Find Spot record MDR6318 - Roman coin hoard, Deans Plantation, Upper Langwith
Type and Period (1)
- FINDSPOT (Roman - 253 AD to 273 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A hoard of Roman coins was discovered on October 3 1876 near Langwith Wood, about a quarter of a mile from Scarcliffe village. A drain was being cut to the depth of about two feet "when a young man named George Goucher observed what looked like a round stone protruding from the side of the trench. He kicked it with his foot. The seeming stone broke and out poured a large number of coins". The coins were taken initially to Goucher's father's house in Scarcliffe. About 1650 coins were then taken to Chatsworth, as they were found on the Duke of Devonshire's land, the remainder (about 350) were kept by the finder. The Chatsworth coins were sent to the British Museum, where they were catalogued as follows: Valerian 1, Gallienus 191, Salonina 10, Postumus 9, Victorinus 255, Marius 1, Tetricus I 685, Tetricus II 241, Claudius Gothicus 185, Quintillus 3, Aurelian 3, Uncertain 63, the date range therefore being c. AD253 to AD 275. The coins that remained with the finder were not officially catalogued, but contained a preponderance of coins of Victoriinus and the two Tetrici. (1)
'In October 1876 a workman employed by Messrs W and S Burkitt, maltsters, of Chesterfield, in laying down water pipes from Scarcliffe to a malthouse at Langwith, whilst digging a trench, came upon, at about two feet deep, a large Roman earthenware vase, which he broke open, and it was found to be nearly full of conis, pobably from 250 to 300, but they appear to have been dispersed. From a sample of about fifty, seen by several antiquaries, they appear to be in good preservation, and were third brass, those seen being of Gullienus, Victorinus, Tetricus, and Claudius Gothicus.' (2)
Near Langwith Wood, 1/4 mile from Scarcliffe village, in October, 1876, a hoard of c. 2000 'Third Brass' in a jar was found two feet below the surface. The account given by Watkin [source 2 above] is imperfect. The British Museum catalogued 1647 of the coins; the remaining 350 included many Tetrici and Victorinus. (3)
SK 5110 6898. Urn with hoard of Roman coins (3rd century) found. (4)
The find spot was pointed out on the ground by the finder, Mr.G. Goacher, a woodman, living in a small cottage on the west side of Langwith Wood. This was in the 1920s when he was 60. He is now dead. Apparently when walking along the trench dug for a water pipe he kicked a black object protruding from the side which proved to be the urn containing the coins. The fragments of the urn were left at the site. The coins were dispersed and some reports probably refer to the few that found their way into Axon's possession. Hundreds more were kept by the Duke of Devonshire, owner of the wood. Goacher had a dozen left in 1945 of which I have two - antoniani of TETRICUS and GALLIENUS. I have never seen anything of significance at the site. (5) No further information. (6)
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SDR15277 Article in serial: Leader, J D. 1884-5. 'Notes on some finds of Roman coins in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire', The Reliquary. Volume 25, pp 173-176. p 173.
- <2> SDR16229 Article in serial: Watkin, W. 1886. 'The Roman minor settlements, camps, discoveries of coins etc, and roads in Derbyshire', Derbyshire Archaeology Journal. Volume 8, pp 190-215. p 202.
- <3> SDR15994 Bibliographic reference: Haverfield, F. 1905. 'Romano-British Derbyshire', in Victoria County History, Derbyshire, Vol 1. pp 258-259.
- <4> SDR4094 Bibliographic reference: Corr 6" (SO KAY, udtd).
- <5> SDR6512 Personal Observation: F1 WW 24-NOV-59.
- <6> SDR6613 Personal Observation: F2 JB 09-JUN-66.
- <7> SDR11072 Index: NDAT. 1745. 1745.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | SK 5110 6898 (point) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | SCARCLIFFE, BOLSOVER, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR923
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Record last edited
Jun 12 2017 4:38PM