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 ...
That is a substantial stack!
I might have several pounds of spare pocket change in jar upstairs, but with the exception of the pennies its pretty much all U.S. silver sandwich coinage. (And of course some pixelated fiat currency that I can represented on my computer screen! )
Silver dollars used to circulate around here (The Boonies) and my retailin’ parents would piggybank ‘em to buy stuff they needed early in their marriage. There’s still a few around, 19th to early 20th c, *very* circulated condition. :^)
Wish we had ancient coin hordes around here...
I remember being given silver dollars growing up. Ten year old me took them and deposited them in my savings account at the bank, being taught to be thrifty and all that. Had I held them they would be worth a good deal more than the green inked linen that I eventually withdrew from the account. (Provided the coins were not stolen or did not end up in a pit in the ground for some odd reason!)
Beautiful condition. I wonder if the finders were able to keep the coins?
The silver / gold shop I checked with (family wants the coins sold, I don’t) said to expect about $8 a coin, some may be relatively rare and worth more, but sounds like meltdown value.
One reason to hold them is that they are minted currency and if we ever got to the point where there were confiscation they might be treated differently than silver bars and rounds. Good luck!
:^)
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