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Amateur Archaeologist Stumbles Onto Trove of Coins Dated to Constantine the Great’s Reign
Smithsonian ^ | May 5, 2022 | Elizabeth Djinis

Posted on 05/06/2022 10:36:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Daniel Lüdin... swept his metal detector across the ground, a “strong signal” suddenly emitted from the machine... he was shocked by what he found: a clay pot filled with 1,290 coins.

In accordance with proper archaeological protocol, Lüdin reburied the pot and contacted local experts, who dated the cache of coins to the fourth century... At the time, Switzerland was part of the Roman Empire.

Based on the coins’ composition—copper alloy and traces of silver... was simply a large stack of “small change,” equal to about two months of earnings for a soldier, per the statement. Collectively, the coins amounted to as much as a single gold solidus, “a pure gold coin introduced by Emperor Constantine during the late Roman Empire that weighed about 0.15 ounces,” writes Live Science’s Laura Geggel...

“In troubled times, triggered by civil wars, incursions by neighboring ethnic groups or economic crises, many people buried their valuables in the ground to protect them from unauthorized access,” notes the statement, per Google Translate. “During the time when the pot from Bubendorf was hidden, there are hardly any comparable hoards in the entire Roman Empire. These years are characterized more by their political stability and some economic recovery.”

...The newly discovered coins were found on the border of three Roman estates, indicating they may have been buried as a border sanctuary or a sacrifice to the gods, according to the statement.

While surveying the coins with a CT scan, the archaeologists spotted a piece of cowhide dividing the cache in two, indicating the money may have belonged to two different people or groups. For those who want to take a closer look at the find, researchers have created a 3-D model of the coins in situ.

(Excerpt) Read more at smithsonianmag.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: coins; constantine; epigraphyandlanguage; fauxiantroll; fauxiantrolls; godsgravesglyphs; romanempire; romansilver; romanswitzerland; silver; switzerland
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands

Coins of the Constantinian era are rather common today. I probably own a hundred or more of them. Still, in the condition shown, they are probably worth $20-$50 each.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Have any in decent condition you’d be willing to sell?


21 posted on 05/06/2022 11:33:38 AM PDT by fortes fortuna juvat (It's perfectly obvious! Democrat politicians and voters are dangerously psychotic.)
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To: Red Badger

Constantine the Luke Warm


22 posted on 05/06/2022 11:33:49 AM PDT by 12chachacha (Bad illogical advice)
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To: Red Badger

You might be confusing him with Bidum the Halfaxxed? His coin is a flattened gumball.


23 posted on 05/06/2022 11:36:35 AM PDT by OldWarBaby
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To: Red Badger
Constantine the Michael buried his stash under room 222.

-PJ

24 posted on 05/06/2022 11:39:52 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: 12chachacha

Or Constantine the Meh!.................


25 posted on 05/06/2022 11:39:59 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger
Sorry...

Constantine the Michael buried his stash under room II-II-II.

-PJ

I hate it when I botch a good joke.

26 posted on 05/06/2022 11:41:32 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: Political Junkie Too

What izz dee Grrrreeek word forr stash?


27 posted on 05/06/2022 11:43:26 AM PDT by nesnah (Infringe - act so as to limit or undermine [something]; encroach on)
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To: SunkenCiv

Sweep, Shovel, Shut up comes to mind.


28 posted on 05/06/2022 11:46:10 AM PDT by Starstruck ( Living life, Binge watching re-runs of actual history.)
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To: laplata; fortes fortuna juvat

I sell locally at an antique mall, but don’t do mail order. If you are interested, check out eBay. But, beware, there are a good many fakes sold as the real item on eBay. For a more reliable source, try VCoins, which is a resource for a number of legit sellers. Here is a link to Constantinian era coins:

https://www.vcoins.com/en/Search.aspx?search=true&searchQuery=Constantine+the+Great&searchQueryExclude=&searchCategory=315&searchCategoryLevel=4&searchCategoryAncient=True&searchCategoryUs=True&searchCategoryWorld=True&searchCategoryMints=True&searchBetween=0&searchBetweenAnd=0&searchDate=&searchUseThesaurus=True&searchDisplayCurrency=&searchDisplay=1&searchIdStore=0&searchQueryAnyWords=&searchExactPhrase=&searchTitleAndDescription=True&searchDateType=0&searchMaxRecords=100&SearchOnSale=False&Unassigned=False&searchOrderBy=price_asc


29 posted on 05/06/2022 11:53:48 AM PDT by Engraved-on-His-hands
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands

I understand. Thanks for the helpful info and advice.


30 posted on 05/06/2022 11:56:00 AM PDT by laplata (")
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To: Political Junkie Too

That would be CCXXII..................


31 posted on 05/06/2022 12:00:32 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Verginius Rufus
And you couldn't find Swiss chocolate, Swiss watches, or Swiss army knives anywhere in Switzerland.

You can't find Swiss cheese in Switzerland to this very day.

32 posted on 05/06/2022 12:02:22 PM PDT by null and void (Russia no longer looks like the #2 military power in the world. Maybe #2 military power in Ukraine)
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To: Red Badger

[[Was there a Constantine the Mediocre?..............]]

He was done in by Constantine the little bit better


33 posted on 05/06/2022 12:06:15 PM PDT by Bob434 (.)
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To: SunkenCiv

“....a clay pot filled with 1,290 coins.”

Holy cow.


34 posted on 05/06/2022 12:12:03 PM PDT by moovova
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To: Red Badger

His Dad...he was a so-so Caesar...


35 posted on 05/06/2022 12:14:04 PM PDT by Adder (Proud member of the FJBLGB community: /s is implied where applicable.)
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To: nwrep

“...A.D. not C.E...”
-
I simply read “C.E.” as Christian Era and
“B.C.E.” as Before Christian Era.


36 posted on 05/06/2022 12:22:02 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th (Get out of the matrix and get a real life.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Where were Constantine the Loser and Constantine the Inferior on the family tree?


37 posted on 05/06/2022 12:22:45 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (Instead of criminalizing guns, we need to criminalize criminals.)
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To: Romulus

I have their relative Constantinitus in my head all the time.


38 posted on 05/06/2022 12:23:27 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (Instead of criminalizing guns, we need to criminalize criminals.)
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To: CivilWarBrewing
I worked in a pawnshop for a brief period. A very large fellow with an obvious mental defect wandered in and offered me a “1000 Caret opal” that he had at home. When I didn’t show much interest he offered to bring in his uncirculated, 2000 year-old Roman Coin. It was a fun job.
39 posted on 05/06/2022 12:40:03 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
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To: null and void
You can't find Swiss cheese in Switzerland to this very day.

No Swiss cheese? Sounds like someone is orchestrating an elaborate disinformation campaign. Better get Jankowicz on it...

40 posted on 05/06/2022 12:44:29 PM PDT by fhayek
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