British treasure hunter discovers hoard of 52,500 Roman coins
Posted by Frater Anselmo on Sunday, July 18, 2010 Under: Treasure
To all my brothers of the Rosy Cross who are searching for fortune and the elusive buried treasures of the fabled past, I offer the following good news, which should encourage and embolden you even more to never give up the quest for riches.
On July 8, the Associated Press carried an article announcing that a fortune seeker in Britain had uncovered a hoard of 52,500 Roman coins, valued at 3.3 million pounds or about 5 million US dollars.
Using a metal detector, Dave Crisp had uncovered the treasure buried in a field in southwestern England. The coins were secreted in a large jar that was about a foot in depth and weighed 350 pounds.
Many of the coins bore the image of Marcus Aurelius Carausius, a Roman naval officer and "lost British emperor" who proclaimed himself Emperor after seizing power in Britain and northern France in 286 AD and ruled until he was assassinated in 293.
It was one of the largest discoveries of ancient treasure ever in Britain.
Crisp reported that he started digging after getting a "funny signal" from his metal detector. "I put my hand in, pulled out a bit of clay and there was a little radial, a little bronze Roman coin," Crisp said in an interview with the BBC. He pulled out about 20 more coins before realizing they were in a pot and deciding he needed the help of experts. Archaeologists were able to excavate the pot and its treasure while preserving important historical evidence.
A inquest was scheduled to determine if the discovery is subject to the Treasure Act, which involves setting a value on the treasure which must be paid by any institution that wishes to acquire it. Sounds like another act of legalized government piracy. Dave should have kept his mouth shut. He could have gotten a lot more on the black market. I'm all for preserving history but it doesn't sound like there was much there besides the loot.
According to Roger Bland of the British Museum, the treasure had been hidden during "a time when Britain suffered barbarian invasions, economic crises and civil wars." Except for the civil wars, which may come in the near future given the present state of unrest, it sounds pretty much like the Britain of today.
And, lest one may think that this is a rare incident that happens only once in a blue moon, let us not forget last year's "Staffordshire Hoard," the discovery in central England of a hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins and more than 1,500 objects, most of them gold.
I received a lot of emails from my brothers and friends of the Brotherhood after the recent airing on television of the discovery of gold and silver coins that may have been secreted by the James Gang and the Knights of the Golden Circle. Compared to these finds in Merry Olde England, that find was just a drop in the bucket. There are thousands of buried treasures out there, just waiting to be discovered, and many in your own backyard.
Brothers of the Rose-Croix! Our feet are walking over thousands of years of history and lost treasures, there for the taking! The secret knowledge and hidden powers which the adept possesses is greater than any modern electronic gee-gaw or technology. Nature and the goddess of fortune rewards those who pursue her with faith and hope, a desire that cannot be quenched, and a belief which others dare not to dream of. Imagination rules the world!
On July 8, the Associated Press carried an article announcing that a fortune seeker in Britain had uncovered a hoard of 52,500 Roman coins, valued at 3.3 million pounds or about 5 million US dollars.
Using a metal detector, Dave Crisp had uncovered the treasure buried in a field in southwestern England. The coins were secreted in a large jar that was about a foot in depth and weighed 350 pounds.
Many of the coins bore the image of Marcus Aurelius Carausius, a Roman naval officer and "lost British emperor" who proclaimed himself Emperor after seizing power in Britain and northern France in 286 AD and ruled until he was assassinated in 293.
It was one of the largest discoveries of ancient treasure ever in Britain.
Crisp reported that he started digging after getting a "funny signal" from his metal detector. "I put my hand in, pulled out a bit of clay and there was a little radial, a little bronze Roman coin," Crisp said in an interview with the BBC. He pulled out about 20 more coins before realizing they were in a pot and deciding he needed the help of experts. Archaeologists were able to excavate the pot and its treasure while preserving important historical evidence.
A inquest was scheduled to determine if the discovery is subject to the Treasure Act, which involves setting a value on the treasure which must be paid by any institution that wishes to acquire it. Sounds like another act of legalized government piracy. Dave should have kept his mouth shut. He could have gotten a lot more on the black market. I'm all for preserving history but it doesn't sound like there was much there besides the loot.
According to Roger Bland of the British Museum, the treasure had been hidden during "a time when Britain suffered barbarian invasions, economic crises and civil wars." Except for the civil wars, which may come in the near future given the present state of unrest, it sounds pretty much like the Britain of today.
And, lest one may think that this is a rare incident that happens only once in a blue moon, let us not forget last year's "Staffordshire Hoard," the discovery in central England of a hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins and more than 1,500 objects, most of them gold.
I received a lot of emails from my brothers and friends of the Brotherhood after the recent airing on television of the discovery of gold and silver coins that may have been secreted by the James Gang and the Knights of the Golden Circle. Compared to these finds in Merry Olde England, that find was just a drop in the bucket. There are thousands of buried treasures out there, just waiting to be discovered, and many in your own backyard.
Brothers of the Rose-Croix! Our feet are walking over thousands of years of history and lost treasures, there for the taking! The secret knowledge and hidden powers which the adept possesses is greater than any modern electronic gee-gaw or technology. Nature and the goddess of fortune rewards those who pursue her with faith and hope, a desire that cannot be quenched, and a belief which others dare not to dream of. Imagination rules the world!
In : Treasure
Tags: "treasure hunter" fortune "buried treasure" riches "fortune seeker" "ancient treasure" gold "lost treasures"
For those who do not already know me, I am Frater Anselmo, Secretary-General of The Brotherhood of the Rosy Cross. I answer most of the emails and handle the correspondence in addition to other duties. Frater Cyprian has graciously allowed me to add this feature to our website to provide timely wisdom and spiritual encouragement to the Brotherhood and its many friends. I will consider and try to answer any questions or issues submitted to me via email or letter that may be of interest to our readers. I encourage my fellow fraters and sorors of the R.C. to submit their own posts. Send to my attention and be sure to mention possible inclusion in "Frater Anselmo's Blog." May these words be seasoned with wisdom and bless everyone who reads them.
