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Description: | A single base metal Iron Age coin was found in October 2012 during the production of the television programme "Hoard Hunters" (an ITV studios production for the History Channel). The coin was recovered with the use of a metal-detector at a site thought by the finder to be that of an earlier find of Iron Age coins declared Treasure in 2004 (Treasure number 2004 T347).The coins is a debased uninscribed stater of a type traditionally associated with the Durotriges, a people thought to have inhabited an area covering the modern county of Dorset, parts of Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight during the late Iron Age. It dates to about 60 to 20 BC and belongs to a long sequence of struck silver and base metal staters commonly found in the area. These coins were initially struck in good silver (eg ABC 2157 / BMC 2525ff)[1] and eventually became debased to the point of being predominantly copper alloy in content (eg ABC 2173 / BMC 2790ff ). The coin concerned is poorly preserved but its low weight (1.49g) and base appearance suggests that it fits into the latter sequence.For this coin to satisfy the requirements of the Treasure Act it would have to be considered an addendum to the earlier treasure case 2004 T347. Although this coin is of the same type as the 142 Iron Age coins in the 2004 find, an examination of the grid references given for the respective finds suggests that this is unlikely to be the case given the distance between them (over 500 metres). Given that this is a relatively common type of coin and that it was found in an area of dense archaeological activity, there is no particular reason to suggest that it comes from the same find. It should also be noted that the finder is a different individual.RecommendationThis coin does not satisfy the various criteria of the Treasure Act. It is more than 300 years old and but consists of a single base metal coin not thought to be of the same find as a hoard discovered in 2004. I would therefore conclude that the present coin should not be regarded as treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act (1996).Dr Eleanor Ghey, Department of Coins and Medals, The British Museum, 6th February 2013[1] ABC= Cottam et al. Ancient British Coins, 2010BMC = Hobbs, British Iron Age Coins in the British Museum 1996
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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