File:2012T666 WMID-993205 Complete group of coin (addenda to 2011T654) (FindID 522702).jpg

English: Report to HM Coroner by Eleanor Ghey (Department of Coins and Medals, British Museum)

Circumstances of discovery
Silver coins were found on 20th September 2012, whilst searching with metal detectors. The coins were found in the same area as the earlier find 2011T654 of 65 silver denarii and are therefore considered to be addenda to this case.

The number of coins found consisted of 17 whole coins and 16 fragments (33 pieces). Some of the breaks were old and some appeared more recent, suggesting that the hoard may have been hit and dispersed during ploughing. On examination at the British Museum, two separate pairs of fragments were found to fit together, reducing the total number of separate pieces to 31, of which 25 can be said to be individual coins within the group (some of which were incomplete) and 6 should be considered as fragments. One fragment was found to join an incomplete coin of Tiberius from the 2011 find, (bringing the total number of coins in the hoard so far to 88 and 7 fragments).

The coins
The coins are all Roman coins of the denomination known as the denarius (pl. denarii). The earliest coins date from the Roman Republican period (the earliest coin in this find can be dated to 140 BC). The Roman Imperial period is represented by denarii of Augustus and Tiberius, up to AD 37 (and within the date range of the first group, which contained coins of Claudius to AD 50-54). Some of the coins were too worn or fragmentary to be identified.

Summary:
Roman Republic (to 31 BC): 15 coins
Augustus (32 BC-AD 14): 2 coins
Tiberius (AD 14-37): 7+2 fragments
Unidentified: 1 coin
Uncertain fragments: 4 coins
Total: 25+6 fragments.

Metal Content and Age
The coins satisfy the terms of the Treasure Act with regard to their age and metal content. They are certainly more than 300 years old and have a precious metal content far in excess of the 10% threshold.

Same find?
Roman Republican coins circulated for a long period in Britain due to their high silver content and the composition of the group is as expected for a deposit of mid first century AD date. The coins can therefore be considered as part of the same dispersed find, and as addenda to 2011T654.

Recommendation
On the balance of probabilities, I conclude that this find constitutes a prima facie case of treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act (1996), by being a group of two or more precious metal coins of the same find.