Dad-of-five stumbles across hoard of Roman coins dating from AD 70

Lee Cresswell, who had been pursuing metal detecting as a hobby for about three years, unearthed coins dating from AD 70 to AD 171, spanning the reigns of emperors Vespasian, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius.

Lee Cresswell, a father-of-five who had been metal detecting for about three years, discovered coins dating from AD 70 to AD 171, spanning the reigns of emperors Vespasian, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius.

Mr Cresswell, from Barrow-in-Furness, shared his excitement about the find, stating, "I have found many items from the Roman, Saxon, Bronze ages and Viking items, all local finds."

Lee Cresswell found the coins (Image: Archive)

He emphasized the importance of gaining permission from landowners before searching their fields, explaining, "To gain landowners' permission, we phone and speak to the farmer and arrange a meet and greet to introduce ourselves before we get permission to go on their land."

Mr Cresswell's passion for metal detecting began when he was younger, and he had always been interested in history. He started metal detecting to combine his hobbies and spend more time with his children, who were also enthusiastic about the activity.

Mr Cresswell noted that farmers are often interested in the historical significance of the items he discovers, saying, "All of my farmers are quite interested in the history of their land and are interested in the finds I get.

"We have an understanding that anything of value is split 50/50."

The Roman coins found by Lee Cresswell (Image: Archive) The discovery raised questions about Roman settlement in the Furness peninsula, as it was previously unknown if they had established a presence there.

Sabine Skae from the Dock Museum in Barrow remarked, "This is quite exciting," suggesting that a wealthy Roman must have lived in the area to bury the coins.

She added that while such collections are common across the former Roman Empire, a find of this nature had never been made before on the Furness Peninsula.

Mr Cresswell also revealed that his children share his passion for metal detecting, with his daughter Brianna helping to clean the finds and his son Dale frequently asking to use the detector, often digging in their garden.

This story was first reported on by Amy Fenton, on February 28, 2020. output: A dad-of-five has unearthed coins spanning 70AD to 171AD in Furness.

The coins, which were discovered by Lee Cresswell, of Barrow-in-Furness, date back to the reigns of emperors Vespasian, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius.

Mr Cresswell, who has been metal detecting for about three years, said: "I have found many items from the Roman, Saxon, Bronze ages and Viking items, all local finds."

Lee Cresswell found the coins (Image: Archive)

He added: "To gain landowners' permission, we phone and speak to the farmer and arrange a meet and greet to introduce ourselves before we get permission to go on their land.

"My passion for metal detecting began when I was younger and had always been interested in history. I started metal detecting to combine my hobbies and to spend more time with my children who are also enthusiastic about the activity.

"All of my farmers are quite interested in the history of their land and are interested in the finds I get.

"We have an understanding that anything of value is split 50/50."

The Roman coins found by Lee Cresswell (Image: Archive)

The discovery has sparked interest in Roman settlement on the Furness peninsula, as it is not known if they had a presence there.

Sabine Skae, from the Dock Museum in Barrow, said: "This is quite exciting.

"It would suggest that a wealthy Roman had an estate in the area and had buried the coins for safekeeping.

"People used to collect coins of different emperors and mints as a hobby, and such collections are common throughout the former Roman Empire. However, a find of this nature has never been made before on the Furness Peninsula."

Mr Cresswell's children also enjoy metal detecting, with his daughter Brianna helping to clean the finds and his son Dale frequently asking to use the detector, often digging in their garden.