Absolutely fascinating reading. Whatever the origins and authority of 'Roman Emperor' Sponsian the analysis of gold coins minted in his name reads more like a d

Absolutely fascinating reading. Whatever the origins and authority of 'Roman Emperor' Sponsian the analysis of gold coins minted in his name reads more like a detective novel than a scientific investigation. It would seem to me that this new investigation may spur on modern-day treasure hunters equipped with metal detectors to find more of these coins and determine the exact location where the earlier discovery was made. If 'matching' coins were found then we could finally put the provenance/authenticity issue to bed and allow for proper archeological investigation of the site. That would open up a whole new avenue for archeologists and historians to investigate who exactly Sponsian was. Clearly, anyone with the power and authority—official or usurped—to be able to mint Roman coins in his image ought to be a part of historical record. The fact that Sponsian is missing from that record means that new investigations are needed.