Found a roman coin in my backyard last spring

Pulled a small bronze coin out of a flower bed in Columbus, Ohio after a heavy rain. Has anyone had any luck getting a local museum to ID something like this without it getting stuck in their system for months?

3 comments

3 Comments

samk771mo ago

That's a good point about the bored curator angle. I think people worry too much about the red tape when sometimes the folks at these places are just regular people with a genuine curiosity about old stuff. My cousin had a similar thing with a piece of pottery he dug up in his garden, he just sent a couple of good pictures to the state historical society and they got back to him in a few days with a basic "looks like 18th century kitchenware" kind of thing. No paperwork, no signing over his rights, nothing like that. It's probably worth the risk of a short wait if you want to know what you've got, especially since most of these places are understaffed and anything borderline just gets a quick look anyway.

ben_lewis1mo ago

Stuck in their system for months" is exactly what I used to think would happen. I had a similar find a few years back, a little copper coin from a garden in Virginia. I was sure the museum would just hold onto it forever and I'd never see it again. But I actually had a totally different experience. I called ahead, asked if I could just email them a few clear photos, and they got back to me in a week with a basic ID. Not everything is a ceremony, sometimes they're just bored and happy to help.

the_brian1mo ago

Question whether sending a photo really gets you off the hook with a serious archaeological site. Museums have to follow state laws about found artifacts, especially if there's any chance it's historically significant, so a quick email might not cover your back. Are you really comfortable just trusting a bored curator's word over proper paperwork?