Treasure Hunter Unearths Hoard Of Ancient Coins

Wiltshire resident David Crisp was doing what he loved best - Walking around the English countryside with his metal detector looking for treasure - What he found has not only made him world famous, but also, quite wealthy!

That's because the hobby metal detectorist discovered not one, but 52,500 bronze and silver coins dating back to the 3rd Century AD. Not only is it the largest collection of ancient coins ever found, but also, the most minted by Emperor Carausias, a military commander who ruled over Britainand Rome for seven years from 266 to 273 AD.

Mr. Crisp, who works as a hospital chef took up metal detecting seriously in 1988 and now does it regularly at least once a week. While he has found a few coins, artifacts and even jewelry from past civilizations before, he has never discovered anything this amazing.

It all happened earlier this year in April. The treasure hunter was patiently scouring a farm in Frome, Somerset, when his metal detector started beeping - Excited, he began to dig and just 30cm below the surface was a small bronze coin. As he dug further, he kept coming across additional coins. Realizing that this may be a significant find, he decided to call the experts who unearthed a pot-bellied jar so heavy, that they had to break it to scoop out the coins!

Once removed from the ground it took the museum staff a month to wash the coins so that they didn't stick together as the soil dried out and, another three months to compile a rough catalogue, the results of which are finally being revealed.

The experts have no idea how or why the pot was hidden here - they believe that given the amount of coins, it may be the savings of an entire community, possibly, an offering to the gods. Estimated to be valued at over $2mm USD, the coins will be exhibited at the Somerset museum, after the archeologists complete the catalogue process. While David Crisp will not receive a reward for the entire amount, he will earn a portion - Not bad for two hours of work!

sources: guardian.co.uk