THE THE DORCHESTER HOARD APPLEFORD HOARD

The displayed here are just eight of the of Base metal of , The Appleford Hoard was found on New Year’s 22,121 silver coins which make up the enormous (218-222), son of Constantine I (306- , R1444 337), London, 321-322, R3161 Eve 1954 by a farmer ploughing a field between Dorchester Hoard, one of the largest ever found Sutton Courtenay and Appleford, Berkshire, in the UK. It is now dispersed between several : Silver antoninianus of Base metal follis of Crispus, not far from the River Thames. The hoard was institutions, including the Barber. The hoard (238), Rome, son of Constantine I (306- R1557 corrupting the coinage 337), London, 321-322, R3162 made up of 5,736 bronze coins and 16 debased was discovered by a builder in 1936 at the rear silver coins and its original owner buried it of 48 South Street, Dorchester, Dorset, during Debasement in ancient and mediaeval economies means the addition of Silver antoninianus of Base metal follis of Crispus, sometime after 350. It was spotted when the redevelopment works. It was unearthed in a pit (238), Rome, base metals (such ) to the noble metal coins (gold and silver). son of Constantine I (306- R1560 337), London, 324-325, R3192 farmer’s plough struck the top of one of the in what had been the garden of a large Roman In the context of the Dorchester Hoard, the in the two grey earthenware pots in which the 3rd- house. The contents were divided between a 3rd century saw the debasement of its silver coinage by the addition Base metal follis of Crispus, Silver antoninianus of century Roman inhabitant of Berkshire had son of Constantine I (306- one-handled bronze jug, a bronze basin and a Gordian III (238-244), of other metals, such as iron or zinc, to the coins to make the silver 337), London, 324-325, R3193 buried the hoard. One pot contained over 1,650 wooden keg with bronze clasps. Rome, R1568 reserves produce more coins. Traders, noticing the drop in quality, Constantinian issues from 320-326; all but about began to ask for more coins (meaning higher prices) in return for goods, The Roman Briton who buried the Dorchester 100 of them were struck in London. The other Silver antoninianus of Otacilia which the state needed to produce with the same lack of silver and Base metal follis of Hoard did so sometime after 257. This was Severa, wife of Philip I (244-249), Constantine II (337-340), as pot contained almost 4,000 coins, most struck Rome, R1678 so the cycle of debasement continued. You can see from the examples son of Constantine I (306- shortly before the Roman silver coinage 337), London, 324-325, R3257 in Trier (now in Germany) after 335. shown here, all theoretically silver antoniniani, how pronounced this became heavily debased, meaning that these Silver antoninianus of Herennia debasement became. Base metal follis of It is thought that the hoard was buried in coins were worth more than their owner was Etruscilla, wife of Constantine II (337-340), as (249-251), Rome, R1729 son of Constantine I (306- two parts, and that the predominance of two probably able to obtain for them. As one of the 337), London, 324-325, R3258 particular mints may indicate that the money original investigators, Harold Mattingley, put Silver antoninianus of Base metal follis of was received in bulk. It may therefore be an it: ‘reluctant to surrender [the silver coins] they (251-253), Silver antoninianus of Gordian III Silver antoninianus of Silver antoninianus of Galienus Silver antoninianus of II I (337-350), Trier, 347-348, Rome, R1801 (238-244), Rome, R1615 , son of Galienus (253-268), , R1944 (268-270), Rome, R1962 R3404 example of ‘banking by burying’. The largest committed [them] to Mother Earth, till better (253-268), (Lyon), R1898. number of the coins was from the reign of times should return’. Constans I, who took over the western part of Silver antoninianus of Base metal follis of Constans I (253-260), I (337-350), Trier, 347-348, the Roman Empire from his brother Constantine Rome, R1823 R3405 II in 340, being himself killed ten years later.

198 260s 306 330 340 410 (about) First coins from Dorchester Hoard struck Debasement of Roman coinage begins to Constantine I declared Emperor at York Capital of Roman Empire moved from Rome to Murder of Constantine II, Constans I becomes Departure of Roman legions from Britannia, become visible , which is renamed Emperor in the West effective end of in honour of Constantine

350 257 293 326 337 Death of Constantine I; massacre of various Death of Constans I, Constantius II Earliest possible deposition Earliest possible deposition Monetary reforms of Murder of Crispus probably on the order of his members of Constantine’s family by his sons, become sole Emperor of Appleford Hoard of Dorchester Hoard restabilise the Roman coinage father, Constantine I between whom the Empire is divided