Find Spot record 8030/50 - Roman Finds, Foregate Street

In 1779, a gold coin of Nero was found during construction work in Foregate St. Isolated coins are one of the most frequent discoveries in the English countryside. Coins may reflect the wealth and power of a settlement, and their distribution can help us analyse the geographical extent of territories or trace major commercial routes. During the Roman period coins were also an important means of distributing the image of the emperor across the empire. Often they carried pictures of gods or genii on the other side. The values of Roman coins changed during the course of the Republic and Empire. The basic unit was an as, a bronze coin originally weighing twelve ounces. Dupondii were worth approximately two asses, and denarii were silver coins worth approximately ten asses. There was also a slightly less common coin, a sestertius, which was worth a quarter of a denarius, or two and a half asses. Later on in the Empire the aureus was introduced, a gold coin which was worth 25 denarii.