Oldest Coin to Date! Its a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

[DrJoePrime]

Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

Quite a surprise in my scoop yesterday afternoon.

Back at my Southern California Erosion Beach ... things have been slow here getting the occasional wheatie but Silver more elusive. Yesterday afternoon I did pick up a Merc and Rosie but then got a bit of a shock when I pulled out this copper Roman coin.

I recognize it for a Roman coin since I've dabbled cleaning some purchases from eBay back about 5 years ago ..but this is my FIRST find in the field (.. beach). If anybody can give me a date I'd be pretty pleased (otherwise I'll have to do some dreaded research).

Gotta love this hobby ..who can predict what we will find?

Anyone across the pond seen similar? I know I've seen the large crown rays but that was back aboutr 5 years ago. I don't imagine this one is all that rare..or is it?

HH Joe

PS: oh yeah the Merc's a '43 and Rosie a '59 ...also not pictured I pocketed a couple '50's wheaties.

 

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[{Sentinel}]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

It looks like it might be a widows mite.....one of our brethren across the pond will know for sure though

 

[extractor]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

 

[Mackaydon]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

Tetricus with radiant crown
TETRICVS CAESAR
The coin may be an 'antoninianus'.
Age: about the early 270s AD, depending on TET I or TET II

 

[hammered]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

Tetricus with radiant crown
TETRICVS CAESAR
The coin may be an 'antoninianus'.
Age: about the early 270s AD, depending on TET I or TET II

Hi Joe, I think Mac nailed this one, but I think Cru or SS will be able to give a definite answer. For now I think it looks very close to this one http://www.yorkcoins.com/images/BR321X2.jpg

"BR321 - The Gallic Empire, Tetricus II, Caesar (A.D. 270-273), AE Antoninianus, 2.97g., radiate draped bust right, rev., Spes advancing left, SPES AVGG (RIC 270; Braithwell Report #184

hh

hammered

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

Tetricus with radiant crown
TETRICVS CAESAR
The coin may be an 'antoninianus'.
Age: about the early 270s AD, depending on TET I or TET II

Hi Joe, I think Mac nailed this one, but I think Cru or SS will be able to give a definite answer. For now I think it looks very close to this one http://www.yorkcoins.com/images/BR321X2.jpg

"BR321 - The Gallic Empire, Tetricus II, Caesar (A.D. 270-273), AE Antoninianus, 2.97g., radiate draped bust right, rev., Spes advancing left, SPES AVGG (RIC 270; Braithwell Report #184

hh

hammered

no need for my help

 

[chukers]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

So now figure why/how is it in California...

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

So now figure why/how is it in California...

lots of Roman coins have been found in the US (although not a common find), lots of collectors over there

 

[DrJoePrime]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

Special thanks to Mac and Hammered.

I do believe this is a Tetricus II it weighs in at 2.45g. I'm studying all the Tet II's from the Braithwell hoard and enjoying myself immensely .

Here's the Link: http://www.yorkcoins.com/braithwell_hoard.htm


Thanks all, Joe

 

[Mackaydon]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

Dr. Joe;
You're welcome; now when are you going to invite me up there to hunt that site with you??
Don.......

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

crusader, you say: " .......... lots of collectors over there". What?? Are you implying that this was a modern "pocket loss" and not lost ~ 2000 yrs. ago? Why SURELY this can only mean that the Romans were here before the Chinese, before the vikings, and ... heck, maybe even the predecessors of the native indians here. I mean, c'mon, you can't argue with firm archaeological proof like THIS, right?

Seriously now: You're right: people have ..... for as long as human nature is involved, collected souvineers from the places they visit. For example: Soldiers returning from WWI and WWII brought home European coins as souvineers. They end up around baracks and military housing of that era here. And ancient coins became "vogue" to collect and have, even back in the 1800s, as the British started their crude archaeological diggings in the ancient worlds back then (pryamaids, in Greece, etc...). And yes, there is nothing to stop these "curios" items from getting lost in a modern place. While rare, it can happen. When I was a kid for example, detecting in my mid 1950s era tract home neighborhood, I found a foreign silver coin from the mid 1800s. This one just happened to be in a bezzle, so I could immediately deduce that it was a modern loss. But if, for example, it had been something that had fallen out of the bezzle (or a collector who was fumble fingers getting out of his car or whatever), I might have thought "gee, I guess there was a person walking through these fields 100 yrs. before this neighborhood and side of town even existed!" doh!

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

crusader, you say: " .......... lots of collectors over there". What?? Are you implying that this was a modern "pocket loss" and not lost ~ 2000 yrs. ago? Why SURELY this can only mean that the Romans were here before the Chinese, before the vikings, and ... heck, maybe even the predecessors of the native indians here. I mean, c'mon, you can't argue with firm archaeological proof like THIS, right?

Seriously now: You're right: people have ..... for as long as human nature is involved, collected souvineers from the places they visit. For example: Soldiers returning from WWI and WWII brought home European coins as souvineers. They end up around baracks and military housing of that era here. And ancient coins became "vogue" to collect and have, even back in the 1800s, as the British started their crude archaeological diggings in the ancient worlds back then (pryamaids, in Greece, etc...). And yes, there is nothing to stop these "curios" items from getting lost in a modern place. While rare, it can happen. When I was a kid for example, detecting in my mid 1950s era tract home neighborhood, I found a foreign silver coin from the mid 1800s. This one just happened to be in a bezzle, so I could immediately deduce that it was a modern loss. But if, for example, it had been something that had fallen out of the bezzle (or a collector who was fumble fingers getting out of his car or whatever), I might have thought "gee, I guess there was a person walking through these fields 100 yrs. before this neighborhood and side of town even existed!" doh!

In fact some Romans collected Greek coins, not heard of it before that period though.

 

[Patrol]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

Still, who would wander around with 1800 year old coins in their pockets? I agree that a Roman coin in California would be a stretch, but the East Coast may have someone wondering if it was a 'real' find. Teenagers are travelling around the world in small boats, every day someone is crossing the Atlantic in a small boat during the season for travel. The ocean has not changed in two thousand years. It's exactly the same and the dangers of nature are not diminished by technology. Granted navigation has improved dramatically but the ancients knew East from West and North from South. Sailing the Atlantic ocean requires very little in navigation skills as opposed to sailing around islands, shoals, etc. It's basically a straight shot. The British used to say "sail south until the butter melts then turn west". That's the directions to the Americas and the deduced the way back by knowing the currents and wind go east in the northern Atlantic. One big circle.

I know it is politically incorrect these days but I would not discount that other Europeans had made it to our shores before the Spanish or even the Vikings.

Tom

 

[Mackaydon]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

Tom:'
You might enjoy reading Gavin Menzies book, "1491 The Year China Discovered America"
ISBN 0-06-054094-X.
Don.....

 

[dave wiseman]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

One could buy all the roman coins they wanted in ephemera stores in Manhattan,New York back in the 1950's-60's.Most of the one's I recall were silver and they were at the cash register counter,unsorted in an open box..hundreds of them.

 

[DrJoePrime]

Re: Oldest Coin to Date! It's a ROMAN Coin in So Cal!

I have no doubts that this coin most likely came out of the pocket of a little kid who "borrowed" the coin from his parent's collection.

On a close-by beach I've found in the dry sand a Silver dollar and also an Indian Head penny. I suspect those too came out of recent pocket drop...still a kick to find and still considered "finds."

HH Joe