Gold Roman Coin

http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=605934

If it's authentic it is a gold solidus of Magnus Maximus from the Treveri mint.

Where did your father get it?

Beautiful coin and a great find. The coin does appear to be real and in As Struck condition. It's quite valuable. You can contact David Sear and have the coin certified and appraised.

Wow! What a great find! Lovely coin.

Have you reported it to the Portable Antiquities Scheme?

Wow, that's a fantastic find--I bet it doesn't look much different than the day it was lost.

Thats a good thing to dig up! A big $$$ coin. Heres the Wildwinds file for it, it cites an auction result of $12000.

Hess-Divo AG Auction 307, 07.06.2007, lot 1790.
Sold for 15,500 Swiss Francs (approx $12,662)

Magnus Maximus, 383-388 ap. J.-C. AV Solidus 21mm. Trier.

Obv: DN MAG MA-XIMVS P F AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev: VICTOR-IA AVGG, Two emperors (Mag. Maximus and
Theodosius I) seated on throne, together holding globe
between them; behind, Victory with wings spread. Below, palm-
branch; mintmark TROB.
RIC IX, 77b; Depeyrot II, 123, 52/1. Rare.

Courtesy of Hess-Divo AG, 2008.




The coin is in similar condition but a later die state. Who knows how much its worth - try contacting an Auction house.

As Anne (pishpash) asked, I ask, did you report this find to the Portable Antiquities Scheme?

I know that Metal detectorists are repelled at the idea of disclosing the find sites, but as far as P.A.S. goes they seem to keep disclosure to a minumum.

Having it recorded with them will give the coin provenance and also record the finder.

Also this is a precious part of British history, Magnus Maximus is remembered to this day in Welsh legends.

Well worth checking the find site against in case there might be more...

This is one example from the P.A.S. website that was found last September in Suffolk.



Ironically, last night I was reading through Gilbert Askew's "The Coinage Of Roman Britain" and the part (page 75) where he shows some of the Gold Solidii examples of Magnus Maximus:

"As has been said above, the attribution of these five coins to the mint of London has not found general acceptance, and in 1947 the case for the opposition was well stated by Dr. Friedrich Mayreder. In his paper "Londinium or Augustodunum" (Num. Chron., 6th Series, Vol. VII, p. 122-125) the evidence was re-examined, and the conclusion reached that Augustodunum was the actual mint-place of the coins under review. With this conclusion the present writer finds it difficult to disagree, as he has never been satisfied with the attribution to London. Besides, if Maximus had re-opened the London mint, might we not expect to find some bronze pieces issued at the same time? Yet none has been recorded, and it seems unlikely that Maximus would have lost the propaganda value of a bronze issue if he had so convenient a mint for its production. This is not, of course, conclusive, as every collector knows how much easier it is to aquire a siliqua of Maximus than one of his bronzes; but it is a point that should be borne in mind."

Anyhow, yours, as has been shown, is of the Trier mint.

Member FVRIVS RVFVS got one of Maximus' AE coins the other week, as did I. In fact things in the Roman coin market have obviously changed since the 1950's.

I have found it easy to get one of Maximus' AE coins, but never easy to get a Siliqua!