ROMAN REMAINS AT LITTLE CHESTER. l6l 



CONSTANS. 3rd brass (or rather in size a minim).— Rev. 



VICTORIA. DD. AVGG. NN. Two Victories, facing 



each other, holding wreaths. In exergue TRS. 



There were also three " second brasses," which, by the style, are 



of early emperors, apparently between Domitian and Commodus, 



but the legends, etc., are totally obliterated. A fourth excessively 



worn may be Roman, but it is difficult to judge. A Scotch 



halfpenny of Charles II. was found on the same site. The Roman 



coins range over 250 years. Except that of Carus, they are in bad 



condition. Coins of this emperor are rare in Britain. 



*In addition to the coins forwarded to Mr. Watkin, there were 

 seven other brass coins, apparently Roman, that are absolutely 

 illegible and corroded away; a Scotch halfpenny of Charles II. ; 

 and a thin piece of brass metal bearing on one side a crown sur- 

 mounting an heraldic rose (the arms of the county of Derby), and 

 the initials D. V. C. The last proves to be a button, with the 

 shank on the other side worn away. It was thought that this 

 might have been from the uniform of some Sheriff's officer of the 

 past, the High Sheriff being termed Vice- Comes in official Latin, 

 and sometimes appending to his name in the two last centuries the 

 initials V. C But Mr. Watkin's surmise seems far more probable, 

 namely, that it was a uniform button of the old volunteer move- 

 ment of the beginning of this century, and that the initials stand 

 for " Derbyshire Volunteer Corp." 



Besides the coins, there were two fragments of metal found, 

 one a small, much corroded piece, that may have formed part of a 

 brass bracelet or the rim of a coin; the other a flat piece of 

 broken brass, about \ inch thick, and 1 \ long by 1 inch brosd, 

 the use of which it would be idle to conjecture. 



There was also unearthed a small crescent-shaped brass fibula 

 or brooch, the pin of which is broken. It is onlv | of an inch 

 in length. The surface of the crescent is slightly raised at the 

 edges, and it bears traces of having carried a red enamel. It has 

 been a charming little ornament when new. 



* For this and for the next two paragraphs the Editor is responsible. 



