363). There is insufficient detail in the Treasure Reports to examine whether this phase started directly after 318. In 348 three new denominations of bronze coins were introduced and in 354 there was a general de-monetisation of older denominations. It would have been easier to de-monetise what was basically a token coinage because unlike intrinsically valuable silver coins, token coins become valueless once they are no longer 'official'. This shows in the almost complete cut-off of bronze coin hoards after the Constantinian era, with the new gold and silver hoards taking their place.
Table 3, these were the denominations that were circulating and being hoarded from the Constantinian period up to around 400. In fact 80 per cent of all late Roman silver hoards closing between 388 and 410 have been found in Britain. This is probably because once the Romans abandoned Britain, there was no possibility of people and money migrating to politically healthier climes and with an increasingly de-monetised society, nowhere to spend it.
A practise unique to Roman Britain was that of clipping of silver coins, with the clippings presumably being sold as bullion. Clipping was also rife during the English Civil War (1642-51), implying that during times of trouble, the authorities were unable or unwilling to prevent it. Clipped silver coins must have continued circulating at face value, rather than by weight, or else clipping would have been pointless. It has been suggested that silver coins were clipped to provide small change, but it would surely have been easier to cut them into halves or quarters, as was done in the medieval period. The Stanchester hoard (Table 3, C268) is one sizeable hoard where the silver coins are not clipped. Perhaps these were never circulated but were saved when new.
Given that hoarding was probably universal practise, then there is usually no way of knowing if these 5th century hoards were buried in extremis, or not. There is no way of knowing how soon after 406 they were buried, anyway. The later they were buried, the more likely it was as a response to unrest. Again, the evidence of the English Civil War is that in times of trouble, most hoards were buried in the home territory of those going away to fight, not where the action was. Undoubtedly, though, some hoarding was in anticipation of 'enemy action', a prime example being the magnificent Hoxne hoard (Table 3, C269), consisting of 565 gold coins, over 14,000 silver coins as well as fine jewellery and tableware. It could even have been the proceeds of a whip-round to pay for protection against the invaders.
One final point to cogitate on; a large number of hoards have been found over the years, indeed centuries, yet these must be miniscule compared with the hoards that were formed, existed and then were dispersed. The fact that hoards may have lain in the ground for over 1700 years gives them a feeling of permanence. However, it is just as likely that they were dynamic, coming into and going out of existence, and their contents frequently changing.
Some notes and maps of the Geographical Distribution of coin hoards.
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Romano-British Coin Hoards by Richard Anthony Abdy, Shire Publications Ltd, 2002.
A History of Roman Britain by Peter Selway, Oxford University Press, 1993.
Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700, Kenneth W. Harl, The John Hopkins University Press, 1996.
Treasure - Finding our past, by Richard Hobbs, The British Museum Press, to accompany the 'Buried Treasure' exhibition, British Museum 2003.
The full Treasure Reports are available at the government website:
Treasure Annual Report 97/98
Treasure Annual Report 98/99
Treasure Annual Report 2000
Treasure Annual Report 2001
Some information about specific hoards:
The Shapwick, Somerset hoard at the Somerset Museums site.
The Langtoft, East Yorkshire hoards at Beast Coins.
The Stanchester, Wiltshire and other hoards at the Wansdyke Project