Pearson, PN;
Botticelli, M;
Ericsson, J;
Olender, J;
Spruženiece, L;
(2022)
Authenticating coins of the 'Roman emperor' Sponsian.
PLoS ONE
, 17
(11)
, Article e0274285. 10.1371/journal.pone.0274285.
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Abstract
The 'Roman emperor' Sponsian is known only from an assemblage of coins allegedly found in Transylvania (Romania) in 1713. They are very unlike regular Roman coins in style and manufacture, with various enigmatic features including bungled legends and historically mixed motifs, and have long been dismissed as poorly made forgeries. Here we present non-destructive imaging and spectroscopic results that show features indicative of authenticity. Deep micro-abrasion patterns suggest extensive circulation-wear. Superficial patches of soil minerals bound by authigenic cement and overlain by oxidation products indicate a history of prolonged burial then exhumation. These observations force a re-evaluation of Sponsian as a historical personage. Combining evidence from the coins with the historical record, we suggest he was most likely an army commander in the isolated Roman Province of Dacia during the military crisis of the 260s CE, and that his crudely manufactured coins supported a functioning monetary economy that persisted locally for an appreciable period.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Authenticating coins of the 'Roman emperor' Sponsian |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0274285 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274285 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2022 Pearson et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Keywords: | Male, Humans, Numismatics, Burial, Bone Cements, Commerce, Dental Materials |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Earth Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10177473 |
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