What coins did I find, pirate stuff, ancient, lost collection?

smokeythecat

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Went to a new site with a buddy today. Hunted way too long and didn't eat much. Near the water, we were on an old, now long forgotten homestead. Lots of stuff, mainly 19th century. I found these little guys in the sandy soil. The two smallest ones are TINY, maybe 1/4". At first I thought they were trash, but now IMG_0495.webpIMG_0496.webpIMG_0491.webpIMG_0492.webpIMG_0493.webpIMG_0494.webp I think they are Roman. The others, I can't figure out. Both of those look hammered. They were all in a very small area of the site, maybe in a 10' x 10' area. I'm thinking a lost purse, collection or whatever. I'm not sure I have them right side up. I'll try digital microscope pics in the am. Thanks!

BTW way back in 1989, I was digging with someone else at a southern plantation site, the house long gone. My friend found FOUR Roman coins. I about had a cow. THEN I found a 6th Century AD Byzantine coin, which I still have. So I know this weird stuff happens, 2017-1989 = every 28 years???
 

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Congratualtions on the finds! :occasion14:
 

Whatever they are! Thanks. The Deus sucked them right out of the ground with the 9" High frequency coil at 78 mhz.
 

2nd row, coin on the far right has a portrait on it and the letters "A" and "R". Needs to be rotated 90 degrees to the left. With the zoom feature here I could figure that much out.
 

Here's the correct orientation of the obverse. IMG_0498.webp
 

No clue what you have recovered or how in the world it landed under your coil? I am flabbergasted at the old 1800's Canadian coins I have managed to recover here in the states and once even got an old 1800's coin from "Lithuania" I believe???? So as to what they are and how they got here will forever remain a mystery. Hopefully Cru or some other experienced hunter of such antiquated coinage will provide you a definitive identification on your tiny treasures. These little gems are why I really do try to dig every repeatable target. Targeting VDI numbers for the common coins will not get you these little wonders. Good recoveries on the little Hammies.:icon_thumright:
 

Thanks Kurios 1. They were apparently from the same source, possibly an old collection. Like the one we found 28 years ago. I think 28 years from now, I will be an old collection. And the one with "AR", that a man, or the ugliest woman I've even seen.
 

Yes. Definitely look Roman. Strange, how did they end up there. If they were lost in 19th Century I would guess it would have been a great loss for the owner as they were scarce back than. Great find in any case.
 

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I agree with you Aureus on the two little ones. The one with AR looks late Medieval. The other one has a round circle on one side and a stylized whale? or dolphin on the other? Yes, they cost a lot back then.
 

To me the first one looks to be a counterfeit repop.
As to how the old foreign coins end up here, I have my own theory. When persons immigrated here they brought all of their cash including coin. The stuff that did not trade here was cast off by them either just chucking it out as worthless currency or giving it to their kids as play money and it got lost. Just my own thoughts
 

very cool ! Maybe crusader will notice them and be able to id.
 

Cool finds! I got a 1200's Genghis Khan hammered bronze coin out of a tree yard in Greenville, SC, about 30 years ago, or was that 28, I don't know. A local guy here has found numerous Roman coins at a location in East TN, he won't tell me exactly where. You just never know.
 

Cool finds! I got a 1200's Genghis Khan hammered bronze coin out of a tree yard in Greenville, SC, about 30 years ago, or was that 28, I don't know. A local guy here has found numerous Roman coins at a location in East TN, he won't tell me exactly where. You just never know.

Genghis the Freakin' Khan! NO WAY! How totally flipping cool would that be?!? Id' love an Attila the Hun image on an old coin or better yet the head chopping sword he swung!:headbang:
 

I found a Roman bronze coin five years ago in a tot lot. So I know what a thrill it is.

You got to have a smile that won't come off for months.
 

IDs from Cru'dad on the 2 Roman Coins;

The left one looks like a Reverse of VIRTVS EXERCITI from AD 395-405 showing an Emperor holding Spear and shield about to be crowned by Victory standing left besides him. Could be the emperor Honorius but looks a bit more like ARCADIUS.

The other one looks like a GLORIA EXERCITVS 2 Soldier 1 Labarum from AD 337-342 of the Constantine family probably CONSTANS or CONSTANTINE II but also possibly CONSTANTIUS II.
 

Congrats on some very interesting coins, to be from this side of the pond.
 

Bramblefind, you nailed it on the two larger coins. Thank you. No matter how they got here, I now have THREE hammered not silver Spanish coins I dug. First was a maravedis from a local house site earlier this year. Now the Romans, the green one we might be able to identify, the tannish one, I doubt it. People keep everything, that's for sure.
 

Crusader, thank you. I would have no clue. I assume all of these are inexpensive types, but who cares? I just saw little discs of garbage on the little guys at first. I as apparently wrong.
 

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