Tyne and Wear HER(17565): Dinnington, Front Street, Roman hoard - Details
17565
Newcastle
Dinnington, Front Street, Roman hoard
Dinnington
NZ27SW
Currency
Hoard
Currency Hoard
Roman
C1 BC - C1
Find
The Dinnington Hoard, which was found when a pond was being dug in a private garden. The Hoard consists of one aureus of Vitellius (AD 69) and six silver denarii dating from 32-31 BC to AD 81-96. The aureus is in remarkably good condition. No trace was found of a container and this suggests the coins were in a leather or cloth bag. The date of the coins implies that the Hoard was dropped or deposited around the time of the Agricolan advance into Scotland. Dinnington lies in a direct line north from the ford crossing the River Tyne near the Hadrianic fort of Benwell. This was the first safe crossing place of the river before the Roman bridge (Pons Aelius) was built at Newcastle upon Tyne and it is presumed that this ford was used during Agricola’s sorties north. The gold aureus is a rare issue. Vitellius was emperor for only eight months and, unusually, the coin depicts Vitellius’s children on the reverse. Gold coins of Roman date are very rare finds in the Military Zone . They were also used to pay bonuses to soldiers on the accession of a new emperor, in this case possibly the accession of Domitian.
Aureus:
Vitellius, AD 69
obv. A VITELLIVS GERMAN IMP TR P rev. LIBER[I] IMP GERMAN (Confronting, bare headed busts of Vitellius' children) Diameter: 20.32mm, Thickness: 2.08mm, Weight: 7.1g.
Denarii:
Antony, 32-31 BC
obv. [ANT AVG III VIR R P C] ship rev. Illegible (eagle & standards) 2. Diameter: 18.03mm, Thickness: 1.66mm, Weight: 3.2g.
Vespasian, AD 69-79
obv. IMP CAES VESP AVG P M rev. TRI POT (Vesta, seated l., holding simpulum) Diameter: 18.88mm, Thickness: 2.04mm, Weight: 2.4g.
Obv. [IMP CAESAR] VESPASIANVS AVG Rev. [PON MAX] TRP COS V (Winged Caduceus) Diameter: 17.72mm, Thickness: 2.15mm, Weight: 2.7g.
Third coin inscription not recorded/readable. Diameter: 18.34mm, Thickness: 2.00mm, Weight: 2.7g.
Uncertain Flavian, AD 69-81 1
obv. Illegible (head of Vespasian or Titus) Rev. illegibe. Diameter: 19.52mm, Thickness: 1.78mm, Weight: 3.0g.
Domitian, AD 81-96 1
obv. IMP CAES DOM[IT AVG GE]RM P M TRP XIII Rev. [IMP XXII COS]XVI CENS P P P (Minerva fighting r.) Diameter: 18.36mm, Thickness: 1.82mm, Weight: 2.0g.
The age and precious metal content of this item therefore qualify it as treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996.
Treasure case tracking number: 2016T253
20711
73364
NZ2071173364
https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/777324; The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, News Bulletin, No. 63 December 2017, Treasure Trove, pp 4-5; http://www.newcastle-antiquaries.org.uk/index.php?pageId=754