Find Spot record MLI90188 - Late Roman Coin Hoard, Osbournby
Summary
Late Roman coin hoard found to the north-west of Osbournby village.
Type and Period (1)
- FINDSPOT (Roman - 337 AD to 408 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A hoard of c.300 silver siliquae, ranging in date from the reign of Constantius II to the reign of Honorius, was found in a field to the north-west of Osbournby village. The hoard appears to have been contained within a pottery beaker. The coins were generally in good condition although it was noted that the later coins were more corroded, suggesting that they had lain on top of the pile. If this was the case, it may indicate that the hoard was accumulated gradually over a period of years rather than in a single instance. The circumstances of the finds are unclear although it appears that the first portion of the hoard was uncovered in late 1979 during the digging of a pipeline trench. The largest group of coins, along with the beaker, were found in early 1980 and at some point a boy with a metal detector also recovered a smaller group of coins. There have also been stray finds of single coins probably associated with the hoard. {1}{2}{3}{4}
'This hoard of 292 siliquae of the second half of the 4th century AD was discovered in a field of Highfield Farm, Osbournby, with the aid of a metal detector, on various occasions in 1979 and 1980. The first find was made on 15th September 1979 and declared Treasure Torve at an inquest in February 1980; it consisted of 22 siliquae, all of which have been acquired by Lincolnshire Museums. The rest of the coins were found between October and December 1980 and declared Tresure Trove at a second inquest in January 1981. This second group amounted to 270 pieces in all, some of which were contained in a small beaker… From the circumstances of their discovery there is no reason to believe that these coins comprise anything other than a single hoard which had been scattered by the plough and so they have all been listed in a single series…
The beaker in which some of the coins were found was made up of a red fabric with burnished surfaces and traces of applied white slip decoration. It is one of the latest and most securely dated pots from Lincolnshire and may be a product of the Swanpool kilns at Lincoln, although one of the writers has seen visually rather smaller sherds from Saxon Shore forts in East Anglia.'
A further 20 coins were reportedly found in the same area in November 1983, including a rare miliarensis of Valens, and making a total of 312, 4th century coins, ranging from Constantius II to Milan issues of Honorius (337 - 402 AD). {5}
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SLI2881 Index: Lincolnshire County Council. Sites and Monuments Record Card Index. TF 03 NE: BH, BL.
- <2> SLI11323 Correspondence: 1979-84. Correspondence and other papers relating to the Osbournby siliqua hoard. -.
- <3> SLI766 Article in Serial: A.J. White (ed.). 1980. 'Archaeology in Lincolnshire and South Humberside, 1979' in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. vol.15, pp.86-7.
- <4> SLI767 Article in Serial: A.J. White (ed.). 1981. 'Archaeology in Lincolnshire and South Humberside, 1980' in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. vol.16, pp.80-1.
- <5> SLI15898 Bibliographic Reference: Anne S. Robertson. 2000. An Inventory of Romano-British Coin Hoards. no.1559, p.384.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | TF 063 385 (point) Approximate |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | OSBOURNBY, NORTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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