Find of Roman coin shows ancient Britons in a new light

[Primus Pilus]

Experts are excited about a rare coin unearthed by an amateur treasure hunter which could change the accepted ancient history of Britain. The silver denarius which dates back to the Roman Republic

[Gaius Octavius]

From P.P. above:

 

"Dating from 146 BC, it shows how ancient Britons were trading with the Romans well before the country was conquered in AD 43."

 

So sure! Could have been the Gauls. Isn't it well known that there was trade between Gaul and Britania welll before Caesar visited?

[Primus Pilus]

Isn't it well known that there was trade between Gaul and Britania welll before Caesar visited?

 

Without question, though such trade was often not direct but rather through various mutually known third party tribes. Roman standardized coinage was often a commodity unto itself in foreign cultures. It's existence outside normal Roman spheres does not necessarily indicate direct contact but was probably more common to be transacted through these third parties. Consider that Roman merchants would have had to transverse the whole of barbarian Gaul before even arranging for cross channel contact. Trade from a Roman perspective would've been far more efficient with Gallic merchants who already had direct contact with Britain. Included in that Gallic to Britannic trade could've been the occasional payment of Roman coinage that had already been paid to Gallic merchants.

[Gaius Octavius]

To add to P.P's post. Roman coinage (at that time) could be counted upon for value and thus was accepted from Britain to Ceylon.

[Pertinax]

The coin was found not too far from the known Brythonic entrepot of modern day Poole (Dorset) which sems to have been a focus of both productve activity and a trading node.

[Andrew Dalby]

The coin was found not too far from the known Brythonic entrepot of modern day Poole (Dorset) which sems to have been a focus of both productve activity and a trading node.

 

Hold on, Pertinax, since when was Fowey near Poole? Several hours' driving even now! But, yes, it's on the south coast, and anywhere along there -- especially a river mouth as at Fowey -- would be a good spot for trade contacts from across the Channel.

 

One coin by itself means contact in some form, though, as observed above, it would almost certainly be indirect contact via the Gauls. It doesn't in itself mean regular trade. One coin, if it's unlike all others found nearby, would perhaps have been brought and exchanged as a valued object, a prized gift, rather than as a piece of money.

[longshotgene]

This evidence shouldn't come as a shock. Hispania and Britannia had very close times which go very far back. It is very well possible and probable that the Britons were trading directly with the Romans. Spain (Hispania) pretty much became a province after the fall of Carthage. Where Carthage lost her presence, Rome made hers.