Roman Coin from the United States!?!?!? If so...I am amazed!

HomeGuardDan · Jun 22, 2014

OK - disclaimer first - I hope my reputation speaks for itself. I am a hard hunter and very knowledgeable of relics from the states and also am very honest and never try to pull the wool over the eyes of people. Due to this I was almost not going to post this as I am sure the backlash that it will potentially create.

I went back to the water again this evening to a very remote site that was the location of an early 1600's wharf. There are no roads or homes (no home has been here since the civil war). I paddled to the spot that has yielded early coins and buttons over the past couple of years along with other odds and ends.

While detecting I first dug a couple of early musket balls and then unearthed a nice flat button. A short distance later I dug what I initially thought was a small flat button, then when I saw the bust, immediately thought a freaking Lincoln penny (as it is about the same size though much thinner). After looking at it I realized that the bust was that of a cesar. I then began to think early hammered coin of some sort as the site is of the appropriate age - however after not finding a match I did see a few roman coins that looked similar. Finally I found a basic match Constantin II (Constantinus Cesar 321-324)!!!!!!

The coin looks right, but I am no expert on these things so I hope plenty of our friends from across the pond will chime in on this. I do know of some roman coins and other EARLY foreign coins found at early colonial sites from time to time, though very rare.

I ended the day with a nice early (probably 19th century) brass spigot and pocket knife and other various lead odds and ends. This site also saw some activity from the civil war and I have found a few three ringers there from time to time.

HH

On cloud nine (for now)

Dan

CRUSADER · Jun 23, 2014

Yeap a coin of the middle 4th C.

Red James Cash · Jun 23, 2014

Never know,a celtic bronze dagger was found in an native american shell mound,a roman oil lamp was also found in a native american shell mound.

HomeGuardDan · Jun 23, 2014

CRUSADER said:
Yeap a coin of the middle 4th C.

Cru I was waiting for you to chime in and between your thoughts and the thoughts of a few others I know across the pond - I am now on cloud 9!

WheatCent · Jun 23, 2014

you got some awesome finds

CRUSADER · Jun 23, 2014

HomeGuardDan said:
Cru I was waiting for you to chime in and between your thoughts and the thoughts of a few others I know across the pond - I am now on cloud 9!

The Wreath reverse had a couple of Emporers from the 'Constantine family', this is from the top of my head, its includes Crispus & Constantius II. Better pictures & Dad will ID.

HomeGuardDan · Jun 23, 2014

CRUSADER said:
The Wreath reverse had a couple of Emporers from the 'Constantine family', this is from the top of my head, its includes Crispus & Constantius II. Better pictures & Dad will ID.

Thanks - will try and take some better ones later today and post.

jewelerguy · Jun 23, 2014

very interesting find with the Roman looking coin. would be nice to see it all cleaned up

Bill D. (VA) · Jun 23, 2014

Although finding roman coins is a common occurrence in the UK, it's extremely rare for an authentic one to show up here in the states. Based on that, I'd say this has to be considered a banner find. My vote is in.

HomeGuardDan · Jun 23, 2014

jewelerguy said:
very interesting find with the Roman looking coin. would be nice to see it all cleaned up

It is about as cleaned up as it will get. This was a water find, so there is no dirt or anything attached to it - just simply well worn, discolored, though for over 1,000 years old, not too shabby

beez0404 · Jun 23, 2014

Dan, I hope your coin turns out to be an actual Roman coin that is 1800 years old. I would be tickled for you. It would turn my imagination on full blast thinking of all the possible ways (and there are many) it ended up where you found it. What really catches my eye though is the spigot. That is a beautiful find. Excellent hunting.

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HomeGuardDan · Jun 23, 2014

beez0404 said:
Dan, I hope your coin turns out to be an actual Roman coin that is 1800 years old. I would be tickled for you. It would turn my imagination on full blast thinking of all the possible ways (and there are many) it ended up where you found it. What really catches my eye though is the spigot. That is a beautiful find. Excellent hunting.

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Thanks Beez - it looks to be confirmed to be an actual roman coin!

Plumbata · Jun 23, 2014

Great find! I'm leaning toward it being an accidental ballast stowaway or a nifty curiosity someone had to take along. Reminds me of the story of an ancient roman figurine head being unearthed in a c. 1500 Aztec burial. It may have been a silly hoax/joke, or may indeed have been brought by the early Spanish explorers and traded/given to the locals. Some suggest that it is evidence of Ancient Roman Trans-Atlantic trade contact but I'm not convinced. Just as one can often find Native American artifacts in 19th century outhouse pits and dumpsites, it makes sense that the more inquisitive types in the past would take an interest in the detritus of ancient eras and distribute the artifacts far beyond their original range.

joeyfresh · Jun 23, 2014

Bill D. (VA) said:
Although finding roman coins is a common occurrence in the UK, it's extremely rare for an authentic one to show up here in the states. Based on that, I'd say this has to be considered a banner find. My vote is in.

People on these forums have found Roman coins in parking lots in the US but being that this was found at an early colonial American site and the thought that an early colonist may have lost it sends tingles down my spine. I just imagine someone loading a ship at a British port before setting sail to Virginia and seeing the coin sticking out of the mud by ship and picking it up. For this, I vote banner......if I can figure out how to do it on my phone.

HomeGuardDan · Jun 23, 2014

Plumbata said:
Great find! I'm leaning toward it being an accidental ballast stowaway or a nifty curiosity someone had to take along. Reminds me of the story of an ancient roman figurine head being unearthed in a c. 1500 Aztec burial. It may have been a silly hoax/joke, or may indeed have been brought by the early Spanish explorers and traded/given to the locals. Some suggest that it is evidence of Ancient Roman Trans-Atlantic trade contact but I'm not convinced. Just as one can often find Native American artifacts in 19th century outhouse pits and dumpsites, it makes sense that the more inquisitive types in the past would take an interest in the detritus of ancient eras and distribute the artifacts far beyond their original range.

I agree 100%. I once found native american arrowheads in a civil war hut site, undoubtedly collected by a solider during a lull. This was most likely the same occurrence - though I just love the fact that I found something hundreds of years later that someone felt sick to loose - sort of a nice connection.

HomeGuardDan · Jun 23, 2014

joeyfresh said:
People on these forums have found Roman coins in parking lots in the US but being that this was found at an early colonial American site and the thought that an early colonist may have lost it sends tingles down my spine. I just imagine someone loading a ship at a British port before setting sail to Virginia and seeing the coin sticking out of the mud by ship and picking it up. For this, I vote banner......if I can figure out how to do it on my phone.

Thanks Joey - it def will go down as one of, if not my most favorite of finds. Bill already conceded the "oldest coin" contest for the year!

Hot zone · Jun 23, 2014

I found the connection! The Freemasons used ballast from the Themes mud when they brought the Ark of the covenant to the money pit on oak island... Some of this mud along with the coin got on a colonists mucky boots and was transported to your location... :occasion14:

HomeGuardDan · Jun 23, 2014

Hot zone said:
I found the connection! The Freemasons used ballast from the Themes mud when they brought the Ark of the covenant to the money pit on oak island... Some of this mud along with the coin got on a colonists mucky boots and was transported to your location...

Ha I like the way you think - but you also forgot to include that the bronze was mined from the same as the holy grail ha ha.

I suspect in the end it was just a coin collecting brit from the 1600's mulling over what he would do with this new found freedom and then opps...