🥇 BANNER A Saxon Site - Day 6 - But started on 4 new fields - VERY RARE GALBA !!!

CRUSADER · Oct 19, 2015

Yesterday Land-Mag kindly took me out for a 2 hour scout of 4 new fields (never tried). Our research had 1 of the 4 fields as a possible Roman Site. We called this field the No.1 Site, as it was the first we tried & I found a No.1 Shooting position Peg. There was quite a bit of Roman Pottery but no metal finds. :icon_scratch:

We moved next door & found another site covered in pottery but I only had 1 Roman Coin. Finished the 2 hours with picture 1 (1 coin, 1 button, 1 thimble).
Cru'Dad & I returned this morning & after 40 minutes crossed off another of the fields with Cru'Dads Will III love token being the only find.
We then tried the biggest field & we soon realised this was a bust. So in desperation I jumped the ditch back into the No.1 field & was going to give it one last try before we left for Lunch. I was guided to this area, because of the curving ditch, & within 40 paces I got a Roman Silver (Sept Sev). 'Great' I thought, saved the day. Cru'Dad & I then gridded this area & before you know it, another silver popped up but this time we could tell it was special. :thumbsup:

Only 1 other scrappy came out before we left for lunch.
We then moved to the Saxon Site & did another 2 hours with 2 hammered! (5 hour total day)

Livery Button
Medieval Lead Button
Barrel Tap Key
1 Scrappy yesterday & 1 today
Jetton
2 Roman Iron Lock pieces + a nail
17th-18th C Leather Mount
Tudor Book Clasp
Small bit of Medieval Annular Brooch
Tudor Clothes Fastener - St John
Will III Sixpence - Love Token
Charles I Halfgroat 1634-35
Henry III Cut Farthing
Sept Sev Denarius
Very Rare (R2 rated with 15 known at time of publish) Denarius of Galba AD68, minted in Tarraco, modern day Tarragona in Spain. For travelling that far its in specimen condition. :icon_thumright:

This is my best coin find this year! :headbang:

UPDATE:
(Dads research)
Galba’s first “Imp” coins started early Apr 68 during his joining the revolt against Nero and he came fully to power after Nero’s suicide on 9 Jun 68. However, he only lasted to15 Jan 69 when he was assassinated. So his coins with IMP were only minted for 9 months (not a couple of years) with your type being the first in a non-roman style due to using a Spanish regional mint with no portraiture available. These came later when the Rome mint crafted and used his features on coins minted after his acceptance as Emperor by the Senate

FURTHER UPDATE:
British Museum response:This is a rare coin. We have 53 denarii of Galba recorded on the PAS database but none of that type. We have two similar specimens in the BM collection.

IAMZIM · Oct 22, 2015

Congratz on Banner!

CRUSADER · Oct 22, 2015

bill from lachine said:
Cru,

Congratulations on banner.....with the rarity factor it should be worth some serious money.

Regards + HH

Bill

Only if your interested in money.

ggossage · Oct 22, 2015

CRUSADER said:
Further Update:

Added to top as well. The British Museum have 2 but none yet recorded on the PAS database.

Well found and well earned Cru! So this specimen will end up in the museum? Look for more of those curved ditches!

CRUSADER · Oct 22, 2015

ggossage said:
Well found and well earned Cru! So this specimen will end up in the museum? Look for more of those curved ditches!

Not what I meant. We work closely with them & assuming the landowner agrees, the location will be shared with the British Museum. We directly record about 500 Roman coins a year & work closely with the BM experts. Not all owners want us to share with the archies, & in these cases those that don't want to share we encourage but abide by their wishes.
The Govt & museum have no legal right over this find & we have no obligation to record it, but we like to. Also as it's 'cash' value is irrelavent to me, it may one day end up free of charge in a Museum. But I'm not dead yet.

Gridwalker306 · Oct 22, 2015

And the legend of Crusader continues. I really enjoy seeing these rare finds and learning the history behind them.

Argentium · Oct 22, 2015

I am so thankful for all of the members from Europe , Scandinavia , Russia , the United Kingdom , etc . Those of us here in the United States
are massively enriched by the History that is associated with these Ancient and Medieval finds - That's not to say that our young country
doesn't also contribute with rare and very significant finds - just expressing my gratitude !

UnderMiner · Oct 23, 2015

Forget the banner, this discovery of yours is historically significant. A very rare coin, found in a very unlikely place, from a very turbulent time. Better than finding a box of gold nuggets in my opinion. :icon_king:

ggossage · Oct 23, 2015

CRUSADER said:
Not what I meant. We work closely with them & assuming the landowner agrees, the location will be shared with the British Museum. We directly record about 500 Roman coins a year & work closely with the BM experts. Not all owners want us to share with the archies, & in these cases those that don't want to share we encourage but abide by their wishes.
The Govt & museum have no legal right over this find & we have no obligation to record it, but we like to. Also as it's 'cash' value is irrelavent to me, it may one day end up free of charge in a Museum. But I'm not dead yet.

Thank you for the explanation!

Guest 1551 · Oct 23, 2015

YOU ARE UNFREAKING REAL!! I'm a member of the National Junior Classical League. (bunch of Latin and Roman history nerds) I LOVE your coins! The Septimius Severus coin is amazing let alone the Galba!! You are so cool. I'm soooo jealous. It's a dream of mine to go to Europe and find a Roman coin.

Silver Tree Chaser · Oct 23, 2015

Congratulations on the recovery of such a rare and beautiful coin. Who needs gold, when you can dig silver like that?

hogge · Oct 24, 2015

I see where you only "average" 3 Banner finds a year. Congrats on another! Hogge

hogge · Oct 24, 2015

CRUSADER said:
Only if your interested in money.

Never crossed MY mind. :laughing9:

CRUSADER · Oct 24, 2015

Donneybrook said:
YOU ARE UNFREAKING REAL!! I'm a member of the National Junior Classical League. (bunch of Latin and Roman history nerds) I LOVE your coins! The Septimius Severus coin is amazing let alone the Galba!! You are so cool. I'm soooo jealous. It's a dream of mine to go to Europe and find a Roman coin.

As a 'Junior' I guess your pretty joung so you will have plenty of time to research where you go & to save the money. One of my dreams was to catch a 100lb + Catfish. I did my homework & went to Spain, got the right guide, & my first fish was 112lbs & the 3 of us had 4 over 100lbs in 1 week. Not returned yet but dream achieved. :thumbsup:

PS. Make sure you don't break any Laws because if coming to the UK, you need an Export Licience.

CRUSADER · Oct 24, 2015

hogge said:
Never crossed MY mind.

We had these talks before; we have a different focus. Its your right to sell your stuff & my right to collect. As someone who collects, I buy off people like you, so I'm not against it.

swamp yankee · Oct 24, 2015

Congrats on some great finds,makes you happy when the "eggheads" compliment you on your stuff,eh?....

CRUSADER · Oct 25, 2015

swamp yankee said:
Congrats on some great finds,makes you happy when the "eggheads" compliment you on your stuff,eh?....

Not sure it makes me that more happy, most the time they tell us what we know. What makes me happy is knowing we had a really rare one when I found it & hardly being able to wait to get home to find out exactly how rare.
Compliments are nice but not important, what is important is Cru'Dad & I hold some of the best records & when we are allow to share them we do. Like I said in the arrowhead thread, both parties benefit from the knowledge shared.