British and Roman coins found in Bunnik, The NetherlandsDutch National Museum of Antiquities
Posted on 01/31/2025 10:27:10 AM PST by SunkenCiv
The Guardian reports that a hoard of ancient coins was discovered by a pair of metal detectorists in the Netherlands, in an area where Roman troops returning from Britain may have landed. The coins were placed in a cloth or leather pouch and deposited in a shallow pit in a swampy area. The hoard is made up of 44 gold staters bearing the name of the Celtic king Cunobelin, who ruled in southeastern Britain from A.D. 5 to 40. The hoard also contains some 360 Roman coins, including 72 gold aurei, and 288 silver denarii dated to between 200 B.C. and A.D. 47. The latest coins bear the image of the Roman emperor Claudius (reigned A.D. 41–54). In all, the collection of coins is estimated to total the wages of a Roman soldier over a period of about 11 years. The coins are thought to have been taken as spoils during the conquest of Britain between A.D. 43 and 47, and then perhaps distributed to Roman soldiers as a reward for a successful campaign known as a donativum. "This is the first time that physical evidence of the return of the troops has been found," said Anton Cruysheer of the Utrecht Landscape and Heritage Foundation. "Apparently, they came back with all sorts of things. That is new information," he concluded.
(Excerpt) Read more at archaeology.org ...
British and Roman coins found in Bunnik, The NetherlandsDutch National Museum of Antiquities
Stater with the name of King CunobelinDutch National Museum of Antiquities
I haven’t seen “wheat pennies” in forever!
Or, since they found the pouch with at least some of the money still in it, maybe not.
Ok, I am going with the first option and he buried what was left over and they never needed it because everything went swimmingly from that point forward.
(I like happy endings)
Back when gold aurei and silver denarii were worth something!
Probably some a-hole stole it from the soldier who’d rightfully stolen it, and the a-hole got caught doing some other crime, got just desserts, and no one enjoyed it. But be happy today anyway. :^)
Never will again, because all the Karens (male and female) who claim to be gluten sensitive.
Aurei Denarius would make a good fake Roman name. ;^)
Wow!
All I ever find is old beer pull tabs and bottle caps..............
Still about 1% of circulating pennies.
(if I say it often enough it will be true.)
The gold aurei look to have more gold in them than the stater.
Roman emperors gave an annual stater the union address, and sometimes things in the empire had gone aurei.
I need a nap.
It’s a nice haul!
SC...Soldiers, gold, thieves, Italians (Romans...) You knew someone would be posting this.
Its an amazing find. Personal savings or plundered loot? Did the owner die by sword or disease? Answers lost to time and history.
I wanted to hog the glory.
This is a sharp lookin’ hoard, even by the standards of ancient gold and silver hoards.
What an epic find!
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