The hoard discovered in Bath, Somerset, stands as a significant archaeological find, ranking as the fifth-largest hoard ever unearthed in Britain and the largest ever discovered in a British Roman city. This impressive collection consists of approximately 17,500 Roman silver coins, spanning the period from 32 BC to AD 274. The treasure was found in the vicinity of Bo Street, situated around 150 meters from the Roman baths in Bath, which were originally constructed when Bath was a Roman colony known as Aquae Sulis.
The discovery of this hoard took place in 2008 when archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology were conducting excavations for a new pool intended for the Gainsborough Hotel and Thermal Spa. The site's history is noteworthy, as it is located within a Grade II listed building constructed in the 1820s by John Pinch Sr. as the United Hospital of Bath. It later became part of Bath Technical College. This site's proximity to the Roman baths and the original temple of Minerva makes it particularly significant. In the 1860s, James Irwin conducted excavations on the site when architects George Phillips Manners and George Phillips expanded the building as an addition to the hospital. Irwin's excavations uncovered a Roman bathing complex with a hypocaust floor, though it remains uncertain whether it was a private villa or a public structure.
The Bo Street hoard holds a distinct place in British archaeology as the largest hoard ever discovered in the country by a professional archaeologist. The coins were found fused together into a substantial block. They were concealed beneath the floor of a Roman building near a stone wall, within a small oval hole measuring approximately 40 cm by 30 cm (16 inches by 12 inches). The location of this find is quite unusual, as hoards more commonly originate from rural areas. Initially believed to consist of as many as 30,000 coins, the estimated count was subsequently adjusted to 17,400. The hoard appears to have been deposited in the late 3rd century AD, and conservators at the British Museum have identified coins dating from 32 BC to AD 274 within the collection. This discovery provides valuable insights into the history and economic activity of Roman Bath.