South Shields Roman Fort, coin

Excavation of one of the main roads at Arbeia Roman Fort has produced a coin that may have been used as a good-luck charm. It is a large sestertius of Trajan, produced between 114 and 117, found buried under a road that was not built until almost 100 years later. Unlike other sestertii found at the fort, the detail on this coin is still clear. Emperor Trajan sits on a folding chair on a raised platform, addressing his troops, including four infantry soldiers and one cavalryman on his horse. The lack of wear suggests that the coin had not been in circulation for a hundred years before being lost by one of the road construction soldiers. More likely it had been kept as a good luck charm by several generations of men and then used as a foundation deposit, in the hope that good luck could be passed on the fort and its occupants.