About 150 years ago, Carl Gustav Heraeus, a historical artifact inspector, came across several gold coins from excavations in Transylvania. The name ‘Sponsian’ was written on these gold coins, which were declared to be from the Ancient Roman period.
After examining the coins, he said that a Roman Emperor named ‘Sponsian’ never existed, so the gold coins were fake, and since then it has become common knowledge that there is no Roman Emperor named Sponsian.
A group of researchers from the United Kingdom doubted this common knowledge.
A researcher named Paul N. Pearson, who had read Carl Gustav Heraeus’s case of Sponsian coins, began searching for the coins, but was able to find only black and white old photographs. Pearson then contacted the staff at the Hunterian museum in Glasgow, asking for a color photograph of the Sponsian coin, and began working with his team.
In their research, the team put the coin to the test for similarities or differences with other coins found at the same excavation (known, well-known coins belonging to the Roman Emperors Gordan III and Philip I).
The physical features of the coins with 3 different emperor faces are exactly the same.
The wear marks on the 4 coins, including the Sponsian coin, and the dirt created by the soil were the same. So this Sponsian coin really belonged to the Ancient Roman period. But there was a problem: These coins only appeared during excavations in Transylvania, and nowhere else.
So how is it that historical sources never mention a Roman Emperor named Sponsian? To answer this question, we need to look at the history of Transylvania, the region where the coins were mined.
We know that in Ancient Rome coins were only made in the name of emperors. But Sponsian’s situation is a little different. Sponsian coins were unearthed during excavations in the city of Dacia, a mountainous region of Transylvania that once belonged to the Roman Empire.
Historical sources say that Dacia was lost in war during the reign of Emperor Gallienus (260-268 AD), but was recaptured by Emperor Aurelian (270-275 AD). According to the researchers’ hypothesis, a separatist regime prevailed during this period.
At that time the empire was engaged in a civil war and the Dacia legions (local government leaders) had to find their own resources. Dacia was perfect for this, as there were silver and gold mines there.
This is where the story ends: Sponsian was someone who was coined even though he did not rule in Rome.
Again, researchers hypothesize, the miners also produced coins with images of previous emperors, but some also produced coins depicting their legionnaire, the Spongean.
When Aurelian took Dacia back, these illegal Sponsian coins, which had been used in trade for a certain period of time, were melted down and minted again in the name of Aurelian. However, since each coin could not be found and melted one by one, it has survived to the present day. As a result, Sponsian became the first person to be minted in his own name without being a ruler.
As we said, these last parts are just the researchers’ hypotheses, since there are almost no historical documents on Sponsian. However, he must have really lived in the Ancient Roman period because the coins made in his name are really from the Ancient Roman period. What are you thinking? Please do not forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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