Antoninus denarius and other finds

Antoninus Pius AR Denarius

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

The Durotriges gold stater I posted recently was the highlight of my metal detecting since we were allowed to start again after lockdown. In fact it is one of the highlights of my detecting activities, up there with the Bronze Age gold 'ring money', silver Celtic unit (Verica cavalry duo), Medieval silver gilt ring (returned treasure item), Tudor silver gilt clothes fastener (in Novium museum, Chichester).

Yesterday I found the coin above, a Roman denarius of Antoninus Pius (ruled 138 to 161AD)

Antoninus Pius AR Denarius: Size:  18mm  Weight:  2.6 grams

Obverse: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right

AVG = Augusta (Emperor)

PIVS = Pious

P P = Pater Patriae (Father of his country)

TR P = TRIBVNICA POTESTAS (Tribune of the people)

COS = Consul

Reverse: ANNONA AVG, modius (grain measure) with four corn ears and two poppies

'On Roman coins the modius with stalks of grain and sometimes poppy, hanging or rising from it, indicates the fertility of the empire and the Imperial liberality and providence in procuring, and in bestowing grain to the people.'

'Annona is an allegorical deity i.e. a personification of an ideal. Annona was a creation of Imperial religious propaganda and is frequently seen with grain ears, a modius, cornucopia, and sometimes a rudder and/or prow because, among other things, she represented the transport of grain by sea into Rome.'

Other recent finds:

Edward II farthing

obverse: EDWARDUS REX

reverse:CIVITAS LONDON (London mint)

Edward IV half groat

obverse: obverse: EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRA(N) = Edward by the Grace of God King of England and France

reverse: CIVITAS CANTOR (Canterbury mint)

Edward VII sixpence 1907 

Elizabeth I sixpence 1579

obverse: ELIZABETH D G ANG FRA ET HIB REGINA =

Elizabeth by the Grace of God Queen of England, France and Ireland

reverse: POSUI DEUM ADIVITOREM MEUM = I have made God my helper

Henry VIII halfpenny

obverse: H D G ROSA SINA SPINA = Henry by the Grace of God a rose without a thorn

or 

HENRIC DI GRA REX AGL = Henry by the Grace of God King of England

reverse: CIVITAS CANTOR (Canterbury mint)

Shortcross penny

could be Henry II, Richard I, John
reverse: (moneyer's name unclear) ON WIN-- = Winchester mint

William and Mary tin halfpenny 169?

diameter 23mm, weight 5.54g

made of tin with a small square plug of copper in the centre. The corrosion properties of tin mean that very few coins survive in a good state of preservation, not helped by the electrochemical reaction between copper and tin. produced 1689-1692. 

button 17mm

gilt livery button, 25mm

the same button from  this site shows the family motto for the Pigot family at the top:

labore et virtut (hard work and virtue)

part of a brooch, probably Roman T-bar type

Chalk Hill Blues and a Gold-ribbon Argent

Chalk Hill Blue female, Polyommatus coridon

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

I visited Kithurst meadow on 20 July and enjoyed seeing lots of different butterflies including Chalk Hill Blues, a Dark Green Fritillary and Silver-washed Fritillaries. Also a tiny Gold-ribbon Argent moth, a Mother of Pearl and a Spotted Longhorn Beetle.

Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni

Chalk Hill Blue, Polyommatus coridon

Chalk Hill Blue, Polyommatus coridon

Comma, Polygonia c-album

Common Blue, Polyommatus icarus

Dark Green Fritillary, Argynnis aglaja

Gatekeeper, Pyronia tithonus

Gold-ribbon Argent, Argyresthia brockeella 

Gold-ribbon Argent, Argyresthia brockeella

Large Skippers, Ochlodes sylvanus

Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina 

Mother of Pearl, Pleuroptya ruralis

Peacock, Inachis io

Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta

Red Admiral and Peacock on Hemp Agrimony

Silver-washed Fritillary male, Argynnis paphia 

Small Blue, Cupido minimus 

Spotted Longhorn Beetle, Rutpela maculata

Chocolate-tip and Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Chocolate-tip, Clostera curtula

to view a gallery with more photos, click here

Littlehampton July 18 to 23 we were visited by 47 species of moths. Among them were Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Bud Moths, Chocolate-tip, a Dagger species, Dark Ash Bud Moth, Dusky Sallow, Elephant Hawk-moth, Langmaid's Yellow Underwing, Marsh Dowd, Nut-Tree Tussock, Pale Prominent, Peppered Moth, Pine Hawk-moth, Red-barred Tortrix, Satin Grass-veneer and Waste Grass-veneer.

Box Tree Moth, Cydalima perspectalis 

Bright-line Brown-eye, Lacanobia oleracea

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing female, Noctua fimbriata

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing male, Noctua fimbriata

Brown-tail, Euproctis chrysorrhoea

Bud Moth, Spilonota ocellana

Buff Ermine, Spilosoma lutea

Buff-tip, Phalera bucephala

Campion, Sideridis rivularis 

Common Footman, Eilema lurideola

Common Green Lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea

Common Wainscot, Mythimna pallens 

Dagger species, Acronicta species 

Dark Arches, Apamea monoglypha 

Dark Ash Bud Moth, Prays ruficeps 

Diamond-back Moth, Plutella xylostella 

Double-striped Pug, Gymnoscelis rufifasciata 

Dusky Sallow, Eremobia ochroleuca 

Elder Pearl, Anania coronata 

Elephant Hawk-moth, Deilephila elpenor 

Elephant Hawk-moth, Deilephila elpenor 

Garden Grass-veneer, Chrysoteuchia culmella

Knot Grass, Acronicta rumicis

Langmaid's Yellow Underwing, Noctua janthina

Least Carpet, Idaea rusticata

Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana 

Long-legged Tabby, Synaphe punctalis

Marbled Green, Nyctobrya muralis

Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus

Marsh Dowd, Blastobasis rebeli, 7mm

Nut-Tree Tussock, Colocasia coryli 

Pale Prominent, Pterostoma palpina

Peppered Moth, Biston betularia

Pine Hawk-moth, Sphinx pinastri 

Red-barred Tortrix, Ditula angustiorana 

Riband Wave, Idaea aversata

Riband Wave, Idaea aversata ab remutata

Rosy Rustic, Hydraecia micacea

Rosy Tabby, Endotricha flammealis

Ruby Tiger, Phragmatobia fuliginosa 

Satin Grass-veneer, Crambus perlella f. warringtonellus 

Scarce Footman, Eilema complana

Shuttle-shaped Dart, Agrotis puta 

Silver Y, Autographa gamma

The Dun-bar, Cosmia trapezina

The Nutmeg, Anarta trifolii 

The Uncertain, Hoplodrina octogenaria 

Waste Grass-veneer, Pediasia contaminella 

White Satin, Leucoma salicis 

White-line Dart, Euxoa tritici 

Willow Beauty, Peribatodes rhomboidaria