Coins found during the Roman Gask Project’s work at the Roman fort of Cargill: 2005.
By David Shotter.
A: Roman Coins (13)
1. Sf..62 AR Denarius (fragmentary). Vespasian MW 69-79
2. 119 Æ As (fragmentary). Domitian
Rev. [MONETA AVGVST SC] LW 84 +
3. 121 Æ Radiate copy (?) (fragmentary) VW c.280
4. 122 Æ As Domitian
Obv. [IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM]COS XI[CENS PER P P]
Rev. FORTVNAE [AVGVST] SC RIC II (Domitian), 299 LW 85
5. 129 AR Denarius, Tiberius
Obv. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F [AVGVSTVS]
Rev. PONTIF MAXIM (RIC I 2 (Tiberius), 26) MW 14-37
6. 148 Æ As Domitian
Rev. [MONETA AVGVST S C] VW 84+
7. 150 AR Denarius, Marcus Antonius
Obv. [ANT AVG IIIVIR RPC] Crawford 544 VW 32-1 BC
8. 155 Æ Dupondius, Vespasian
Rev. [AEQVITAS AVGVSTI SC] RIC II (Vespasian), 482 MW 71
9. 162 Æ As Hadrian VW 117-38
10. 178 Æ Sestertius, Vespasian VW 69-79
11. 189 Æ Sestertius (fragmentary), Hadrian
Obv. [HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS] VW 125-34
12. 310 Æ As Vespasian
(Obv. IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III
Rev. VICTORIA AVGVSTI SC) RIC 502 LW 71
13. 312 Æ Possible Radiate Copy VW c.280
B: Medieval Coins (1)
1. 124 AR Long Cross Penny (fragmentary) Edward I MW
C: Post-Medieval/ Modern Coins (31)
1. 123 Farthing of George III
2. 190 Halfpenny of George II (?)
3. 196 Halfpenny of George III (1806)
4. 200 Farthing of George III
5. 203 Farthing of George III (?)
6. 208 Halfpenny of George III (1806?)
7. 228 Penny of George III (1797)
8. 236 Farthing of George III (?)
9. 280 Halfpenny of George II
10. 305 Penny of George III (1806?)
11. 327 Penny of George II
12. 335 Halfpenny of George II
13. 340 Irish Halfpenny of George II
14. (No Coordinates) Halfpenny of Victoria (1863)
15. 27 Farthing of Victoria
16. 138 Penny (19th Century)
17. 168 Farthing of Victoria (1865)
18. 176 Shilling of William IV
19. 184 Threepence of Victoria (1859)
20. 188 Farthing of Victoria (1860s)
21. 207 Penny of Victoria (1891)
22. 264 Penny of Victoria (1872)
23. 274 Halfpenny of Victoria
24. 287 Penny of Victoria (1889)
25. 290 Halfpenny of Victoria (1865)
26. 367 Penny of Victoria (1873)
27. 394 Penny of Victoria (?)
28. 12 Threepence of George VI (1943)
29. 152 Halfpenny of George V (1936)
30. 272 Sixpence of George VI (1937)
31. 275 Halfpenny of George VI (1938)
D: Miscellaneous Items (5)
1. 94 Token (?)
2. 111 Button (?)
3. 132 Button (?)
4. 139 Token (?)
5. 368 Silvered Disc
E: Illegible (12)
1. 8 Æ (No features visible)
2. 21 Æ (No features visible)
3. 112 Post-medieval coin (?)
4. 113 Post-medieval coin (?)
5. 143 Lead roll with post-medieval (?) coin
6. 219 Post-medieval coin (?)
7. 261 Æ (No features visible)
8. 273 Post-medieval coin (?)
9. 299 Post-medieval coin (?)
10. 309 Possibly Farthing of George III
11. 333 Æ (No features visible)
12. 345 Post-medieval coin
Abbreviations
Crawford: Crawford M.H., Roman Republican Coinage, Cambridge 1974.
RIC: Mattingly H. et al., The Roman Imperial Coinage, London 1923-84.
Discussion
Although the Roman coins (section A, above) are too few in number to support a detailed discussion of chronology, some points may be made regarding them:
1) The Flavian presence at the site is very clear; of the two closely-dateable issues of Vespasian, one (12) is a little-worn as of AD 71, which might hint at pre-Agricolan activity; the other, however (8), has sustained wear, arguing for a date-of-loss in the later 70s or early-80s. There appear to be no Flavian coins later than aes– issues of Domitian of the mid-80s (2, 4, 6). The remaining coins of Vespasian (1, 10) were too damaged to permit comment other than that they could have been lost at any time in the late-first or second centuries. The presence of a denarius of Tiberius (5) is not itself particularly significant with regard to date, but might point to legionary activity at the site. Although Julio-Claudian denarii continued in use in Britain into the early-second century, those of Marcus Antonius (7) remained in circulation until the early-third century, due, it seems, to the fact that Augustus’ spurious denigration of them as consisting of poor silver allowed them to escape recalls of old silver, such as that of Trajan in c.AD 110 (Dio Cassius Roman History 68. 15). In all, therefore, we can see that the early coins in this group are consistent with an initial period of occupation from a point in the 70s until the later 80s.
2) The presence in the group of very worn coins of Hadrian ( 9, 11) is indicative of activity in either the Antonine or Severan periods – or possibly both.
3) The presence of two possible radiate copies (3, 13) indicates the likelihood of a continuing communication between the area north of the river Tay and the Roman province into the second half of the third century. The nature of this activity, however, can only be a matter of guesswork, although some unrecorded military activity cannot be ruled out. It is, however, more likely to be of a ‘commercial’ nature.