'Fake Roman emperor' on gold coins really existed, study finds

A hoard of gold coins once thought to be fakes have been authenticated by researchers who say the artefacts reveal the existence of a long-forgotten Roman emperor.

- Hannah Devlin

The coins bear the name and image of a shadowy figure, Sponsian, whose existence had been doubted by experts who suggested the coins were the work of 18th-century fraudsters.

Now scientific analysis has concluded that the coins are genuine third-century artefacts, and the researchers argue Sponsian was real.

"We're very confident that they're authentic," said Prof Paul Pearson, of University College London, who led the research. "Our evidence suggests Sponsian ruled Roman Dacia, an isolated goldmining outpost, at a time when the empire was beset by civil wars and the borderlands were overrun by plundering invaders."