ken Allen in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire
, England
while digging a pond
in March 2004. It was described as the "third largest of its kind" found in Great Britain
.
—which had been damaged in the ground.
Allen reported the find and took it to Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
where it was weighed in at 28.6 kg (63.1 lb), and "took two people to lift the bucket it had been collected in". For the most part, the coins were readily identified after drying and chemical treatment.
At an inquest, the Coroner declared the hoard Treasure
and a valuation committee subsequently valued it at £40,000. Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery acquired the hoard, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
, the Headley Museums Treasure Acquisition Scheme, and other organisational funding.
in 260; the latest being struck in 348, during the Constantinian dynasty
. However, 98% were minted in the 330s and were one of three types of nummus called a "Gloria Exercitus", meaning "to the glory of the army" – either carrying an obverse
design of "two soldiers with legionary
standards" or one of two commemorative
types depicting the Roman
capitals of Rome
and Constantinople
. Two of the coins were called Two Victories as they depicted two images of Victoria
, the Roman goddess of victory.
Of the total number of coins, only seven were classified as illegible; 49 were classified as barbarous
, or imitations.
The find was compared in size and constitution to those of the Nether Compton
(22,670 coins) and Bishopswood (17,548 coins) hoards, found in 1989 and 1895 respectively.
Hoard
In archaeology, a hoard is a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground. This would usually be with the intention of later recovery by the hoarder; hoarders sometimes died before retrieving the hoard, and these surviving hoards may be uncovered by...
of 11,460 silver Roman coins
Roman currency
The Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus , the denarius , the sestertius , the dupondius , and the as...
, mainly radiates
Radiate (coin)
The radiate or Post-reform radiate , was introduced by Diocletian during his reforms. It looked very similar to an Antoninianus even with a radiated crown like Sol Invictus, except it misses the XXI that numismatists believe was to represent 20 parts bronze to 1 part silver...
and nummi
Nummus
Nummus , plural nummi is a Latin term meaning "coin", but used technically for a range of low-value copper coins issued by the Roman and Byzantine empires during late Antiquity....
, dating from 260 to 348, found in the back garden
Back garden
A back garden is a residential garden located at the rear of a property, on the other side of the house from the public street-side entrance and front garden.-Number and size of back gardens:In Britain there are over 10 million back gardens....
of Ken Allen in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire
Thornbury, South Gloucestershire
Thornbury is a market town in South Gloucestershire, England, approximately 12 miles north of the city of Bristol, with a population of 12,342 at the 2001 UK census. The town hosts South Gloucestershire Council headquarters and is twinned with Bockenem in Germany. Thornbury is a Britain in Bloom...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
while digging a pond
Garden pond
A garden pond is a water feature constructed in a garden or designed landscape, normally for aesthetic purposes and/or to provide wildlife habitat.-Habitat:...
in March 2004. It was described as the "third largest of its kind" found in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Discovery, treatment and valuation
The hoard was discovered by Ken Allen while digging a pond in his back garden. The coins were in a coarse grey ware decorated pot measuring 40–50 cm (15.7–19.7 in) high—thought to have originated in Caldicot, MonmouthshireCaldicot, Monmouthshire
Caldicot is a small town in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales, located between Chepstow and Newport, just off the busy M4 / M48 motorway corridor. The site adjoins the Caldicot Levels, on the north side of the Severn estuary. Caldicot has easy access by motorway and rail to Cardiff, and across the...
—which had been damaged in the ground.
Allen reported the find and took it to Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
The Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery is a large museum and art gallery in Bristol, England. It is run by the city council with no entrance fee. It holds designated museum status, granted by the national government to protect outstanding museums...
where it was weighed in at 28.6 kg (63.1 lb), and "took two people to lift the bucket it had been collected in". For the most part, the coins were readily identified after drying and chemical treatment.
At an inquest, the Coroner declared the hoard Treasure
Treasure trove
A treasure trove may broadly be defined as an amount of money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion found hidden underground or in places such as cellars or attics, where the treasure seems old enough for it to be presumed that the true owner is dead and the heirs undiscoverable...
and a valuation committee subsequently valued it at £40,000. Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery acquired the hoard, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
, the Headley Museums Treasure Acquisition Scheme, and other organisational funding.
Items discovered
The hoard was said to be the "third largest of its kind" and consisted of 11,449 base silver nummi and 11 silver radiates, the earliest dating from during the reign of GallienusGallienus
Gallienus was Roman Emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the Empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis...
in 260; the latest being struck in 348, during the Constantinian dynasty
Constantinian dynasty
The Constantinian dynasty is an informal name for the ruling family of the Roman Empire from Constantius Chlorus to the death of Julian in 363. It is named after its most famous member, Constantine the Great who became the sole ruler of the empire in 324...
