Astonishing Discovery in Sapcote

In a serendipitous turn of events, David Dunn, a plumber from Sapcote, Leicestershire, made an extraordinary archaeological find last summer. On July 19, 2023, while enjoying a stroll in a local pasture, Dunn stumbled upon a hoard of 50 Roman coins. The public learned of this remarkable find through a press release issued by the esteemed London auction house, Noonans Mayfair, on February 6.

Casual Hobby Leads to Historical Find

David Dunn’s journey into the world of metal detecting began earlier in 2023. Seeking a way to relax after work, he took up the hobby, employing a Deus 2 metal detector to scan the landscape around his home.

“Something told me to go to the pasture field that I had visited numerous times,” Dunn explained. After several hours of searching, he received a faint signal of 84 on his detector, leading him to unearth his first Roman coin. A subsequent scan with a pinpointer revealed another coin resting in the same hole.

The excitement was palpable, prompting Dunn to inform the local farm owner and procure permission to continue digging. “After digging down about two feet, the discovery snowballed across a four-square-meter area, and we uncovered 50 coins in total,” he recounted. “Who knows what we would have found if we kept digging!”

Coins from a Forgotten Era

The collection contains Roman coins dating back to the reign of Carausius, who ruled over Britannia from 286 to 293 AD after a successful revolt against the Roman Empire. The assortment features coins minted under the reigns of notable emperors such as Allectus, Diocletian, and Maximian, with the latest coins originating from the early fourth century AD.

Notably, the region—historically known as Ratae Corieltauvorum—serves as the county seat of Leicester and is recognized for its wealth of Roman relics. Dunn mentioned that a neighboring farm harbors remnants of a Roman villa, indicative of the area’s rich archaeological heritage.

“Many of the coins were in excellent condition, with pristine portraits—it was a once-in-a-lifetime find!” Dunn remarked, basking in the thrill of his extraordinary discovery.

Upcoming Auction and Its Implications

As excitement builds around this historic find, the hoard is set to be auctioned on February 18, with experts projecting its value to be around ,800 or more. However, for Dunn, the monetary aspect is not the primary motivator.

“I’m not sure what to spend it on,” he confessed. “The money doesn’t interest me—finding history is what I love. The farmer has had a tough time since COVID, so I’d like to give him the majority of the money if it helps in any way.”

This gesture underscores Dunn’s appreciation for the history he unearthed, as well as his desire to support those in his community.

A Scholarly Significance

The implications of Dunn’s discovery extend beyond its monetary value, marking a significant contribution to the field of Roman numismatics. Alice Cullen, an expert at Noonans, noted that one of the coins minted during Carausius’ reign is previously unknown to historians and will be formally documented as a new variety in an upcoming book.

“The first coin from the hoard is particularly exciting,” Cullen stated. “It features a bust of Diocletian on one side and a standing woman on the other—this design has never been recorded before.”