Archaeologists have uncovered a rare Roman coin bearing the name of Emperor Carausius during excavations along the planned East West Rail line in eastern England. The silver coin, a denarius dated to 287 AD, was found in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire as crews surveyed the route connecting Oxford, Bedford and Cambridge.
Emperor Carausius was a Roman naval officer who broke away from the empire in 286 AD and ruled Britain and part of northern Gaul for seven years. He had commanded a fleet called the Classis Britannica, tasked with stopping pirate raids in the English Channel.
Roman records say he kept captured pirate treasure for himself, which led Emperor Maximian to order his execution. Carausius fled to Britain instead and declared himself ruler there.
Emperor Carausius’s legacy captured in a rare Roman coin
During his reign, Carausius opened mints in London and Colchester that produced high-quality gold and silver coins, a contrast to the weaker currency issued under Maximian and Diocletian at the time. Many of his coins carried images tied to farming and local wealth, meant to show that Britain could stand on its own outside the empire.
His rule ended in 293 AD after Constantius, Maximian’s son-in-law, captured the settlement of Gesoriacum. Carausius was killed soon after by his own finance minister, Allectus, who then took power himself.
Allectus held Britain only a few years before Constantius retook the region for Rome in 296 AD. Historian Simon Elliott has said that the revolt kept Britain a priority for Roman rule for roughly another century, since the empire had already committed to winning it back.
Along with the Roman coin, archaeologists found a second coin from the second century, likely linked to Emperor Antoninus Pius or Marcus Aurelius. They also uncovered a handmade Iron Age jar dating between 50 BC and 50 AD, along with scattered pottery fragments.
Experts explain the dig’s significance and what comes next
Mike Court, historic environment lead for East West Rail, said that the area has a long record of archaeological finds and that the Carausius coin helps date the site precisely. He noted that other evidence nearby points to a Roman settlement once located there.
Joss Piper-Jarrett, an archaeology survey manager on the project, explained that each discovery adds to the understanding of the people who once lived in the area. She noted that her team is often the first to see these objects in about 2,000 years.
Crews have surveyed 1,000 trial trenches so far and plan to examine 6,000 more over the next two years. Programme manager Jorn Pace said that the surveys allow the team to limit unnecessary digging. He added that the project is working closely with local landowners to restore land once construction is complete.
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