A plumber in the United Kingdom unwittingly discovered ancient treasure while walking through a pasture on a summer’s day – and now he’s auctioning it off.
David Dunn, a plumber from Sapcote, Leicestershire, unearthed 50 coins dating back to Ancient Rome on July 19, 2023. The hoard, which was not publicized until this month, was found in a field a short walk away from Dunn’s home.
The discovery was announced in a Feb. 6 press release by Noonans Mayfair, an auction house based in London. Dunn, who began metal detecting in 2023, took up the hobby as a way to “go out on his own into the fresh air after a long day working,” Noonans said.
Dunn was using a Deus 2 metal detector when he discovered the ancient hoard, which consisted of antoninianus coins worth two denarii each.
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“Something told me to go to the pasture field that I had visited numerous times,” Dunn said in a statement. “After a few hours searching I had a faint signal of 84 on the Deus 2 using Relic Program.”
“I then found a Roman coin and another with my pinpointer in the same hole.”
Dunn said that he was “so excited” that he immediately alerted the farmer who owned the land and started digging.
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“After digging down to about two feet, it then just snowballed from there over a [four-square meter] area and we found 50 coins in total,” Dunn recalled. “Who knows what would have happened if we continued digging further!”
The earliest coins were minted under Carausius, the Roman emperor of Britannia from 286 to 293. The military commander took power after the Carausian Revolt.
Other coins were minted under Allectus, Diocletian and Maximian, meaning that the “youngest” of the coins dates back to the fourth century AD.
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Leicester, the county seat of Leicestershire, was a major town in Roman Britain, then known as Ratae Corieltauvorum. It is not unheard of for Roman artifacts to emerge from the area – Dunn said a neighboring farm has a Roman villa on it.
“Many of the coins that I found were in really good condition with perfect portraits – it was a once in a lifetime find!” he added.
The coins, which are going under the hammer on Feb. 18, are expected to fetch upwards of $1,800, but Dunn says his mind isn’t on the money.
“I’m not sure of what to spend it on,” he admitted. “The money doesn’t interest me, just finding history is what I love. The farmer has had a rough few years since COVID so I’d like to give him the majority of the money if it can help in any way.”
The discovery has also contributed to the study of coins in Ancient Rome. Noonans coin expert Alice Cullen said that one of the designs of the coins, which is from the reign of Carausius, has been unknown until now.
“The first coin in the hoard is going to be recorded in [a] new volume [about Roman coins] as a new variety which is very exciting!” Cullen said. “This particular coin is from the reign of Carausius (286-293) and is decorated with a bust of Diocletian on one side and a standing woman on the other.”
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