This bronze sestertius is a Roman coin minted during the reign of Maximinus (AD235-8). The first man of barbarian birth to ascend the throne, he was proclaimed emperor by his own troops, who killed him just 3 years later. The coin features his head on one side and Fides (the goddess of trust) on the other. It was found in Victoria Cave, Yorkshire. Interestingly, not long after the Roman conquest of northern Britain in the AD70s, people began placing small objects in the cave, mostly in areas that were dark and difficult to reach. Many Roman soldiers came from places with strong beliefs about caves, and we now think it became the site of a Romano-British cave cult.
Dearne, M J and Lord, T C (eds.) 1998. The Romano-British Archaeology of Victoria Cave, Settle. Research into the site and its artefacts. British Archaeological Reports. British Series 278
Archived in the Tot Lord Collection, Yorkshire.
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