Here is the write up on it from The Scotsman:
Tue 24 Feb 2004
5:55pm (UK)
Rare Coin of Mystery
Roman Emperor Found in
Field By Stephanie Condron, PA News
A
man with a metal detector has unearthed a
Roman coin so
rare it bears the
face of a mystery emperor who “ruled”
Britain for a matter of days.
Brian Malin, a father-of-one from Oxfordshire, unearthed the bronze coin in a
field in Oxfordshire bearing the
face of Emperor
Domitianus.
It is only the second coin in existence to bear the image of the self-proclaimed ruler of
Britain and
France in 271AD.
A similar coin was found in
France 100 years ago but until now its uniqueness
had meant both Emperor
Domitianus and the coin were dismissed as a hoax.
Historians say the British discovery confirms the
French find is genuine and
Domitianus existed.
They believe he was an upstart from the
Roman legion who was ousted for treason for daring to declare himself emperor and have the coins made.
Mr Malin found the coin in a
field in April last year, 10 miles south-east of
Oxford.
The coin was among a
pot of 5,000 all bearing the heads of emperors and stuck together, providing the perfect “timeline” for archaeologists.
He handed
his find to the Ashmolean Museum in
Oxford which passed it to experts at the British Museum who began separating the coins.
The coins dating from 250AD to the mid 270sAD spanned five emperors during a time of great upheaval for the
Roman empire.
Richard
Abdy,
Roman coin curator at the British Museum, said: “As we sifted through the
hoard we came through hundreds of coins bearing the
face of the same emperor.
“The
Roman empire was beginning to fray.
Domitianus, it looks, ruled in 271AD, he was the penultimate emperor and there was only one coin with
his image.
“There have been references to
Domitianus in two ancient texts but they described him as an officer who
had been punished for treason.”
Domitianus probably ruled
Britain for only days which would explain why only two coins bearing
his image exist, said Mr
Abdy.
Rulers routinely
had coins made to stake their claim as emperor.
Had the
field where the
pot of coins was found been declared an archaeological site, Mr Malin would not have been allowed to metal detect there.
Likewise, it was not somewhere the experts say they would have looked to make such a
rare find.
They have put a five-figure sum on the bronze disc which will be difficult to value because there is no market for
Domitianus coins. The other is in a museum in
France as
part of the
French coin
collection.
Dr Chris
Howgego, curator for
Roman coins at the Ashmolean Museum, said: “It’s exciting and valuable and interesting. Brian Malin has been metal detecting since he was 16. He’s now in
his 30s.
“He has brought stuff before and found one
hoard before. The latest is of great historical interest.
“He deserves a lot of credit because he did not even delve into the
jar and brought it into the museum punctually and he is rather sweet.
“He has not once asked about the value – he has asked ‘How important is this and what can we learn?”’
In line with
Britain’s treasure trove laws, a coroner’s inquest will be held and an independent panel will decide how much the 5,000-coin
hoard is worth.
The panel will then mediate between the Ashmolean, which has said it wants to buy the
pot of coins, and Mr Malin.
The
Domitianus coin is going on display at the British Museum tomorrow. It has said it would like to buy the coin if the Ashmolean does not.