A coin hoard of close on 50000 coins, dating from the mid to late 3rd century AD (Valerian and Gallienus to Carausius), found in December 1985 by a metal detectorist, at a depth of c.2.5 inches below the surface. The coins were found within a large greyware pot, the mouth covered by a stone acting as a lid. The pot is now in Lincoln Museum. {1}{2}{3}{4} 'The hoard was delivered to the British Museum for cleaning and study, and was the subject of a Treasure Inquest on 19 May 1987, where it was found not to be Treasure Trove, in view of the low silver content of the coins, and consequently became the property of the land owner. The hoard was immediately sold by the land owner to a coin dealer, and the British Museum was only subsequently able to acquire 550 coins from him by purchase. The remainder of the hoard has now been dispersed, largely abroad. The container was a large storage jar which had probably survived intact until its modern discovery, although the rim may have been sheared and collapsed into the upper body in antiquity. The jar had a comparatively narrow neck and a thick curved rim, decorated on the shoulder with a narrow band of combed scroll. The grey sand-tempered fabric is typical of Roman pottery made in South Humberside or Lincolnshire, and, in view of its size, it seems likely that it was made not far from its final resting place. It is unlikely to have been made before the second half of the 3rd century. Copper alloy corrosion products coated the inner surface up to a level considerably above the maximum girth, so the pot must have contained coins to a depth of at least 25cms. The capacity of the pot can be estimated at about 40 litres and the coins would have occupied some 35 litres; the difference may perhaps be the result of settlement. The hoard consisted of a total of 47912 coins, the vast majority of which were of the emperors Gallienus (260-68 AD) and Claudius II (268-70 AD), and of the Romano-Gallic emperors Victorinus (269-71 AD) and the Tetrici (271-74 AD). The latest coins in the hoard were the 73 of the Romano-British usurper Carausius (268-93 AD). All come from the first part of his reign and … none seem to be later than c.290 AD.' {5}