Ancient hoard of gold Roman coins discovered in plowed UK field

https://www.livescience.com ^ | JULY 12, 2022 | By Jennifer Nalewicki

[Red Badger]

Experts believe that the "exceptional" treasure trove could lead to more discoveries in the area.

The front and back of a gold coin from the ancient Roman empire. The front shows Augustus Caesar and the back shows his grandson on a horse.

One of the gold coins from the Roman empire found in the English countryside. Augustus Caesar is featured on the front, and his grandson Gaius on horseback is depicted on the back. (Image credit: Two of the 11 gold coins from the Roman empire found in the English countryside. Photo by Adrian Marsden) A cache of gold coins found buried on farmland in the United Kingdom has caught the attention of coin experts, who have linked the treasure trove to the Roman Empire.

So far, metal detectorists have discovered 11 coins on a remote stretch of cultivated field located in Norfolk, a rural county near England's eastern coast, and experts remain hopeful that more could be unearthed in the future.

Damon and Denise Pye, a pair of local metal detectorists, found the first of several gold coins in 2017, after local farmers finished plowing the soil at the end of the harvest season, which made the land prime for exploration. The haul has been dubbed "The Broads Hoard" by local numismatists (coin specialists and collectors), for its geographic location near The Broads, a network of rivers and lakes that run through the English countryside.

"The coins were found scattered around in the plow soil, which has been churned up year after year, causing the soil to be turned over constantly and led to them eventually coming to the surface," said Adrian Marsden, a numismatist at Norfolk County Council who specializes in ancient Roman coins.

[Adder]

Early bitcoins, mined from a field...