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Dr
Peter
Guest
Cardiff University
Cardiff
CF1 3XU
Wales
Iron Age and Roman Coins from Wales (IARCW) is a research project whose purpose is to advance the knowledge and understanding of coin supply (particularly from Rome) and the impact of coinage (especially Roman) on the diverse populations of this part of western Britain from the first century BC to the fifth century AD. The primary objectives of the project were to create an inventory of ancient coins from Wales and to disseminate this body of information to as wide an audience as possible. The dataset currently includes details of 52,813 coins (the vast majority of which are Roman) from 1172 separate finds (these include excavated assemblages, hoards, single finds and indeterminate groups of coins). This comprehensive digital database of ancient coins discovered in modern Wales could be investigated in a variety of ways. For example, it is possible to study coins by region, town or village, ancient settlement, hoard or archaeological excavation. Also, each coin is described in detail (up to fifteen fields, although the completeness of each entry depends on the original source) and the recording of almost 53,000 coins allows the analysis of these objects by metal, denomination, emperor or ruler, mint, date of production, or a number of other numismatic criteria. The availability of this database of numismatic information puts a very substantial body of evidence at our fingertips, which, it is hoped, will encourage the continued investigation of coin supply, circulation and use in western Britain during the later Iron Age and Roman periods.
IARCW was funded by the University of Wales through the Board of Celtic Studies and was directed by Peter Guest of Cardiff University. Nick Wells was appointed as the project research assistant for twelve months from October 2003. Published sources of information included excavation and hoard reports in books and journals. Sites and Monuments Records were consulted for otherwise unpublished Iron Age and Roman coins (Cambria Archaeology, Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust and Gwynedd Archaeological Trust), as were museums in Wales and England. Edward Besly of the National Museum Wales provided details of the unpublished material in the national collection as well as general support and advice. The Portable Antiquities Scheme was a source of information on a number of coins found in recent years, mainly by metal detector.
The database will be added to as new finds are recorded and the intention is to update the website at regular intervals. If you would like to comment on this archive, propose new material to be included, or suggest corrections and amendments to the data, please contact the depositor.