Needham, Norfolk more

NEEDHAM, NORFOLK John Davies, Andrew Meadows and Jonathan Williams (Plate 6) The first eight coins from this hoard were discovered in November 1992 by Mr Derek Woollestone with a metal detector during fieldwork conducted by the Norfolk Archaeological Unit at Needham, north of the River Waveney. The coins were scattered over an area approximately 40 by 20 metres. Subsequent searching on the same site by Mr Woollestone between September 1993 and April 1995 revealed a further 21 coins, making a total of 29. The coins were declared Treasure Trove at inquests in February 1993 and December 1995. The hoard has been acquired intact by Norwich Castle Museum. The location of the find is less than half a kilometre distant from an early post-Conquest Roman settlement excavated by Frere, which yielded imported and native pottery from the early post-Conquest period, and also a 'native coin-mould...., in association with pottery of Claudian date'.1 But there is apparently no evidence of Roman settlement in the field where the coins were actually found. The hoard might appear to fit into the pattern of first century denarius hoards from East Anglia discussed by Lind which, he argues, should be related to the events surrounding the Boudiccan revolt in ad 61.2 But this hoard contains two coins dateable to Nero's tenth tribunician year, ad 63^4, a point which lends support to Hobbs's less dramatic but more suggestive hypothesis that the overall characteristics exhibited by this group of hoards are more clearly elucidated by the debasement of the denarius under Nero than the rebellion of the Iceni.3 CATALOGUE REPUBLIC (12) No. Reverse RRC Weight 1. * LMemmi 304 3.46 2. * C Mall. A Albinus, L Melal 335/10a 3.58 3. * CnLcntul 345/1 3.06 4. * LRuiiliRac 387/1 3.51 5. * Mn Aquil Mn f Mn n 401 3.15 6. C Piso L F Frugi 408 3.42 1 See S S Frere and R Clarke, 'The Romano-British Village at Needham, Norfolk' in Papers of the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society xxviii, 187-216 and S S Frere, Britannia: a History of Roman Britain (London, 1967), 68 for the coin-mould. " L Lind, 'Julio-Claudian Denarius Hoards in Britain: Date of Deposit', in Florilegium Numismaticum: Studio in Honorem V. Westermark Edita (Stockholm, 1992), 247-253. See R Hobbs, "Woodham Mortimer, Essex', CHRB IX, 20-23; see also John Orna-Ornstein's discussion in this volume. PP. 23-9. 48 Coin Hoards from Roman Britain X No. Reverse RRC WeigJ 1. Scribonius Libo 416 3.33 8.* Scnbonius Libo 416 3.40 9* A Plautius 431/1 3.42 10. Caesar (elephant) 443/1 3.15 11.* Caesar (elephant) 443 3.20 12.* Q Sicinius 444/la 3.30 MARK ANTONY (4) 13.* Leg XV 544/30 3.17 14. Uncertain legion 544 3.23 15. Uncertain legion 544 2.82 16. Uncertain legion 544 2.45 AUGUSTUS (3) Obv. CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE No. Reverse BMC RIC Giard Weigl 17.* C L CAESARES AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PR1NC IVVENT 519 207 82 3.45 18. C L CAESARES AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT 519 207 X2 3.16 19.* C L CAESARES AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT 540 210 85 3.20 TIBERIUS (6) Ohv TI CAFSAR DTVI AVG F AVGVSTVS 20* PONTIF MAXIM 34 m 144 3.25 21.* PONTTF MAXTM 48 30 150 2.93 22.* PONTIF MAXIM 48 30 150 3.45 23. PONTIF MAXTM 48 30 150 3.03 24. PONTIF MAXIM 4S 30 150 3.28 25. PONTIF MAXIM 34-48 26-30 144-50 3.03 NERO (4) Obv. NERO CAESAR AVG IMP 26.* EX SC PONTIF MAX TR P VII COS mi P P (legend in wreath) 24 22 1.73 27.* EX SC PONTIF MAX TR P VII COS Till P P (legend in wreath) 24 2: 2.74 28* PONTIF MAX TR P X COS IIII P P EX SC (Virtus 1.) 47 41 3.50 29.* PONTIF MAX TR P X COS IIII P P EX SC (Virtus I.) 47 41 3.54 Needham Plate 6 Needham; West Smithficld