Bourton on the Water Hoard

The Bourton on the Water Hoard of Roman coins from the House of Constantine.
A large hoard of coins of the Constantinian period was discovered on 22nd March 1970. A considerable number of Roman coins had been found on the site over past years, giving rise to the name ‘Money Ground’ by local people. After discovering more coins on the surface each time the field was ploughed, the owner, Mr. C. Renfrew, eventually located the hoard with the aid of a metal-detector. The main part of the hoard consisted of a mass of coins, spherical in shape, and totalling 2,707 pieces, concealed beneath some flat stones, 45 cm. below ground level. The shape of the deposit suggested that the hoard had been buried in a bag. Traces of a dark material adhering to the outermost coins appeared to support this theory, and a specialist examination was made on three of the pieces (nos. 2705-2707). This revealed traces of woollen fibre. More loose coins were collected from the layer of soil on the surface of the cover stones, and it was evident that the coins found on the surface of the field were being ploughed up from this deposit. Further investigation amongst a mixture of mortar and soil below the level of the cover stones produced a considerable number of similar pieces, some stuck together by corrosion. A total of 590 scattered coins was recovered. –Detailed catalogue with weights, die axes, etc. in Heberden Coin Room, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford