![]() ![]() “Scientific analysis of these ultra-rare coins rescues the emperor Sponsian from obscurity,” says lead study author Paul N. OJCj0LfXhO- Paul Pearson September 16, 2021 The Roman "emperor" #sponsian - fake or real? tbc. However, the researchers now hypothesize that Sponsian was an army commander of a Roman province, and that coins depicting him were once in circulation.įascinating day of numismatic sleuthing at the wonderful museum collection today in Glasgow with Jesper Ericsson and Jacek Olender. These findings breathe life back into a man named Sponsian, whose image is depicted on some of the coins from the 1713 collection-and who is not a recognized historical figure. In a new paper published in PLOS One, the team found that the coins display “features indicative of authenticity,” including evidence of “extensive circulation-wear” and a “history of prolonged burial then exhumation.” The general consensus since then has been that they are forgeries.īut now, researchers have decided to re-examine four of the coins, which are kept at the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum, using modern imaging technology. But by the mid-19th century, experts began to doubt the authenticity of the coins due to their odd, relatively sloppy design. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.In 1713, when a collection of Roman gold coins was unearthed in Transylvania, researchers thought they had struck gold. įunding: PNP received a small grant of <£1K from the Royal Numismatic Society. ![]() ![]() In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: Ĭitation: Pearson PN, Botticelli M, Ericsson J, Olender J, Spruženiece L (2022) Authenticating coins of the ‘Roman emperor’ Sponsian. Not only do we hope that this encourages further debate about Sponsian as a historical figure, but also the investigation of coins relating to him held in other museums across Europe." Our evidence suggests he ruled Roman Dacia, an isolated gold mining outpost, at a time when the empire was beset by civil wars and the borderlands were overrun by plundering invaders.”Ĭurator of Numismatics at The Hunterian, Jesper Ericsson, adds: "This has been a really exciting project for The Hunterian. Pearson of University College, London, adds: “Scientific analysis of these ultra-rare coins rescues the emperor Sponsian from obscurity. Together, the new evidence strongly suggests the coins are authentic.Ĭonsidering the historical record alongside the new evidence from the coins, the researchers suggest that Sponsian was an army commander in the Roman Province of Dacia during a period of military strife in the 260s CE. The researchers also analyzed earthen deposits on the coins, finding evidence that after extensive circulation, the coins were buried for a prolonged period before being exhumed. The analysis revealed deep micro-abrasion patterns typically associated with coins that were in circulation for an extensive period of time. They applied visible light microscopy, ultra-violet imaging, scanning electron microscopy, and reflection mode Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy to the four coins and, for comparison, two undoubtedly authentic Roman gold coins. To further investigate the Transylvanian coins' authenticity, Pearson and colleagues conducted a deeper assessment of the physical characteristics of four of the coins, including the Sponsian coin. Additionally, in 1713, “Sponsian" was not yet known to be a name that had ever existed in ancient Rome. However, the coins are also uncharacteristic of the forgeries that would have been of interest to past collectors. While the Transylvanian coins follow the general style of mid-third century Roman coins, they diverge in certain stylistic characteristics and in how they were manufactured, leading many experts to dismiss them as forgeries created to sell to collectors. In 1713, a group of such coins was allegedly discovered in Transylvania, some of them featuring a portrait labeled with the name "Sponsian," although there are no other historical records that a Roman emperor named Sponsian ever existed. ![]() Paul Pearson of University College London, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on November 23, 2022.įor much of ancient Roman history, Roman mints produced coins featuring portraits of current emperors. view moreĬredit: Pearson et al., 2022, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 ()Ī new analysis of several Roman coins unearthed in 1713 - long thought to be forgeries - suggests that they are authentic, providing evidence that the leader portrayed on one of the coins was indeed in power during the 260s CE. Image: Coin of the ‘emperor’ Sponsian, currently in The Hunterian, University of Glasgow, UK, catalogue number GLAHM:40333 (reproduced from Ref. ![]()
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