Romano-British Riseley

The Bedfordshire Historic Environment Record [HER] contains information on the county's historic buildings and landscapes and summaries of each entry can now be found online as part of the Heritage Gateway website. A cropmark north of Galsey Wood on Ministry of Defence land shows rectangular enclosures which may be either Iron Age or Romano-British in date [HER 11765]. Riseley has yielded a number of finds from the Romano-British period, as follows:

• A small copper coin from the 4th century AD, so worn it could not be otherwise identified, was found in 2009 [HER 20088];
• A billon coin, known as an antoninianus, of the Gallic usurper Tetricus I (271-274) was found in 2009 [HER 20089];
• A small copper coin from the 4th century AD, so worn it could not be otherwise identified, was found in 2009 [HER 20090];
• A billon coin of Claudius II Gothicus (268-270) known as an antoninianus was found in 2009 [HER 20091];
• A billon coin, known as an antoninianus, of the Gallic usurper Tetricus I (271-274) was found in 2009 [HER 20092];
• A coin which may have been counterfeited in Britain in the mid to late 3rd century was found in 2009 [HER 20093]. Such counterfeits were common at the time as central authority broke down and coin supply in the provinces dwindled;
• A billon coin, known as an antoninianus, of Valerian (253-260) was discovered in 2009 [HER 20095] it has the inscription FELICITAS AUG – "good luck to the emperor". Valerian was singularly unlucky, being captured in battle by the Persians, abused over a period of time and finally put to death;
• Two incomplete copper-alloy Romano-British brooches of a variety known as Colchester type and dating from the 1st century AD were found in 2007 [HER 20154 and 20963];
• A fragment of a copper-alloy bracelet was found in 2007, probably dating from the 4th century [HER 20962];
• A copper coin of the Emperor Gratian (367-375) was found in 2007 [HER 20988]. It bears the legend GLORIA NOVI SAECULI "glory of the new century" and was minted at Arles;
• A worn copper coin of the house of Constantine from the early to mid-4th century was found in 2007 [HER 20989];
• A copper coin of Helena, mother of Constantine I (306-337) was found in 2007 [HER 20990]. The legend reads SECURITAS REIPUBLICAE "security of the Republic" and was minted at Trier in either 324 or 325;
• A copper-alloy sestertius of Septimius Severus minted in Rome 196 was found in 2007 [HER 20991];
• A worn copper coin known as a quinarius of the British usurper Allectus (293-296) was discovered in 2007 [HER 20992];
• A cast copper-alloy mount was found in 2007 [HER 20999]. It may be a bucket mount and is in the form of a Celtic head, several other examples have been found in Worcestershire suggesting it was British made;
• A copper-alloy figurine was found in 2007 [HER 2100]. It is very incomplete but seems to show a muscled torso with a snake and so may well by the Classical demigod Hercules;
• A heavily worn copper coin of the 4th or 5th century was found in 2007 [HER 21001];
• A heavily worn coin, possibly of Gallic usurper Tetricus II (270-274) was found in 2007 [HER 21002]. The coin may read SALUS August – "good health of the emperor", a type struck between 272 and 274. Such messages were often put on coins in time of plague;
• An incomplete copper-alloy mount was found in 2007 and is thought to be Romano-British in date [HER 21009];
• An incomplete copper-alloy figurine of a horse and rider and dating from the 1st or 2nd century AD was found in 2007 [HER 21010];
• A clipped silver coin known as a silique was found in 2007 [HER 21055]. It was minted in Antioch between 367 and 375 under the emperor Valens (364-375).