The following is an edited version of two reports written by Dr Richard Abdy

Description of the find

Many of the coins were buckled or fragmentary; probably damaged by ploughing, as their broken edges looked fresh. The latest coin is not fully legible but probably takes the hoard just into the joint reign of Honorius and Arcadius. If so this sole specimen would place Thruxton near the beginning of the sizable body of British siliqua hoards, which end with the period 395-402. Furthermore, the siliquae in this hoard are virtually unclipped ('clipping factor 1' just possible on one specimen) and this, together with the presence of miliarenses alongside the siliquae, supports an earlier date for the deposition of the hoard, before the AD 395-402 coinage had much chance to spread into the circulation. (For the compositional changes of late Roman silver hoards over time, including the spread of the phenomenon of clipping, see P. Guest in CHRB X, 'Hoards from the End of Roman Britain', pp.411-23).

Catalogue

(Note: the norm during the late empire was for colleges of two or more emperors, at least one in the east and one in the west. Mints usually stuck coins honouring the other emperor(s) as well as of their particular territory).

5 silver miliarenses:

AD 355-60, Constantius II & Julian, 1 (mint = Arles)

AD 364-7, Valentinian I & Valens, 1 (mint = Rome)

AD 367-75, Valentinian I, Valens & Gratian, 1 (mint = Trier)

AD 378/9-88, Gratian, Theodosius I, Valentinian II, Arcadius, Magnus Maximus & Flavius Victor, 1 (mint = Lyon)

AD 388-92, Theodosius I, Valentinian II, Eugenius & Arcadius, 1 (mint = Lyon)

36 silver siliquae

AD 355-63, Constantius II & Julian, 1 (mint = Arles)

AD 364-7, Valentinian I & Valens, 8 (mint = Trier x 7; Rome x 1)

AD 375-8, Valens, Gratian & Valentinian II, 3 (mint = Trier x 1; Lyon x 2)

AD 378/9-88, Gratian, Theodosius I, Valentinian II, Arcadius, Magnus Maximus & Flavius Victor, 11 (mint = Trier x 7; Aquileia x 1; uncertain x 3)

AD 388-95, Theodosius I, Valentinian II, Eugenius & Arcadius, 6 (mint = Trier x 3; uncertain x 3)

AD 395-402, Honorius & Arcadius, 1 (mint = Milan)

Uncertain period fragments, 6

Conclusion

On the balance of probabilities, therefore, I conclude that these coins belong together as a hoard and constitute a prima facie case of treasure by being precious metal coins of an antiquity greater than 300 years and are of one find of more than two pieces.