The E-Sylum:  Volume 7, Number 9, February 29, 2004, Article 14

ROMAN COIN OF MYSTERY EMPEROR FOUND

Gar Travis forwarded a link to an article about a recent find
of a bronze coin of Emperor Domitianus, "a mystery emperor
who ?ruled? Britain for a matter of days."

"A man with a metal detector has unearthed a Roman coin so
rare it bears the face of a mystery emperor who ?ruled? Britain
for a matter of days.

Brian Malin, a father-of-one from Oxfordshire, unearthed the
bronze coin in a field in Oxfordshire bearing the face of Emperor
Domitianus.

It is only the second coin in existence to bear the image of the
self-proclaimed ruler of Britain and France in 271AD.

A similar coin was found in France 100 years ago but until now
its uniqueness had meant both Emperor Domitianus and the coin
were dismissed as a hoax.

Historians say the British discovery confirms the French find
is genuine and Domitianus existed."

To read the full article, see: Full Article

A web search found another article in The Guardian:
"Domitianus is now believed to have been a rebel emperor
from the Gaul region, who may have seized power in 271 AD
in the short lived "Gallic empire", and ruled for less than a
year before he was toppled."

"Mr Abdy said there were only two brief references to
Domitianus in historical sources. Both refer to him as a
high ranking army officer, and to his being punished for
treason by the emperor Aurelian - but neither records that
he became emperor.

The coin is on display in the Buried Treasure exhibition at
the British Museum until March 14."

To read the full article, which includes an illustration of
the coin, see: Full Article
Arthur Shippee forwarded links to several other articles
about the discovery, as reported in The Explorator newsletter.

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  Wayne Homren, Editor

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