A metal detector enthusiast from Cheshire has uncovered what may be the largest hoard of Roman coins ever found in Wales — an astonishing discovery of up to 15,000 coins buried in two clay pots.
David Moss, 36, was exploring a remote, “virtually untouched” area of north Wales when his detector signaled something extraordinary. Moments later, after a rainbow appeared overhead, he and fellow detectorist Ian Nicholson began digging — unearthing two ancient pots packed with coins.
“I had goosebumps. I couldn’t believe it,” Moss said, recalling how he spent more than six hours excavating the site. Fearing the treasure might be stolen, he kept the hoard with him, even **sleeping in his car for three nights** before delivering the find to experts at the National Museum Cardiff.
David Moss & Tom Taylor, two metal detectorists have discovered a Roman hoard of 2,733 silver/copper-alloy coins in a ceramic vessel in a field in North Wales.
They are thought to date from the reigns of Postumus (AD 260-69) & Victorinus (269-71AD) along with silver Denarii… pic.twitter.com/nnMZN5WyhG
— Mr Pål Christiansen (@TheNorskaPaul) November 11, 2023
The museum confirmed that the coins are now being carefully examined and preserved. Initial assessments suggest the hoard could date back nearly two millennia, from the Roman occupation of Britain.
Anthony Halse, chairman of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Numismatic Society, told the BBC the treasure may have belonged to a Roman soldier — or several soldiers — who buried their wealth for safekeeping. “It’s quite possibly the biggest Roman coin discovery in Welsh history,” he said.
The National Museum Cardiff is now cataloguing and cleaning the coins. Once the evaluation is complete, the British Museum will determine whether the hoard should remain in Wales. If so, Moss and the landowner will share the value of the find equally, as required under treasure laws.
A museum spokesperson said the assessment should be finalized next year, marking what could become one of Wales’s most remarkable archaeological discoveries.
