Littleborough, Greater Manchester more

LITTLEBOROUGH, GREATER MANCHESTER Jonathan Williams and Andrew Meadows (Plate 17) This hoard was first discovered between March and June 1994 by Mr David Alletson, with his brother Andrew, while searching for a gold ring which he had lost after falling from his bicycle into a stream. Despite the aid of a metal detector, he failed to recover his ring, but his unfortunate loss was compensated by the discovery of 65 denarii. These coins were declared Treasure Trove at an inquest in September 1994. Subsequent searching on the same site by David and Andrew Alletson in May and August 1995 revealed a further 11 coins. The total therefore now stands at 76 denarii. All the coins have been acquired by the Littleborough Historical and Archaeological Society. This find is apparently the only hoard in the country to terminate with Didius Julianus. Two Roman hoards have already been found in Littleborough. Information as to their findspots is preserved, and in each case they are distinct from that of the present find, but no records of any sort were made of their contents.1 In the context of hoards from the north-west as a whole, this find is of some interest. Only two of the 82 hoards from Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Mersey side and Cumbria listed by Shotter as having a secure terminus post quern for their deposition close in the period 192-222 (Septimius Severus-Elagabalus), compared with eleven closing with Hadrian, seven each with Trajan and Marcus Aurelius, and one with Commodus.2 This regional distribution over the second century AD only roughly reflects the pattern across Britain as a whole, where we see an overall peak in the frequency of hoards among those closing with Marcus Aurelius rather than Hadrian. The subsequent decline in frequency of hoarding over the reigns of Commodus and Septimius Severus evident in the trend across Britain is, however, reflected in the pattern of north-western hoards.3 In comparison with the 'normal' composition of Severan hoards taken as a group, the lack of any issues of Titus or Domitian in Littleborough is perhaps surprising, though we cannot be absolutely certain that the hoard was recovered intact. Apart from this feature, the Littleborough find appears more or less to be a regular hoard of the early part of the reign of Septimius Severus, before the establishment of his sole rule (see the remarks below on the Morton Lodge addenda).4 1 David Shotter, Roman Coins from North-West England (Lancaster 1990), 158 and 175. 2 Shotter, op. cit., 208-210. 3 For a recent survey of hoards and site-finds from the north-west, see David Shotter, "Coin-loss and the Roman Occupation of North-West England' BNJ 63 (1993) 1-19, and for a more general treatment of the Roman occupation of the region, see his Romans and Britons in North-West England (Lancaster 1993). 4 For a brief discussion of the composition of British hoards of this period, see R Reece, Coinage in Roman Britain (London 1987), 55 ff. 136 Coin Hoards from Roman Britain X The state of preservation of the coins varied considerably from very fine (in particular no. 48) to extremely worn, but, as a general tendency, it seemed that the later coins, those of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, were more worn than the earlier ones. The composition of the hoard is as follows: Nero \ VfiRrwteiAri 4 Titu s i 1 1 1 Ml, 1 ' I ItlYltlll 1 Nerva 4 Traj an § Hadrian 14 Aelius 1 Antoninus Pius 5 Diva Faustina 8 Marcus Aurelius 6 Lucius Verus 4 Commodus 1 Faustina II 4 Lucilla 2 Commodus 6 Divus Marcus 1 Didius Julianus 1 Illegible 4 Total 76 CATALOGUE NERO p| Obv.: NERO CAESAR AVGVSTVS No. Reverse Bust BMC RIC Weight 1.