The Llanvaches Roman coin hoard

Detail of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-38)

One of the finest hoards of silver coins from Roman Britain in the second century A.D. came to light in 2006 near Llanvaches, Newport.

The hoard of 599 silver denarii were discovered hidden in a locally made cooking pot. They are now on displayed at the National Roman Legion Museum.

Llanvaches lies between the fortress of the second Augustan legion at Caerleon and the local tribal capital, Venta Silurum, at Caerwent.

The 599 silver denarii, which show various Roman Emperors such as Hadrian and Nero, date back to around AD160 and were declared treasure in July 2007.

Denarius, or Denarii (plural) are perhaps the best-known Roman coin. It gives us the 'd' of our old £-s-d system. At the time it was about a day's pay, whether civilian (think of the parable of the vineyard in the Bible) or for a Roman legionary soldier. In itself, therefore, the denarius was a valuable coin.

Six hundred denarii would represent a very large sum - how long might it take one of us to save two years' gross wages?

Please click on the thumbnails below to browse through a selection of coins from the hoard.

The Llanvaches coin hoard

Forgery of Hadrian - reverse copies a coin of Trajan

Pietas offering at an altar [Diva Faustina I]

Pax (peace) setting fire to weapons [Trajan]

Sow and piglets [Vespasian] - refers to foundation myth

Antoninus Pius (138-61); Hadrian's second adopted successor

Liberalitas - the emperor's generosity [Hadrian]

Italia - another province personified [Antoninus Pius]

L. Aelius (136-8); appointed Hadrian's successor, but died first

Faustina II, daughter of Antoninus Pius, wife of Marcus

Faustina I, wife of Antoninus (d.141); commemorative issue ('Diva')

Priestly implements [Marcus Aurelius Caesar]

Marcus Aurelius as Caesar under A Pius (139-61)

Aegyptos - one of many provinces personified on Hadrian's coins

Aequitas ('fair dealing') or Moneta (the mint) [Antoninus Pius]

Fides publica: the 'good faith' of the state (!) [Hadrian]

Moneta - personifies the mint and the coinage [Hadrian]

Adventus ('arrival') - Hadrian greeted by Roma

Diana, goddess of hunting and fertility [Hadrian]

Roma - goddess/personification of the city [Hadrian]

Hadrian as <em>gubernator</em> (steersman) of the World

Oceanus, the river round the earth, personified [Hadrian]

Hadrian adopted as Trajan's heir [Hadrian]

Trajan's Column, Rome - still standing today

The province of Arabia personified, with camel [Trajan]

Trophy of arms and captured Dacian [Trajan]

Via Traiana, a new road in southern Italy [Trajan]

Hercules, wearing lionskin and holding a club [Trajan]

Julia Titi, daughter of Titus and lover of Domitian

Wolf with Romulus and Remus [Domitian Caesar]

Judaea - suppression of the Jewish Revolt [Vespasian]

Vespasian (69-79), former commander of Legio II Augusta

Heads

Detail of Pagasus from one of the Roman denarii

Unlike our modern coinage - which has few designs and only one ruler - the Roman imperial currency of the second century was full of variety: Llanvaches contains coins of 12 emperors and four of their wives or girlfriends.

Tails

There were many dozens of reverse designs - forming a sort of chronicle of imperial aims, values and achievements (for those who had the inclination, or indeed the literacy, to understand them). They include: history and myth, the emperor and his achievements, the army, the empire, the Roman deities, and many abstract concepts personified; even, the natural world.

So here's our chance to get up close and personal with Roman rulers, their wives and girlfriends and the messages of some of the outstanding coins in the hoard.

The broader context

Llanvaches appears to represent saved money (rather than a sum taken from circulation at one time) - so does it relate to the compulsory and additional voluntary savings that a Roman soldier might make? Or to the savings based on a lifetime of commerce at the nearby town of Caerwent? Either way, military pay was hugely importance for the circulation of new coinage; eight hoards of the time of Antoninus Pius (AD 138-61) are known from Wales, of which Llanvaches is by far the biggest.

Comments - (1)

Comments are currently unavailable. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Trefor Price

22 March 2018, 12:04

Good morning. I am interested in finding out if any Roman coins have ever been found in North Wales. I have searched on line but most seem to be from South Wales or from England. If you know of any could you direct me to a photo of the type of design that may have been used. Thank you for any information you can provide.
Diolch yn Fawr,
Trefor

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