Archaeologists in Britain have uncovered a relic dating to the mid fifth century and the early sixth century near Attleborough in Norfolk. The digging team found a pendant fashioned from a Roman solidus minted under Emperor Honorius, who led the Western Roman Empire from 393 to 423. The discovery offers a rare glimpse into late antique craft and how distant coinage found new life as personal adornment in local hands.
On the obverse sits a bust of Honorius wearing a crown and armor; on the reverse a figure carries a military standard beside a small Nike symbol of victory. The arrangement reflects how Roman imagery circulated into Anglo-Saxon metalwork, blending imperial iconography with local stylistic cues during this period.
Experts describe the piece as exceptional. It was created by pagan Anglo-Saxons using a Roman coin as a template, while the underlying coin originated in Christian Rome. The fusion shows how cultures on the margins of the Roman world borrowed and repurposed objects for personal use and symbolic value.
At that time Anglo-Saxon artisans did not rely on fully developed writing systems, so decorative inscriptions on metalwork often appear unusual to modern readers. The language and lettering on such pieces were still evolving, making many inscriptions look peculiar to contemporary observers.
Genuine Roman solids bore the Latin inscription RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE, meaning Restorator of the Republic. Unknown Anglo-Saxon makers reproduced this text as STITVTOR EIPVBLICAE, dropping letters and rearranging others, so the message loses its clear meaning in the process.
The archaeologists noted that these spelling quirks did not suggest an intention to counterfeit Roman money; instead, they indicate a desire to craft unique jewelry. A small gold loop remained soldered to the coin to attach a cord or chain, turning the piece into a wearable pendant rather than a direct imitation of currency.
Earlier researchers described other ancient amulets connected to biblical legends, including tales involving Solomon. The Norfolk find adds to a growing picture of cross-cultural metalwork in late antiquity and the enduring appeal of Roman imagery within Anglo-Saxon Britain.