Roman Sestertius, a soldier and a Duke

female Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

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On Sunday morning I attended a club dig, and was pleased to find a Sestertius. This Roman bronze coin is 3cm in diameter and weighs 15.6g. The sestertius (semis-tertius) means "2½", the coin's original value in asses. It is a combination of semis "half" and tertius "third", that is, "the third half" (0½ being the first half and 1½ the second half)". An As or Assarius was an early Roman coin.

I also found two tombac buttons and part of a pewter spoon. I saw two Large Red Damselflies land on a hedge. A fly unwisely did a fly-by and paid the price. In the blink of an eye one of the damsels had it and landed on a leaf to consume its morsel. I saw male and female Brimstones, Whites and two Holly Blues, my first of the season, and a Dance Fly.

I then called in at a Duke of Burgundy site and met Neil with little Mia who acted shy but gave me a wave when they left. Apart from the Duke I saw a Grizzled Skipper, female Orange-tip, Speckled Wood, Drab Looper, Speckled Yellow and Treble Bar moths, plus a Soldier beetle.

photos taken with Nikon D90, Sigma 180mm lens unless otherwise stated.

female Large Red Damselfly, Pyrrhosoma nymphula with fly
Lumix FZ45

Dance Fly, Empis tesselata on Garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata
Canon G9

Dance Fly, Empis tesselata on Garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata
Canon G9

Drab Looper Minoa murinata on Wood Spurge

Drab Looper Minoa murinata
Canon G9

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina
Canon G9

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina
Lumix FZ45

Duke of Burgundy on Bugle
Lumix FZ45

Lumix FZ45

Duke of Burgundy, Hamearis lucina
Lumix FZ45

The front two vestigial legs of this male show well here. The female has six fully functional legs.

Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae

female Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

female Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

female Orange-tip, Anthocharis cardamines

Soldier beetle, Cantharis lateralis

Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria

Speckled Yellow, Pseudopanthera macularia

Speckled Yellow, Pseudopanthera macularia

Treble-bar, Aplocera plagiata