Coin finds in mines and quarries

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Peter Burgess
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

It occurred to me the other day that I have never heard of finds of coins in old mines or quarries. I can understand why they might be rare, since miners and quarrymen might not carry much cash around when working - why would they need it? But you might think very occasionally something might turn up. Do you know of any examples? Not including obvious accidental losses of modern coinage by modern explorers, of course.

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rikj
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

A small hoard of coins has been found in a cave in Dovedale, in the papers in the last day or so. Maybe not quite what you meant.

I think you are probably right in that they wouldn't have taken anything in. If anything did fall on the floor I'd imagine the possibility of it still being visible would be pretty remote. I've seen a good torch disappear in seconds :-[

As an aside, I know people go metal detecting on the spoil heaps from railway tunnels and find Irish coins dropped by the navvies.

Peter Burgess
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

Not really! We get so few datable finds in the older Surrey quarries that even finding ONE coin would be great. The most I have managed recently was a 1982 20p piece.

Brakeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

The only one I know of is the pot of Roman coins found in a mine shaft on the Engine vein copper mine. My self I have only found old pennies in the mud at Alderley .

http://www.archaeologyuk.org/emrg/alderley%20edge%20copper%20mines.html

The management thanks you for your co operation.

Cat_Bones
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

"Brakeman" wrote:
The only one I know of is the pot of Roman coins found in a mine shaft on the Engine vein copper mine. My self I have only found old pennies in the mud at Alderley .

http://www.archaeologyuk.org/emrg/alderley%20edge%20copper%20mines.html

Roman coins were found at Llanymynech Ogof also, hidden in a stack of deads.

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

I've heard tales of a coin hoard being found at a mine site in Derbyshire but this apparently wasn't in the workings but above ground. It wasn't reported so I'm not naming names or sites in public but apparently the coins were recognisable demominations which would suggest to me either a civil war or Jacobite rebellion era hoard.

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

historytrog
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Recently Roman coins that were stated to have been found around Derbyshire lead mines were being sold on Ebay. Amazingly, archaeologists were not really interested.

Am just setting off over Masson etc so will not be on again today.

Moorebooks
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

"Cat_Bones" wrote:

"Brakeman" wrote:
The only one I know of is the pot of Roman coins found in a mine shaft on the Engine vein copper mine. My self I have only found old pennies in the mud at Alderley .

http://www.archaeologyuk.org/emrg/alderley%20edge%20copper%20mines.html

Roman coins were found at Llanymynech Ogof also, hidden in a stack of deads.

Your right that they were found but we have no idea where they are now!!

Mike

Graigfawr
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Forgeries of Roman coins were found by the BEC in Draethen lead mine which was concluded to have been the hideout of counterfeiters

http://www.bec-cave.org.uk/index.php/publications-mainmenu-32/caving-reports-mainmenu-34/989-caving-report-15-roman-mine-draethen-glamorganshire