Woman arrested after attempting to pay for meal deal with ROMAN COINS

A Colchester woman was arrested yesterday after attempting to pay for a Tesco meal deal with a collection of Roman coins she had recently discovered in her back garden.

The woman, Julie Caesar, claimed the ancient currency should still be valid in modern times and argued with the cashier that it was “legal tender.”

Ms Caesar said she’d recently started dabbling in amateur archaeology and had unearthed several denarii and sestertii — ancient roman currency — while working in her garden. Rather than hand them over to a museum or take them to a coin dealer, she decided her new-found wealth should be used for something practical.

“I wasn’t trying to be difficult,” Caesar told officers. “These coins were used to buy goods across the Roman Empire. I thought it only made sense they’d work for a meal deal. Legal tender is legal tender, after all.”

The incident occurred at the Tesco Express on Crouch Street, where Caesar attempted to pay for a £4.90 meal deal consisting of a sandwich, crisps, and a drink.

“I honestly thought she was messing around at first,” said the cashier, who asked to remain anonymous.

“But when she insisted the coins were real and even showed me a website where I could supposedly check their value, I realised she was serious. I told her we couldn’t accept them, but she just kept saying, ‘You’re rejecting the history of the British Empire!’”

After a brief standoff, Ms Caesar became increasingly frustrated and attempted to scan a denarius at the self-checkout. Store security was called after she refused to leave, and police soon arrived to escort her from the premises.

“I thought I could just pop in and get my lunch like anyone else,” the woman added, still clutching her Roman coins. “If these coins were good enough to pay for goods in ancient Britain, they should be good enough today. The Romans built our roads; I think they deserve a little recognition.”

A spokesperson for Tesco responded to the incident: “While we appreciate Colchester’s rich Roman history, we unfortunately cannot accept ancient currency in our stores. Our systems are not designed to process non-modern forms of payment.”

Caesar has since stated that she plans to consult a solicitor to see if there’s any legal precedent for using Roman currency in today’s world.