. However, 98% were minted in the 330s and were one of three types of nummus called a "Gloria Exercitus", meaning "to the glory of the army" – either carrying an obverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
design of "two soldiers with legionary
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
standards" or one of two commemorative
Commemorative coin
Commemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue. Most world commemorative coins were issued from the 1960s onward, although there are numerous examples of commemorative coins of earlier date. Such coins have a distinct design with reference to the...
types depicting the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
capitals of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. Two of the coins were called Two Victories as they depicted two images of Victoria
Victoria (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion, Victoria was the personified goddess of victory. She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Nike, and was associated with Bellona. She was adapted from the Sabine agricultural goddess Vacuna and had a temple on the Palatine Hill...
, the Roman goddess of victory.
Of the total number of coins, only seven were classified as illegible; 49 were classified as barbarous
Barbarous radiate
Barbarous radiates are imitations of the antoninianus, a type of coin issued during the Roman Empire, which are so named due to their crude style and prominent radiate crown worn by the emperor....
, or imitations.
The find was compared in size and constitution to those of the Nether Compton
Nether Compton
Nether Compton is a small village in north west Dorset, England, situated 3 miles west of Sherborne and 3 miles east of Yeovil.The village has an estimated population of 300 .-History: Nether Compton was burnt in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy....
(22,670 coins) and Bishopswood (17,548 coins) hoards, found in 1989 and 1895 respectively.
| Reign | Date range | № of coins | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallienus Gallienus Gallienus was Roman Emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the Empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis... |
260–268 | 2 | radiate Radiate (coin) The radiate or Post-reform radiate , was introduced by Diocletian during his reforms. It looked very similar to an Antoninianus even with a radiated crown like Sol Invictus, except it misses the XXI that numismatists believe was to represent 20 parts bronze to 1 part silver... |
|
| Claudius II Claudius II Claudius II , commonly known as Claudius Gothicus, was Roman Emperor from 268 to 270. During his reign he fought successfully against the Alamanni and scored a crushing victory against the Goths at the Battle of Naissus. He died after succumbing to a smallpox plague that ravaged the provinces of... |
268–270 | 1 | radiate | |
| Tetricus I Tetricus I Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus was Emperor of the Gallic Empire from 271 to 274, following the murder of Victorinus. Tetricus, who ruled with his son, Tetricus II, was the last of the Gallic emperors following his surrender to the Roman emperor Aurelian.-Reign:Tetricus was a senator born to a noble... /II Tetricus II Caius Pius Esuvius Tetricus was the son of Tetricus I, Emperor of the Gallic Empire .... |
271–274 | 6 | radiate | |
| Carausius Carausius Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Valerius Carausius was a military commander of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century. He was a Menapian from Belgic Gaul, who usurped power in 286, declaring himself emperor in Britain and northern Gaul. He did this only 13 years after the Gallic Empire of the Batavian... |
287–293 | 1 | radiate | |
| – | – | 1 | barbarous radiate Barbarous radiate Barbarous radiates are imitations of the antoninianus, a type of coin issued during the Roman Empire, which are so named due to their crude style and prominent radiate crown worn by the emperor.... |
|
| Constantine I Constantine I Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all... |
313–317 | 13 | nummi Nummus Nummus , plural nummi is a Latin term meaning "coin", but used technically for a range of low-value copper coins issued by the Roman and Byzantine empires during late Antiquity.... |
inc 2 nummus fractions |
| Constantine II Constantine II (emperor) Constantine II , was Roman Emperor from 337 to 340. Co-emperor alongside his brothers, his short reign saw the beginnings of conflict emerge between the sons of Constantine the Great, and his attempt to exert his perceived rights of primogeniture ended up causing his death in a failed invasion of... |
318–330 | 59 | nummi | |
| Constantinian Constantinian dynasty The Constantinian dynasty is an informal name for the ruling family of the Roman Empire from Constantius Chlorus to the death of Julian in 363. It is named after its most famous member, Constantine the Great who became the sole ruler of the empire in 324... |
330–335 | 11,232 | nummi | Gloria Exercitus (2 commemorative Commemorative coin Commemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue. Most world commemorative coins were issued from the 1960s onward, although there are numerous examples of commemorative coins of earlier date. Such coins have a distinct design with reference to the... standards) |
| Constantinian | 335–340 | 87 | nummi | Gloria Exercitus (legionary Roman legion A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"... standard) |
| Constantinian | 341–348 | 2 | nummi | Two Victories Victoria (mythology) In ancient Roman religion, Victoria was the personified goddess of victory. She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Nike, and was associated with Bellona. She was adapted from the Sabine agricultural goddess Vacuna and had a temple on the Palatine Hill... |
| – | – | 49 | barbarous nummi | |
| – | – | 7 | uncertain | illegible |