The Weekend Wanderers Metal Detecting Club Picture Gallery

I’m not sure why I have started this story but I have a longing to do so. Well here I go hope you forgive me. My brother and I became members of the Weekend Wanderers a short time ago. Our first dig that we attended was the day of the fire at the oil terminal and all the way from Birmingham we were wondering if the Dig would still be on.

Well the field was easy to find, after we had sat in a queue that was waiting to get in the garage and we were pleased to see so many there. The two of us have been detecting for many years but because of circumstances we didn’t do any detecting for some time and so it was really nice to see all the diehards still keeping the hobby alive we thought how good it was to be back.

The field was a nice big one and you could see lots of frost the ground, it looked as if it was going to be hard to dig. Well we were given the off although not being as fit as some due to my health I didn’t go off as quickly as some. I was finding the normal buttons and so on then came time to go back for dinner when I looked back towards Trevor my brother’s car it looked miles away. I needed the exercise and I can not think of a better way of getting it.

After something to eat we set off again up the field then within a few yards I found my first coin in my fresh start at metal detecting it was only a Victorian silver 3d but it seemed such a lot to me. So off I go again with more vigour knowing my new machine was working ok and I was back to my old self.

The next find made me even happier a “Silver denarii” it was in a nice condition and after finding some more bits and pieces I found my second denarii and I was well pleased at the end of the dig I recorded my finds with Peter. I will put pictures with this letter and I would be grateful for any comments.

This coin is of Carausius and he was the admiral of the Classis Britannica (the Roman Navy in Britain). He was so successful, that he was accused of hoarding booty by the Roman Emperor Maximilian, and was forced to rebel to save his own life. He seized Britain and northern Gaul, and began building a network of forts called the Saxon Shore (which acted as a defence both against Saxon raiders and attempts by the Emperor to dislodge him).

However, by AD 293, the newly appointed Emperor, Constantius, was taking back his territories when Carausius was murdered by one on his own troops, Allectus. Allectus fell to Constantius three years later, who defeated him near Silchester, and prevented the retreating Franks from sacking London.

Steve Slack found the lovely coins pictured below on a recent very good Hertfordshire dig.

Steve says .... " the first roman silver is a julia maesa,the second Im struggling to identify perhaps one of the members could help."

Andrew Watson sent in the excellent pictures and text below of his recent finds from a club dig in Hertfordshire.

The first Denari is a republican one type : Man Acilius Glabrio Denarius. 49 BC. SALVTIS, head of Salus right / MN ACILIVS III VIR VALETV, Salus standing left holding serpent. Syd 922, Cr442/1a.

The other one is a imperial one type: Septimius Severus Denarius. Laodicea mint, 198-202 AD. L SEPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX, laureate head right / COS III P P, Victory advancing left holding wreath & palm. RSC 100.

Your coin is an excellent find. It is a sestercius of Anotnius Pius who ruled immediately after Marcus Aurelieus.
Remember the movie Gladiator? In historical fact Antonius Pius ruled during the most calm and prosperus period of the entire Empire. It was so calm and uneventful that fairly little was written about him. No scandals, big wars ect. He used the records of Marcus Aurelieus who traveled and fought over the whole empire to stay at home in Rome and rule.
If you have a mental picture of the ideal roman empire, this guy was the head honcho during it.

Paul tells me that the coin was found on a club dig in Buckinghamshire and the coin is is a Denarius of Sabina wife of Emperor Hadrian and dates from 127 - 138 AD.

The pictures below show some examples of the coins found in the Roman hoard found by our members on a club dig in September 2004. The coins are at present with David Williams our Surrey Finds Liaison Officer.

Thanks to Graham Carrington for sending me the pictures and text below of a recent Hampshire find.

Graham says "I thought you might be interested in the Denarius I found today, as I have looked it up and I.D'd it.
It is a Denarius Serratus, because of serrated edge. Thought to prevent clipping. Obverse,helmeted bust of Virtvs Right. Reverse,the consul man Aquillias raising sicilia. Date 71 B.C. My first Denarius and a republican too.
A lovely end to a hard days detecting ,but that's what its all about surprises.

This Minim is only 8mm across and in very good condition - AD 270-280. Small and perfectly formed.

A Denarius of Trajan with the reverse type being Felicitas standing left holding caduceus and cornucopiae. The reverse legend reads COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC, dating the coin to AD103-111 minted in Rome found in Buckinghamshire.

Gilles Belley found this very nice Sestertii on a recent club dig in Surrey.
I believe it to be Antoninus Pius AD138 - 161 but I'm sure you will correct me if I'm wrong!

