2,000-year old Roman era cash machine unearthed in stunning find – ‘first hole in wall’ | Personal Finance | Finance
The excavation is set to rewrite the monetary history of the UK, as incredibly, the hole in the wall is almost 2,000 years old. Cash experts say it proves the Roman Empire was potentially swarming with cashpoints.
The chance discovery by a team of amateur archaeologists provides the earliest known evidence of Britain’s cash economy, which was surprisingly advanced for the time.
The cash machine was found in what appears to be the wall of an ancient bakery at the heart of the commercial Roman town.
The mysterious fragments and collection of Roman coins date all the way back to the year AD 289.
They are the first know traces of one of the world’s first monetary distribution machines, with clear signs of wear and tear from extensive use by townsfolk.
The cash dispenser was a crude mechanism, compared to the complex technology we use today.
A Roman vase was also discovered at the site, filled with cash. Archaeologists believe it was used for storage within the wall so the Hatfield Romans could easily access their hard-earned money.
While today’s ATMs read the black magnetic stripe on users’ cards and deploy sophisticated roller technology to push out bank notes, the original version used a man. Or possibly a trusted and numerate slave.
Almost a third of modern Britons say shops and restaurants should be made to accept cash by law, according to a Cardtronics survey.
More than half believe we are being pushed towards a cashless society, whether we like it or not.
Terry said: “This archaeology find shows that cash is a cornerstone of British communities and should remain so well into the future.”
Senior archaeologists were sceptical of the Roman ATM find, though. One said: “It sounds like an April Fool.”