* ROMA (Roma std. 1.) Al* 83 55 2.36 REIGN OF VESPASIAN (6) Obv.: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG 2. COS ITER |TR POT1 (Pax std. 1.) Al* 26 9 2.08 3. [COS TTER1 TR POT (Pax std. 1.) AI* 26 9 0.88 (fragment) Obv.: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M COS ITU 4. VICT[ORIA AVGVSTIJ (Victoria r.) Al* 74 52 1.82 (broken) Obv.: IMP CAES VESP AVG CENS 5. PONTIF MAXIM (Vesp. std. r.) Al* 98 65 2.14 Obv.: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIANVS 6. TR POT VIII COS VII (Venus r.) All* 255 var. 205 2.58 Obv.: IMP CAE[....] (probably Flavian) 7. Illegible. 0.58 LlTTLEBOROUGH 137 NERVA (4) 0b\ No. 8. IMP NERV[A CAES] AVG P M TR P COS II P P Reverse AEQVITAS AVGVST (Aequitas 1.) Obv.: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P II COS III P P CONCORDIA EXERCITVVM IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P II COS IE P P5 LIBERTAS PVBLICA (Liberias L) Obv.: IMP NERVA CAES AVG GERM P M TR P II 11. IMP H COS IIII P P (Aequitas I.) 9. Obv.: 10. Bust Al* Al* Al* Al* BMC 1 53 61 64 RIC 1 26 31 44 Weight 2.21 (chipped) 2.91 2.61 2.66 TRAJAN (8) Obv.. IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P 12. S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI (Mars 1.) A3* 164 154 "> 48 — ."TO 1 1 13. S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI (Felicitas stg. I.) A3* 196 174 2.39 14. S P Q R OP[TIMO PRINCIJPI (Spes 1.) A3* ?■>-> 191 2.33 Obv.: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P 15. COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PR INC (Roma std. I.) A3* 4. 1 \l 1 1 (S l 41 — .*T 1 * ✓ 16. COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC (Roma std. 1.) A3* £. IV 1 lfS 1 R7 1 .O 1 17. COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC (Felicitas stg. 1.) A3* 301 1?1 2 31 1 O 18. COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC (Spes 1.) A3* "> 78 .___- ( > 1 C\ 19. COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC DAC CAP A3* REIGN OF HADRIAN (15) Obv.. IMP TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG Iv. [P M TR] P COS [II] [IVSTITLAl (Justitia std. 1.) A3* 74 1 .U\7 \ 1)1 UM II) 21. [P M TR P COS II PAX] (Pax Q A2* 78 44a 1.85 Obv.. HADRIANVS AVG COS HI P P 22. P M TR P COS III (Aetcrnitas 1.) A2* 162 81 2.34 Obv.. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG 23. P M TR P COS III LIB PVB (Libertas std. 1.) CI* 286 127 1.94 Obv.. HADRIANVS AVG COS in P P 24. [AEQVHTAS A[VG] (Aequitas 1.) A1+ 590 228 1.55 (broken) 25. ANNONA AVG (modius) A3+ 599 230b 2.32 26.* FELICITAS»P«R (Felicitas 1.) C2* 6186 238f 2.54 27. FIDES PVBLICA (Fides r.) Al* 630 241 Ad 2.45 28. FIDES PVBLICA (Fides r.) Al* 630 241 Ad 2.23 29. MONETA AVG (Moneta 1.) A2+ 6777 256b 2.24 30. AEGYPTOS (Aeg. reel. 1.) Al* 801 297d 2.41 31. ASIA (Asia stg. 1.) A1 + 829 301a 2.58 32. RESTITVTORI HISPANIAE (Hisp. r, Hadr. 1.) Al* 889 327d 2.24 Obv.. L AELIVS CAESAR 33.* TR POT COS II CONCORDIA (Cone. std. 1. ) A1 + 981 436 1.95 Obv.. HADRIANVS AVGSTVS 34. Illegible (stg. figure w. cornucopiae 1.) A2/3* 1.88 (broken) 5 The second P in P P has been omitted from this obverse die. 6 But with draped bust, seen from behind (equivalent to BMC bust variety h). 7 Bust, bare, with traces of drapery behind and in front of truncation (BMC bust variety b). 