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Thread: Stumbled across a Roman site in the woods

  1. #1

    Stumbled across a Roman site in the woods

    Hey Diggers,
    Sunday I went out with Russ and Tom to detect a new stretch of woods. After about 2 hours we each had a couple buckles and other bits and bobs. We were working our way back to the cars and I found a Roman coin. It was rotted and had no details left on it. Then I dug another. Then another. Within 10 minutes I had 9 of them. I called the guys back from the cars and we started searching all over that section of the woods. Tom found 14 coins total, including a Roman silver and a beautiful Celtic coin. Russ found 24 coins including 2 Celtics! I found 41 Rotted Romans--no silver and no Celtics! Totally not fair! Anyway, the coins are so fragile that any attempts at manual cleaning makes them crumble in your hands. I soaked all 41 coins in ammonia for 2 days and then rinsed off the sludge and verdigris. Lo and behold, one of the coins (and only one) still had some detail on it! I have not yet gotten it identified but it has a Celtic style horse on the back. Tom's Roman silver was minted in 79 A.D. and the Celtics are all first century too. Our theory is this was a Roman prayer site, sometimes called a temple although it was probably just a statue they prayed to. Romans would make pilgrimages to these sites and leave a coin offering with their prayers.

    We plan to go back of course!
    Attached Images Attached Images          
    Oldest Coin: 100-60 BC Gallic bronze coin (Sequani Tribe)
    Oldest Silver Coin: 1156 hammered Pfennig from (now) Bavaria
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1805 Draped Bust Large Cent
    Best Coins EVER: 1625 4 Sols from Kingdom of Chateau Renaud, France
    1662 15 Kreuzers, Leopold I, Austria
    Best Relics: Bronze Age Arrowheads & Spearhead, 2c Roman silver ring, complete medieval knight's spur (x6)
    YouTube Channel: Full Metal Digger

  2. #2
    Elite Member Bucknut's Avatar
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    Wow how fortunate are you to have found that spot! You guys must have been on cloud 9 with each beep of the detector!
    Last edited by Bucknut; 09-13-2019 at 06:45 PM.
    Detectors I use: Minelab Equinox 900 & Manticore
    Favorite finds I have made:
    1,000+ silver coins
    92pcs of 1700's Trade Era Silver
    Copper Culture Indian Artifacts
    125+ War of 1812 Era buttons and relics
    My wife
    (probably should have started with that one)

  3. #3
    Elite Member Digger Don's Avatar
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    That must have been exciting. 41 coins! Wow!!
    The one with the detail looks awesome Dave. Congrats!!
    Oldest Coin: 1699 William III Halfpenny


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    Indian 3, Buff 1, V Nik 1, Rosie 2, Barber Dime, SLQ 1,

    YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoU...FVGumMQ/videos

  4. #4
    Now that's a mind blowing historical site! I can't even imagine finding all those Roman coins in such a small area like that. Do you think there is more there, Dave? Are you planning on returning?
    Lifetime totals:
    9 Large Cents, 415 Indian Heads, 2 Two Cent Pieces, 1 Capped Bust Half Dime, 1 Seated Half Dime, 10 Shield Nickels, 68 V Nickels, 124 Buffalo Nickels, 31 War Nickels, 16 Seated Dimes, 131 Barber Dimes, 405 Mercury Dimes, 249 Rosies, 4 Seated Quarters, 18 Barber Quarters, 19 Standing Liberty Quarters, 89 Silver Washingtons, 1 Seated Half, 3 Barber Halves, 16 Walking Liberty Halves

    YouTube Channel: Tony Two-Cent https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmz...RlHTBIU42bUORg

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Bucknut View Post
    You guys must have been on cloud 9 with each beep of the detector!
    It was exciting to get so many coin signals. Every few seconds someone would say "here's another one" as he waved his coil over the target.

    Quote Originally Posted by Digger Don View Post
    That must have been exciting. 41 coins! Wow!!
    The one with the detail looks awesome Dave. Congrats!!
    Thanks Don!

    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Two-Cent View Post
    Now that's a mind blowing historical site! I can't even imagine finding all those Roman coins in such a small area like that. Do you think there is more there, Dave? Are you planning on returning?
    Yes, we took a blood oath that we would only return when all 3 of us could be there (no solo hunts allowed)! I believe there are probably many more coins and possibly a relic or two to be found there still. I dug a few of the iron signals and they were all Roman nails. My number 1 bucket list item right now is a Roman knife! Very distinctive look (like the one pictured below).
    Oldest Coin: 100-60 BC Gallic bronze coin (Sequani Tribe)
    Oldest Silver Coin: 1156 hammered Pfennig from (now) Bavaria
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1805 Draped Bust Large Cent
    Best Coins EVER: 1625 4 Sols from Kingdom of Chateau Renaud, France
    1662 15 Kreuzers, Leopold I, Austria
    Best Relics: Bronze Age Arrowheads & Spearhead, 2c Roman silver ring, complete medieval knight's spur (x6)
    YouTube Channel: Full Metal Digger

