Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Sugar Loaf Hill, Folkestone. A bronze coin of Eppillus was found in 1972. Classified as Mack 310. A careful examination of the topsoil between January 1972 and April 1973 by John Gower and Philip Dunn revealed a total of fourteen coins

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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Coin of Eppilus and several 4th century coins (Roman) found in 1972, from a surface excavation near the summit of Sugarloaf Hill, by a Mr Bradshaw. (1) TR 225380. Sugar Loaf Hill, Folkestone. Twelve coins extending from Eppillus and Claudius 1 to Marcus, with two more of Urbs Roma type have been found in 'disturbed topsoil' on the hill-top. (2) TR 223379. A bronze coin of Eppilus and Roman coins, ranging from the first to the 4th centuries, were found on Sugarloaf Hill. (3) TR 223379. Sugar Loaf Hill, Folkestone. A bronze coin of Eppillus was found in 1972. Classified as Mack 310 (5), it has an eagle with expanded wings on the reverse and a bull on the obverse side. (4,5) Sugar Loaf Hill. A careful examination of the topsoil between January 1972 and April 1973 by John Gower and Philip Dunn revealed a total of fourteen coins, mostly from the highest part of the hill. They were examined by E W Tilley of Gravesend. There is a high proportion of first and second century coins and the lack of third century coins is particularly noteworthy. There is one coin of Eppilus c. AD 10-25, the other coins are Roman in date ranging from a coin of Claudius c.AD 43 to an Urbs Roma AD 330-337. (6) One coin was missing from the list included in the Kent Archaeological Review 33 1973. The coin is an AR silver quinarius dated to 41 BC. This very early date is unusual. The obverse shows the laureate head of Appollo facing right witha lyre behind. The reverse is Lucifena standing facing and holding two long torches. The coins is illustrated as in No. 294 in Seaby's (8) Roman coins. (7,8) Roman coins on Sugar Loaf Hill. In addition to the list that appears in KAR 33 1973, a further three have been found from a man in Capel. They are of Trojan, A. Pius and Hadrian, following the pattern of early coinage. Another person from Dover has two others in his possession, identity unknown, but also early coins. This makes 19 coins known from the hill, only two being late Roman in origin. (9)

<1> Mr Bradshaw, Kent Arch Soc, Correspondent, Ashford Arch Gp (OS Card Reference). SKE32572.

<2> Letter (Rev A H Gibson, The Vicarage, Vicarage Rd, Sandgate (OS Card Reference). SKE46075.

<3> Britannia 5 1974 459 (D R Wilson) (OS Card Reference). SKE38375.

<4> Arch Cant 88 1973 221 (A H Gibson) (OS Card Reference). SKE35953.

<5> Suppl Gaz of find-spots of Celtic Coins in Brit 1977 52 (C Haselgrove) (OS Card Reference). SKE49752.

<6> Coinage of Anc Brit 1964 113 (R P Mack) (OS Card Reference). SKE39047.

<7> KAR 33 1973 95-96 (K Fisher) (OS Card Reference). SKE45303.

<8> KAR 39 1975 251 (P Dunn) (OS Card Reference). SKE45326.

<9> Seaby's Roman Coins 73 (OS Card Reference). SKE49435.

<10> KAR 54 1978 98 (P Dunn) (OS Card Reference). SKE45364.

Sources and further reading