Lost or Unprovenanced? The Suggested Fate of an Important Archaeological Discovery (an Aureus of Trajan) from Aldborough (Isurium Brigantum)

Abstract

In 1770 an aureus of the Emperor Trajan was found by the north wall of the churchyard at Aldborough (Isurium Brigantum). This was a very important archaeological discovery as contemporary antiquarian reports provide a clear description of the coin in addition to detailing the precise find spot. Subsequently the aureus disappeared from the historical record but, in this note, historical and numismatic evidence is presented suggesting that an unprovenanced coin now in the British Museum - R.7569 - is the lost Aldborough aureus.

Keywords:

• Trajan
• aureus
• Aldborough
• Isurium Brigantum
• British Museum
• George III

Acknowledgements

In developing this paper, the author should like to express his particular thanks to Martin Millett, Eleanor Ghey, Richard Reece, Richard Brickstock, Andrew Lawson-Tancred and Andrew Burnett in addition to the Collections Enquiry Team at the University of Nottingham.

Disclosure statement

The author reports there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nick Summerton

Nick Summerton is a retired doctor and a PhD student at the University of Durham. His research interests are in Greco-Roman Medicine and Roman Numismatics He is a past winner of the Parkes Weber Prize and Medal of the Royal Numismatic Society. His most recent book ‘Greco-Roman Medicine and What It Can Teach Us Today’ was published in 2021.