REVIEW: ANCIENT COINS & ANTIQUITIES: 5 DECEMBER

A two-year labour of love culminated in the uncovering of a late Roman hoard of coins near Fakenham in Norfolk, the first tranche of which has just sold over estimate for £15,285 at Noonans on December 5.

Later dubbed the Colkirk Hoard after the find spot, it came to light after a metal detectorist searching a field in January 2020 found a silver coin – a siliqua from the late Roman period. That day he uncovered 40 coins, returning the following day and uncovering another 40.

Ongoing searches were restricted by Covid lockdowns and it took two years before all 432 silver coins eventually uncovered were found, each one plotted using a GPS unit.

Nigel Mills, Coin & Artefact Specialist at Noonans, said: “The hoard had in fact spread out over a third of an acre through disturbance by ploughing and has been recorded under the Treasure Act and returned to the finder after being disclaimed.”

Mr Mills’ assessment is that the hoard was probably deposited at the beginning of the 5th century AD; the latest coin included, of Honorius, dates to no later than 402AD.

“Other Roman treasure finds of gold and silver also from East Anglia such as the Hoxne and Thetford hoards reflect the wealth and importance of the area.”

Of the 73 coins presented in this sale, the most interesting was an excessively rare presentation silver Third Miliarensis issued by Theodosius in 380AD. On its reverse is a Phoenix standing on a globe with the legend PERPETVETAS.

“At this time the empire was ruled jointly by Gratian, his half-brother Valentinian II, and Theodosius, so this coin together with an example of each of the other two co-emperors could have provided a donative payment of a Miliarensis celebrating a military victory,” said Mr Mills. “This coin is only the fifth known specimen (the other four are in museums) so this is the only one available to buy.”

Estimated at £2,000-2,600, it sold for £3,400.

Other highlights included a siliqua for Eugenius (392-394) at £650.

The sale also included other notable metal detectorist finds. The Sutton Scotney Iron Age bronze horse brooch dating to the 1st Century BC sold for £4,200 against an estimate of £2,000-3,000.

“Only two brooches for a horse harness are recorded from the UK and these are both enamelled; they are cast in two pieces, with the brooch as the upper part combined with a hinged lower part,” said Mr Mills. “This one had been found at Sutton Scotney in Hampshire and did well because of its exceptional quality and rarity.”