The Shrewsbury Hoard, also known as the Shropshire Hoard, is a significant discovery consisting of 9,315 bronze Roman coins. It was found by a metal prospector in a field near Shrewsbury, Shropshire, in August 2009. These coins were located within a large pottery storage jar that had been buried around the year 335 AD.
The hoard was uncovered by Nick Davies, who had recently taken up metal prospecting as a hobby. Remarkably, this was his very first find. However, Davies had not obtained proper permission from the landowner to engage in metal detecting on their property, as he was unaware that such permission was necessary. When he stumbled upon the treasure, he excavated the pot himself. Later, he showed the discovery to Peter Reavill, a Portable Antiquities Scheme program finds liaison officer in Herefordshire and Shropshire. Subsequently, Davis and Reavill contacted archaeologists from Shropshire County Council to investigate the site. A small excavation was carried out.
The excavation revealed that the pot had likely been partially filled with coins dating from about A.D. 320 and was then further filled with coins from the years 333-335. The top of the pot had broken off, and approximately 300 scattered coins were found in the vicinity of the original find spot. The combined weight of the pot and coins was approximately 32 kilograms (about 71 pounds).
Following the completion of the excavation, the hoard was sent to the British Museum in London for cleaning and preservation.
While the individual coins in the hoard may not hold significant monetary value, the sheer quantity of coins makes this discovery of considerable historical importance. Reavill suggested that, during the reign of Constantine I, Britain was a major producer of food for export to other parts of the Roman Empire. Therefore, it's possible that the coins represented payment to farmers or the farming community for their agricultural products, and the money may have been buried for safekeeping, with the option of withdrawal if needed at a later time.
