The Frome Treasure is a significant hoard of 52,503 Roman coins discovered in April 2010 by metal detectorist Dave Crisp near Frome in Somerset, England. The coins were stored in a ceramic pot with a diameter of 45 cm (18 inches) and date from 253 to 305 AD. Most of the coins are made of depreciated silver or bronze. This treasure is notable not only for its size but also because it contains the largest group of coins ever found from the reign of Carausius, who ruled Britain independently from 286 to 293 AD and became the first Roman emperor in Britain. The Somerset Museum in Taunton acquired the treasure in 2011 for £320,250 with the assistance of a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF).
The discovery of the Frome Treasure took place on April 11, 2010, during a metal-detecting excursion by Dave Crisp in a field near Frome. Crisp had previously found Late Roman silver coins in the area, likely remnants of a scattered hoard. While searching for more coins from this scattered hoard, he received an unusual signal. Upon digging deeper, he uncovered a small shining coin and the top of a ceramic pot. Recognizing the significance of his find, Crisp stopped digging and carefully backfilled the hole he had made. This discovery marked a major breakthrough in his 22 years of metal detecting.
The coins from the Frome Treasure span a period from 253 to 305 AD and include 67 separate types. The majority of the coins are made of bronze, while five are composed of pure silver.
Out of the 52,503 coins, 44,245 have been identified, and the rest are categorized as "unintelligible" pending further cleaning and preservation efforts. The identified coins include those minted under the central Roman Empire (14,788), the Gallic Empire (28,377), and the Britannic Empire of Carausius (766). Approximately 5% of the identified coins originate from Carausius's rule, and this hoard even includes five silver denarii issued by Carausius, which were the only type of silver coin minted during his time and were uncommon elsewhere in the Roman Empire.
Traditionally, it has been assumed that most hoards of Roman coins were buried by their owners for safekeeping with the intention of retrieval at a later date. However, Sam Moorhead of the Portable Antiquities Scheme has suggested that the size and fragility of the pot may have made it difficult to recover without breaking it. Consequently, the hoard may represent offerings made to the gods by vow rather than an attempt at future retrieval.