  6. #6
    Elite Member
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    Congrats on all the coin recoveries. Good Luck on the return trip. WD
    Total silver 3 - Goal 50 (2024 Finds) - 0 Washington - 0 Barber Dimes - 0 Mercury Dimes- - 3 Roosevelt Dimes - 0 V Nickels - 0 Buffalos - 0 War Nickels - 0 Indian - 10 Wheats - $ 3.44 in clad
    Relics: MILESTONES since 2012: 1700 silver coins - 8000 Clad Quarters - 500 Roosevelts - 750 Mercury Dimes

  7. #7
    Elite Member The Rebel's Avatar
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    Wow, what a great site you stumbled on!
    Minelab Manticore / SPECTRA V3i, Pro-Pointer II. Lesche Digger.
    Oldest Copper: 1694 William & Mary Halfpenny. Oldest Silver: 1663 1-Reale
    Cob.

    My Album

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    Wow. I like the title. I stumbled across....a Roman site. Love hearing your stories and seeing your finds.
    Garrett AT Pro, Garrett Waterproof Pinpointer, CTX3030 with 6,11,17" coils.

  9. #9
    Yeah I hate when I stumble and fall into a pile of old coins and relics I predict on your next hunt back there you will stumble onto some of that shiny stuff....or maybe even that yellow stuff!
    Oldest find: 5,000 year old copper spearhead
    Oldest coin: 1699 William III halfpenny
    Purdiest coin: 1832 Capped Bust quarter
    Coolest find: USA button with blue threads still on shank

    "He who would search for pearls must dive below."

  10. #10
    Blood oath huh. Pinky swear? I'd bet you'll get a lot of interesting finds there. Don't post any pictures of the site on Youtube.

  11. #11
    How cool is that?!! Those first 5 pics look like tombacs and later buckles...the kind we drool over around here
    Did you ever think you had a hoard of Roman coins? Wonderful, Dave!!
    On Instagram- oxshoedrew

  12. #12
    Global Moderator Ill Digger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lodge Scent View Post
    Yeah I hate when I stumble and fall into a pile of old coins and relics
    My thoughts exactly Jeff. I hate it when I just stumble across c.1st - 2nd century Celtic / Roman sight!

    Just a little

    Great find Dave!!
    Congrats!!

    Were the Celtic coins bronze also? Or were there silver units?
    Some days you get the corn, some days you get the cob
    ​Oldest coin: ​70 B.C. "Harlow Flyer" gold qtr. Stater
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1814 Capped Bust Dime

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Ill Digger View Post
    Were the Celtic coins bronze also? Or were there silver units?
    We went back on Sunday. Tom found 2 more Celtics. All 5 Celtics are made of a bronzey material called potin. I didn't find any Celtic coins but I did find an amazing relic. A Roman pole pike!
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Oldest Coin: 100-60 BC Gallic bronze coin (Sequani Tribe)
    Oldest Silver Coin: 1156 hammered Pfennig from (now) Bavaria
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1805 Draped Bust Large Cent
    Best Coins EVER: 1625 4 Sols from Kingdom of Chateau Renaud, France
    1662 15 Kreuzers, Leopold I, Austria
    Best Relics: Bronze Age Arrowheads & Spearhead, 2c Roman silver ring, complete medieval knight's spur (x6)
    YouTube Channel: Full Metal Digger

  14. #14
    Awesome finds. The buckles are really nice and look at all those Roman's.
    XP Deus

  15. #15
    Thats some old history, and that’s a crazy site how old do you think that pike is. Hope you guys go back soon love those pics
    Minelab Equinox 800, Whites MX Sport

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Cooper View Post
    "how old do you think that pike is?"
    Thanks Coop, after electrolysis and thorough examination it looks like the pike is actually early Medieval, perhaps 500 to 1000 A.D.
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Oldest Coin: 100-60 BC Gallic bronze coin (Sequani Tribe)
    Oldest Silver Coin: 1156 hammered Pfennig from (now) Bavaria
    Oldest U.S. coin: 1805 Draped Bust Large Cent
    Best Coins EVER: 1625 4 Sols from Kingdom of Chateau Renaud, France
    1662 15 Kreuzers, Leopold I, Austria
    Best Relics: Bronze Age Arrowheads & Spearhead, 2c Roman silver ring, complete medieval knight's spur (x6)
    YouTube Channel: Full Metal Digger

  17. #17
    That medieval pike is a mind blowing find, Dave! Imagine the stories it could tell. You could open your own museum with all the incredible things you have found. Spectacular!

    Lifetime totals:
    9 Large Cents, 415 Indian Heads, 2 Two Cent Pieces, 1 Capped Bust Half Dime, 1 Seated Half Dime, 10 Shield Nickels, 68 V Nickels, 124 Buffalo Nickels, 31 War Nickels, 16 Seated Dimes, 131 Barber Dimes, 405 Mercury Dimes, 249 Rosies, 4 Seated Quarters, 18 Barber Quarters, 19 Standing Liberty Quarters, 89 Silver Washingtons, 1 Seated Half, 3 Barber Halves, 16 Walking Liberty Halves

    YouTube Channel: Tony Two-Cent https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmz...RlHTBIU42bUORg

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