According to recent University College of London research, a gold coin long regarded as a fake appears to be authentic and portrays a long-lost Roman emperor named Sponsian. A recent study conducted by the University College London (UCL) suggests that a gold coin long thought to be a forgery depi
According to recent University College of London research, a gold coin long regarded as a fake appears to be authentic and portrays a long-lost Roman emperor named Sponsian.suggests that a gold coin long thought to be a forgery depicting a long-lost Roman emperor by the name of Sponsian is really authentic.
Coin of the ‘emperor’ Sponsian, currently in The Hunterian, University of Glasgow, UK, catalog number GLAHM:40333 . Credit: Pearson et al., 2022,They found minerals on the coin’s surface that were consistent with it being buried in soil over a long period of time and then exposed to air. These minerals were cemented in place by silica – cementing that would naturally occur over a long time in soil.
Coinage has always been an important symbol of power and authority. Recognizing this and unable to receive official issues from the mint in Rome, Sponsian seems to have authorized the creation of locally produced coins, some featuring an image of his face, to support a functioning economy in his isolated frontier territory.
Only four coins featuring Sponsian are known to have survived to the present day, all apparently originally from the 1713 hoard. Another is in Brukenthal National Museum in Sibiu, Romania. High magnification microscopic analysis performed there, following the research on the coin at The Hunterian, has revealed similar evidence of authenticity.
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