Bicester

The Bicester hoard of 440 fourth century folles was found by workmen removing a tree stump on a farm near Bicester (Oxfordshire, UK) in July 1979. All the coins were minted between AD317 and AD348. There was no trace of a container and the hoard was taken to the Ashmolean Museum for study and cataloguing. As the hoard was not gold or silver, it was not subject to the Treasure Trove law in existence at the time, and so was returned to the owners. The hoard was sold en masse to Fox and Co. of Yeovil, Somerset who sold the coins individually by way of a catalogue published in the early 1980s.

This catalogue listed 442 coins (another two had come to light) and on a few occasions, descriptions were changed from the original listing due to further examination and additional cleaning. It should be pointed out that the Asmolean had limited time to complete their examination due to pressure from the finders who were keen to get the hoard returned to them. Fox listed seventy coins as having been retained by the Ashmolean, and several were described as missing. The official report was published in the Coin Hoards from Roman Britain (CHRB) series and the imitations were illustrated.

The Bicester (Oxon) Hoard of Folles AD317-348, C.E.King, pages 77-106, Coin Hoards from Roman Britain Volume II, British Museum Occasional Paper No. 31, 1981.

The Bicester (Oxon) Hoard of Folles AD317-348, Fox & Co.., Yeovil, 198[-].