A hoard of 3rd century coins was found by Mr. J.T. Allen whilst digging in his garden at 698, Lightwood road, Longton, Stoke on Trent, in June 1960. The site is approximately one mile south-west of the Roman Road running from Littlechester near Derby, to Chesterton past the nearby fort at Trent Vale. (Margary Road No.181; Hoard found at NGR: SJ925410.)
The hoard was deposited in a red-brown earthenware pot, and consisted of 1,739 identifiable Roman coins and a further 722 "irregular pieces", many of which were corroded and cojoined. Hidden within the mass of coins was a pair of silver bracelets and a fragment of a silver clasp, which were wrapped together in a coarse textile. The bracelets have been dated to the third century AD, based on the construction and styling.
| Lightwood | Goadby Marwood | Calverton | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Empire | |||
| Valerian I (AD253-260) | 6 | 2 | - |
| Gallienus (AD253-260: joint reign) | 4 | - | - |
| Salonina (joint reign) | - | 2 | - |
| Valerian II (AD256-258) | - | 1 | - |
| Saloninus (AD258-260) | - | - | 1 |
| Gallienus (AD260-268: sole reign) | 237 | 241 | 28 |
| Salonina (sole reign) | 29 | 16 | 3 |
| Claudius II (AD268-270) | 171 | 215 | 18 |
| Quintillus (AD270) | 7 | 12 | 2 |
| 'Divus Claudius' (AD270-) | 36 | 67 | 13 |
| Aurelian (AD270-275) | 3 | 8 | - |
| Tacitus (AD275-276) | 12 | 1 | - |
| Florian (AD276) | - | - | - |
| Probus (AD276-282) | 4 | 3 | - |
| Subtotal | 509 | 568 | 65 |
| Gallic Empire | |||
| Postumus (AD260-268) | 27 | 20 | 1 |
| Laelian (AD268) | 1 | - | - |
| Marius (AD268) | 4 | 8 | - |
| Victorinus (AD268-270) | 368 | 294 | 38 |
| Tetricus I (AD270-274) | 559 | 710 | 94 |
| Tetricus II (AD270-274) | 271 | 297 | 40 |
| Subtotal | 1230 | 1329 | 173 |
| Total | 1739 | 1897 | 248 |
The above table gives a comparison listing of the coins from Lightwood, together with two other third century Roman coin hoards:
The Lightwood coin hoard, bracelets and clasp are now on display at the Stoke on Trent City Museum; the fate of the pottery receptacle and the fragments of fabric are not recorded in the article.
