Coventina's Fountain, by the Rev. J. C. Bruce, LL.D. 367 



brass coins struck in the time of Antoninus Pius to commemorate 

 the subjugation of Britain. On the reverse of this coin we have 

 Britannia as a lone and disconsolate female seated upon a rock 

 (indicative of the insular character of the province) ; her head is 

 unprotected by a helmet, her shield is by her side, her banner is 

 lowered. The Antonine wall had been constructed, and Britain 

 was reduced to its lowest condition. It was cruel thus to remind 

 the unhappy people in their ordinary pecuniary transactions with 

 their conquerors and one another of their wretched position. 

 How vast are the changes which England has undergone whilst 

 these coins were lying in Coventina's well at Procolitia ! 



Amongst the rare coins may be mentioned a first brass of 

 Didius Julianus, a denarius of Didia Clara; a second brass of 

 Julia the daughter of Titus, a denarius of Clodius Albinus, and 

 a coin of Julia Aquillia. There is also a specimen of the Discip- 

 line!, type of Hadrian, which is rare, and one of the consecration 

 type of Antoninus. In addition to the numerous examples of the 

 second brass Britannias of Antoninus Pi as there is a second brass 

 Britannia of Hadrian, a large brass Britannia of Antoninus Pius, 

 and a large brass Britannia of Commodus. Among the interest- 

 ing coins, we have the Judcea Capta of Vespasian and Titus, the 

 Fisci Judaioi type of Nerva, several of the Adventus coins of 

 Hadrian, such as Achaia, Africa, Bithynia, Eispania, and the Con- 

 stantinian monogram on the coins of Magnentius. There are be- 

 sides these several others, interesting to numismatists, but which 

 need not be mentioned in detail here. 



In addition to the coins and altars and vases which were found 

 in the well, several ornaments which seem to have been worn 

 upon the person were discovered. Amongst these were three 

 enamelled fibulae, three miniature busts of bronze, one of which 

 may be supposed to represent the goddess herself, the other two 

 appear to be personifications of mirth and melancholy, dice, 

 necklaces of beads, and a bone pin with an ornamental head. 



We now come to consider briefly the origin of this enormous 

 amount of material. Were the articles thrown into the well 

 from time to time as an offering to the nymph of the spring ? or 

 were they deposited there in a time of extreme danger and panic 

 as a place of concealment and security ? That offerings, often 

 costly ones, were made to aquatic deities is certain ; but is it not 

 more likely that these would be exhibited in the chapels built 



