Upchurch Hoard
Encyclopedia
The Upchurch Hoard was a pot containing thirty-seven Roman
sestertii
dating from the late 1st century to the second half of the 2nd century AD was found near the village of Upchurch
, Kent
, England
in 1950.
of well worn coins that were found close to Upchurch
in Kent, England. In the winter of 1950 a pot containing thirty-seven Roman sestertii
dating from the late 1st century to the second half of the 2nd century AD was found in the area known as Slay Hill Saltings or Marshes north-west of Upchurch. All the coins were fairly worn, indicating a long period of use, with the most recent Divus Aurelius and Faustina II in Very Fine condition, and those of Domitian
and Trajan
in Fine condition although some had corrosion and others with good surfaces. Judging from this, and the pot, which is a small bellied Olla
, a type typical for the area, the hoard was probably concealed sometime in the early 3rd century. Seventeen of the original thirty-seven coins are now missing; the remaining twenty are as follows (all sestertii): Domitian
1, Trajan
3, Hadrian
8, Antoninus Pius
2, Elder Faustina
1, Marcus Aurelius 3, Divus Aurelius 1, Faustina II: 1.
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...
sestertii
Sestertius
The sestertius, or sesterce, was an ancient Roman coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions...
dating from the late 1st century to the second half of the 2nd century AD was found near the village of Upchurch
Upchurch
Upchurch village is situated at the junction of numerous minor roads in the Swale district of Kent, England. It is a civil parish within Swale Borough Council, and the village centre is about 1 mile east of the boundary with the unitary authority of Medway.-History:Upchurch lay on a...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, 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...
in 1950.
Detail
The Upchurch Hoard is a hoardHoard
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 well worn coins that were found close to Upchurch
Upchurch
Upchurch village is situated at the junction of numerous minor roads in the Swale district of Kent, England. It is a civil parish within Swale Borough Council, and the village centre is about 1 mile east of the boundary with the unitary authority of Medway.-History:Upchurch lay on a...
in Kent, England. In the winter of 1950 a pot containing thirty-seven Roman sestertii
Sestertius
The sestertius, or sesterce, was an ancient Roman coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions...
dating from the late 1st century to the second half of the 2nd century AD was found in the area known as Slay Hill Saltings or Marshes north-west of Upchurch. All the coins were fairly worn, indicating a long period of use, with the most recent Divus Aurelius and Faustina II in Very Fine condition, and those of Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
and Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
in Fine condition although some had corrosion and others with good surfaces. Judging from this, and the pot, which is a small bellied Olla
Olla (Roman pot)
In ancient Roman culture, the olla is a squat, rounded pot or jar. An olla would be used primarily to cook or store food, hence the word “olla" is still used in some Romance languages for either a cooking pot or a dish in the sense of cuisine...
, a type typical for the area, the hoard was probably concealed sometime in the early 3rd century. Seventeen of the original thirty-seven coins are now missing; the remaining twenty are as follows (all sestertii): Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
1, Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
3, Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
8, Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius , also known as Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii. He did not possess the sobriquet "Pius" until after his accession to the throne...
2, Elder Faustina
Faustina the Elder
Annia Galeria Faustina, more familiarly referred to as Faustina I , was a Roman Empress and wife of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius.-Early life:...
1, Marcus Aurelius 3, Divus Aurelius 1, Faustina II: 1.