'I do my self the honour to send you an Account of a curious Collection of Silver Denarii, coin’d in the flowing state of the Roman Empire in the Reigns of the Cafors and of the most illustrious Emperors, which have been lately found in this country (and are now in my Hands) by 2 poor Men, sooking and trying for Lead-Minis. As you are so justly celebrated for your admirable Judgement in Polite and curious Knowledge you will pardon, I hope, the Presumption of a Stranger who only proposeth to qualifie your Curiosity in putting this Paper into your Hands and it will be a great Pleasure to me, if the Account is acceptable to so Aminent a Virtuoso. Tho the newest of these Coins must be sixteen hundred years old or near it, and some of them above seventeen hundred years old and have been hid many hundred years in the Earth, yet many of them are in extreme good condition and it is surprising how little they have suffer’d in so long a Revolution of Ages. The Busts of the Emperors for the most Part are in great Perfection raisd of surprising Beauty and Fulness, the in-scriptions fair and legible and the Devices are justly admie for their Elegance and curious Variety. In the Inscriptions the Imperial Titles are generally added only in a few the most common Titles are inverted. For Instance NERO CAESAR Alls And on the Reverse JUPITER CUSTOS Thus again HADRIANUS alls COS.m.pp On the Reverse SALUS Alls Imperial Titles are inserted and the Insert IMP. CAES. DOMEI AU GERM (cut off) TRP xv And on the Reverse IMP xii COS vii CENS.P.P.P. Thus again IMP. TRIANO AUG. GER. DAC P.M.TR.P. On the Reverse COS. P.P. S.P.L.R. OPTIMO PRINCIPI some this Form Occurreth IMP. CAES. NERUA. TRAIAN. AUG. GERM. and on the Reverse P.M. TR.P. COS iii P.P. and there are some Coins of a different Species with very ele-gant Busts of some Empeoss (as I suppose from the Inscriptions) which are FAUSTINA AUGUSTA And on the Reverse IUNONI REGINAE Or DIVA FAUSTINA And on the Reverse AUGISTA in the Motto’s a grateful Variety entertains the Curiosity and engageth the Attention of the Reader and the Devices are dislike by such a curious Diversity that it is my Opinion these coins were the Collection of some curious Person. I was skill’d in this kind of Knowledge and was able to describe in a worthy Manner the various Devices on the reverse of these Monuments of Antiquity, the Account. I have the Honour the day before you had been more perfect and entertaining but (dark) is the PRovince of a Learned Virtuoso such as Sir HANS SLOANE. The weight of the Denarius in the Reigns of the Emperors was exact (dark) Attack Drachm worth of our money & I ob. and they have lost a little considering their great Antiquity and the enevitable De- (dark) made by clearing them of the Rust they had contracted and (dark) them to a shining Brightness. I am Sir your most humble and obedient Serv.t P.S. If you shd have occasion (cut off) honour me with your Commands (cut off) pleased to direct for me.' (London, British Library, Sloane MS 4054, f.44; Burnett 2020b, p. 1130 n. 135; transcription from sloaneletters.com)