Wayne has been a member for about 3 months and found the Denarius shown below on a recent club dig.

Club member Tony Stokes made some nice Roman finds at a recent Wanderers dig in Oxfordshire as the example below shows.

Wanderers member John had a good day recently having dug 53 non ferrous items from one of our Saturday digs.

The various Roman coins shown above were all found on the same day by John on a recent Wanderers dig.

Dave Shelley sent me the excellent picture below of a Denarius of Lucius Verus, 161-169 A.D. The Reverse shows Providence holding globe & cornucopiae. This was found within 15 mins of the off at a recent Wanderers dig.

Gerry sent me the picture below of the 8 Roman coins he found on 1 recent Weekend Wanderers dig in Buckinghamshire.

Many thanks to Ian Mason for sending me the picture below of one of his recent Roman finds.

Ian said " This was a fabulous site. The ground was very quiet with little or no junk. When a signal occurred it was usually something good. The coins unearthed were in superb condition, as the tiny example pictured shows.

Bill found this Denarius of Hadrian dated 117 - 138 AD at our recent Buckinghamshire dig.

Bruce Greaves was lucky enough to find the Silver Siliqua of Julian II with Wreath and Votis Legend on the reverse, dated 360 - 363 AD

This was Bruce's first Roman coin find and he found the coin with his Laser Rapier at a depth of about 6 inches.

Dave was the finder of the Roman Sestertious pictured below found on a recent Weekend Wanderers dig in Bedfordshire

Many Thanks to Archeologist Nick Cooke who identified this coin for us as a Marcus Aurelius dated 161 - 180 AD.

The pictures show the obverse and reverse of a Roman AE4

Obverse: legend = IVL CRISPVSNOB
Reverse: legend = BEATA TRANVILLITAS, picturing a globe on altar VOTIS XX

The coin comes from the reign of Flavius Julius Crispus, AD317-326, he was
the eldest son of Constantine the Great. The earlier coins depict him armed
(as this one). He was executed in AD326.

The coin shown below was another very nice find by Steve Riggs on one of our recent Oxfordshire digs.

The obverse and reverse of the same silver Denarius of Emperor Augustus 27BC - AD14. Well done Steve and Thanks for letting me show your find.

Very well done to Karl with a C who found the lovely Roman silver pictured below at our recent dig in Buckinghamshire with his XLT, we believe the coin to be from the late first century but we are making attempts to positively identify it and when we do I will add an update.

Many thanks to Jim who identified this coin for us and tells me it is an AUGUSTUS Denarius dated 27 BC - AD 14. Struck ca 32-29 BC, when he was still known as Octavian.

Weekend Wanderers club member Brian Taylor sent me the excellent pictures below, Thank you Brian.

The picture above shows a wonderful silver Denarius of Tiberius dating from AD14 to AD37 this beauty was found by Brian with his Lazer Rapier.

Weekend Wanderers member David Roberts has been kind enough to e-mail me this picture of the excellent find he made whilst on our club dig in Buckinghamshire on 9th April. David has done allot of research into this coin so I have pasted it all below straight from his e-mail as I'm sure some of you will be as interested in reading it as I was. Thank you very much David for your time and trouble.

The coin pictured above is a Mark Anthony Denarius circa 40BC (Seaby's 455). This one is in fact attributed to LEG IX (Hispania) the lettering on the obverse along with the familiar Roman galley. On the reverse it has the legionary eagle between two standards. For those interested - Legio IX (Hispania) was one of 10 of Cearar's legions known in 51 BC, it saw service in Spain, Africa & Pannonia before joining-up with II, XIV & XX legions for the conquest of Britain AD 43. Defeated by Boudicia in AD 60 and subsequently served in Peterborough, Lincoln & York.About AD 122 - departed the country for service in Nijmegan (Holland) and left for Cappadocia and obscurity around AD161. This lovely little silver coin was minted about 40BC, some 10 years before Mark Anthony and Cleopatra committed suicide at Alexandria, Egypt in 30BC.

Special thanks go to Geoff Turner the finder of this "spectacular" Roman coin on our dig in Buckinghamshire on 2nd April. Geoff found this coin with his C-Scope 660. I'm told that the coin is one of Emperor Gratian (AD 367 - 383), with an emperor with a standard and shield on the reverse (GLORIA NOVI SAECULI type) the mint mark (TCON) suggests it was minted in Arles, between AD 367 and 378. many thanks to Nick Cooke for the e-mail containing the above information.

I must apologise for the quality of the photographs, they really don't do justice to the quality of this coin. Thanks Geoff.

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