The silver and bronze ‘nummi’ coins, dating from between 240AD and 320AD, were discovered in a farmer’s field near Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, last month.
Finder Nick Davies, 30, was on his first treasure hunt when he discovered the coins, mostly crammed inside a buried 70lb clay pot.
Experts say the coins have spent an estimated 1,700 years underground.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Lucky guy! What will happen to the coins now, will they go to a museum? Will he be able to make any money from his huge find?
Well, if he lives in England, as he likely does, the coins (like all treasure found in the UK) automatically become property of the Queen, Regardless of who’s property they were found on. England sucks.
James, thats bullshit, most people get to keep the finds.
Whatever historical data that could have been taken from this find is now lost with the destruction of the context of the site.
Treasure hunting destroys archaeological sites and destroys historical knowledge. Human history should never be looted or dug up to sell to private collectors, and it should never be encouraged.
If the find is considered treasure trove then the Queen gets the item and it finds it way to a museum or the like but the finder gets full antiquarian value of objects.
If they consider it not treasure trove the finder gets the items back to do with as he sees fit.
I love history and think the more we find the more interesting the past gets.
@Cassie: If not for amateurs many discoveries wouldn’t be made at all.
Last time I read about a gold torc being found in the UK, the owner of the land and the finder shared the proceeds from a sale to British museum. If the land is public land, then the landowner is the queen.
Great find.
In England the proceeds of any sale must be split between landowner and finder – like James said.
I think that Russell Blevins is the worst person in the world. An incompetent man with no ethics or morals.
I found 2731 Roman gold coins in a farmer’s field but was smart enough not to tell anyone. I’ve gradually brought them to friends, a few at a time, in South America where they are being quietly sold on the black market. Fuck the Queen and fuck Russell Blevins whoever the hell the bloke is.
Although is is an amazing find for someone interested in history, those types of roman coins are fairly common and not worth alot. The worth in it’s does also depend who is on the coins, but mostly they are usually not worth much.
@james: You are the only person with good sense sir.
@Cassie: These coins were on a farm that has probably been cultivated and resoiled many many times, I really doubt that there were a whole lot of groundbreaking discoveries in the area. It’s true that most ancient artifacts belong in a museum, but ultimately they’re just objects, and most collectors like to show off their collection, so at least its being appreciated, and that’s all it would be doing in a museum anyway. If you want to get angry at someone for impeding human history get angry at the Catholic church. The Vatican archives are a travesty of lost information.
Let those who adventure have the fruits of their labor.
I have found that Russ Blevins is the biggest prick and lousiest fucking liar in human history.
I wish that Russ Blevins would quit ridiculing the Queen. Who is he to ask such questions about royalty?
I think that the Queen would refuse to fuck Russ Blevins because he is such a nasty bloke. I think she’d rather shag Vladi Putin if given the chance. And to hell with the gold coins.
I had an anus horribilis, too. Jeez, it were the worst anus I’d ever had. It was Russ Blevins’ one. Nasty ‘ole, that one.
{ 1 trackback }