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