Last updated 13:38, Thursday, 17 April 2008

Losing your purse or wallet is a pain. At least these days your money is safe in the bank provided you cancel your cards quickly.

1,800 years too late! This Roman legionary’s purse, containing enough cash for a modest quaff of wine, was lost during the construction of Hadrian’s Wall - and found by workmen in 1949

But think how much worse it would be if you lived in a cash-only society like Roman Britain.

In 1949, while working on the east wall of Birdoswald Roman fort, workmen discovered a lost ‘arm purse’ with 28 denarii (silver coins) in it.

The loss occurred when the fort was being built. The purse fell against the back of the fort wall and was covered up when the rampart was piled over it.

Archaeologists are fairly sure that the purse was lost when the fort was being constructed because the most recent coin in it dated to 119 AD – just before Hadrian’s Wall was started.

As the coin is in mint condition, it was probably lost soon after it was issued.

The money would have belonged to a soldier, but exactly who is uncertain. It would almost certainly have been a legionary because they were the troops who built Hadrian’s Wall and the forts along it.

As this type of purse would have been difficult to wear while actually doing the work, it most likely belonged to a junior officer, who would have been supervising the building.

The money represented less than a fifth of a pay instalment for an officer at the time. It would have bought him about one-third of an amphora of wine.