A chef has found one of the largest troves of Roman coins ever. This is the largest treasure ever found in an urn in England, containing 52,500 Roman coins of various denominations.
Dave Crisp, a chef with a passion for finding metal objects in the ground, was trying to dig a metal-signaling hole in a field near Frome, Somerset when he discovered an earthen pot. Kiln filled with coins from the third century AD. The coins were contained in a 160kg metal jar, estimated to be worth about four years’ salary of a Roman legionary.
Immediately, he sought and asked for help from archaeologists to avoid damage. They carefully excavated the jar, determining that it was a huge treasure with 52,500 coins and worth up to 1 million USD (more than 24 billion VND).
Experts participating in the excavation gave praise to Mr. Crisp. Anna Booth, Somerset Finds Liaison Officer, said: “The discovery at Frome stands out as a fairy tale, mainly because Dave Crisp reported it immediately to his local coroner that”.
“This means we can excavate the site in its original, undisturbed state. Mr. Crisp participated in the process with us, even camping there one night with his grandson to ensure that the site was safe overnight.”
According to Anna Booth, the jar containing the treasure is just a normal jar, used to store food with a total weight of 160kg. It is known that these coins date from the years 253 to 293, and most are made of silver or copper.
Previously, the Staffordshire Hoard of Saxon treasure brought finder Terry Herbert 1.3 million pounds (more than 40 billion VND). However, Booth insists it is too early to know how much Mr Crisp will profit from his discovery. “I can’t comment on the coin’s value, partly because I don’t know and also because there are too many variables. It will depend on the number of rare coins and their condition.”
Whatever the value of this money, it has great historical value, including coins minted by 21 emperors and three emperors’ wives. Famous rulers include Gallenius, Diocletian and Maximian, but perhaps more interesting are the 766 coins depicting the infamous Carausius, a brutal ruler who ruled Britain and the northern regions of Gaul from 286 -293 AD. Carausius’ coins are rarely found in hoards.