138 Coin Hoards from Roman Britain X REIGN OF ANTONINUS PIUS (13) Obv. DIVA FAVSTINA No. Reverse Bust BMC RIC Weight 35. AED DIV FAVSTINAE (temple) El* 339 343 2.24 36. AETERNITAS (Juno) El* 345 344 2.55 37. AETERNITAS (Juno, head r.) El* 352 344 2.23 38. AVGVSTA (Ceres) El* 402 356a 2.46 39. AVGVSTA (Ceres) EI * 408 360 2.18 40. AVGVSTA (Ceres) El* 421 362 2.31 41. AVGVSTA (Ceres) El* 421 362 2.18 42. CONSECRATIO (peacock r.) El* 473 384 2.67 Obv. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XI 43. LUi nil (J>alus I.) lo/ T CO Z.JO 44. COS IIII (Salus 1.) Al* 622 167 2.56 Obv. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XV 45. COS IIII (Annona I.) Al* 765 204 2.55 Obv.. ANTONINVS PIVS P P TR P XXI 46. TEMPLVM DIV AVG REST COS IIII (temple) Al* 916 272 1.83 (w Obv.. illegible 47. Illegible (two hands clasped, holding corn-ears and caduceus) A1 + 1.21 (br REIGN OF MARCUS AURELIUS (17) Obv.: IMP L AVREL VERVS AVG 48. PROV DEOR TR P COS II (Providentia 1.) A1 + 35 463 2.21 Obv.: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA 49. FECVNDITAS (Fecunditas r.) 50. HILARITAS (Hilaritas 1.) 51. VENVS (Venus 1.) Obv.: IMP M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG 52. CONCORD AVG TR P XVI COS III (Concord std. 1.) El* El* El* A1 + 91 100 167 177 677 686 730 35 2.33 2.34 2.00 (chipped) 2.05 Obv.: IMP L VERVS AVG 53. PROV [DEOR TR P II or III] COS a1 + 202/229 483/491 2.00 Obv.: M ANTONINVS AVG IMP II 54. CONCORD AVG TR P XVII COS III (Concord std. I.) B/C2+* 216 62 2.06 Obv.: L VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS 55. TR P IIII IMP II COS n (Mars r.) 56. TR P IIII [....] (Mars r.) Al* Al* 287 287 516 516 1.97 (chipped) 1.67 (broken) Obv.: LVCILLAE AVG ANTON INI AVG F 57. IVNONI LVCINAE (Juno 1.) 58. IVNONI LVCINAE (Juno 1.) El* El* 313 313 771 771 2.31 2.28 Obv.: ANTONINVS AVG ARMENIACVS 59. P M TR P XIX IMP II COS III ARMEN (Armenia captive) Al* 366 122 2.17 Obv.: M ANTONINVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX 60. TR P XX IMP mi COS HI (Victory w. shield) Al* 406 163 1.88 Obv.: M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXIIII 61. SALVT1 AVG COS III Al* 525 222 1.88 LlTTLEBOROUGH 139 Obv.: M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVIII Reverse 62. IMP Vn COS III (M. Aur. stg. 1.) Obv.: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA 63. CONSECRATIO (peacock) Obv.: L AVREL COMMODVS AVG 64. TR P HI IMP II COS P P (Salus std. I.) Bust BMC Al* 611 El* 712 778 RIC Weight 307 2.11 743 2.11 649 2.05 REIGN OF COMMODUS (7) Obv.. DIVVS M ANTONINVS PIVS 65. CONSECRATIO A1 + 27 275 2.23 Obv.. M COMMODVS ANTON AVG PIVS 66. P M TR P VIII IMP VI COS INI P P (Aequitas I.) Al* 121 73 2.15 67. P M TR P Vm IMP VI COS HE P P (Pax I.) Al* 125/126 74 1.33 Obv.. M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT 68. VO DE SAEC FEL P M TR P [....] (Victory w. shield) Al* 166/180 113/136 1.68 69. P M [TR P] XI IMP VII COS V P P (lupiter std. 1.) Al* 182 117a 1.56 Obv.. M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT P P 70. LIB AVG P M TR P XV COS VI (Libertas 1.) Al* 278 208 1.75 Obv.. [....] COMM AVG [P FEL] 71.* P M TR P XV[..„] (Pietas std. 1.) Al* cf.366/3679 cf.236/244 0.97 1.33 (worn, chipped) DIDIUS JULIANUS (1) Obv.: IMP CAES M DID IVLIAN AVG 72.* CONCORDIA MILIT (Concordia w. two standards) Al* 2.04 ILLEGIBLE (4) Obv.: illegible (Faustina II? r.) 73. Illegible Obv.: illegible 74. Illegible (figure on horseback r.) 75. Illegible 76. Illegible 1.48 2.11 1.64 1.70 ; This type is noted in BMC as possibly an ancient forgery. This has been confirmed by the discovery of a plated die-duplicate of BMC 366 in the forger's workshop at Kaiseraugst in Switzerland: see M Peter, Eine Werkstatte zur Herstettung von Subaeraten Denaren in Augusta Raurica. Studien zu Fundmunzen der Antike 7 (Berlin 1990), 150. no. 311.