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A man searching a German field with a metal detector came across a remarkable discovery.
He has found 934 ancient Roman silver coins – and an expert claims the almost 2,000-year-old hoard and “huge hoard” could have been a lifetime’s savings.
The coins, found near Wesseling, south of Cologne, were discovered by Oliver Riedl, according to the Associated Press (AP). Although the hoard was discovered last year, authorities only recently announced the discovery, calling it the largest hoard of coins dating from the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian ever discovered in Germany.
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A licensed metal detectorist, Riedl immediately alerted archaeological authorities after realizing more coins were buried beneath the surface.
The hobbyist told the AP he suspected there were more coins beneath the surface after his metal detector continued to pick up signals.
A licensed metal detector has discovered 934 ancient Roman silver coins in a German field near Wesseling, south of Cologne, in a remarkable archaeological discovery. (Rolf Vennenbernd/DPA via AP)
“It was clear to me that there was something bigger buried here,” he said.
The images show ancient Roman silver denarii after being carefully cleaned, some bearing portraits and inscriptions.
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The coins were probably buried intentionally between 125 and 150 AD, according to the LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments in the Rhineland.
The enormous treasure weighs 6.8 pounds and is currently on display at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn.
Wesseling, Germany, seen above, is located south of Cologne, near where a metal detector discovered 934 ancient Roman silver coins dating back almost 2,000 years. (iStock)
The most striking aspect of the hoard was its unusual size, said Johannes Wienand, a professor of ancient history at the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany.
Wienand was not involved in the discovery or its research, but told Fox News Digital that the treasure is “a huge treasure.”
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“This is certainly the largest hoard of Roman coinage of its type from the time of Hadrian,” he said.
“It’s a time capsule of the money that people in that period actually used on a day-to-day basis.”
“A Roman soldier would need six, seven, eight years, or more, to save that amount of money, perhaps for retirement.”
A Roman legionary would have earned a gross salary of about 300 denarii a year, Wienand explained, meaning the treasure was roughly equivalent to three years of a soldier’s gross salary.
“A Roman soldier would need six, seven, eight years or more to save that amount of money, perhaps for retirement,” he said.
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The coins were discovered in a rural area near the Rhine border, which at the time marked a border of the Roman Empire, he noted. The Roman city of Cologne and a legionary fortress at Bonn were also nearby, raising the possibility of a military connection.
Archaeologists have carefully cleaned ancient Roman silver denarii, revealing portraits and inscriptions preserved on coins dating back almost 2,000 years. (Art Images/Heritage Images via Getty Images; Rolf Vennenbernd/DPA via AP)
Although a military connection is possible, Wienand said the identity of the treasure’s owner remains unknown.
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“It appears to be the savings of one person who gathered this treasure and put it in a pot and then buried it in the ground to save it for later,” Wienand said.
“And obviously, the owner was never able to recover this treasure.”
Above all, Wienand said the discovery highlights the importance of responsible metal detecting and reporting of archaeological finds.
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“It’s actually a story about how to do things right,” he said. “The metal detector was licensed. He had permission to search for such finds. He immediately called the heritage officers.”
The ancient Roman silver coins were probably buried between 125 and 150 AD, according to archaeological authorities in Germany’s Rhineland region. (iStock; Rolf Vennenbernd/DPA via AP)
Wienand added: “He reported the discovery and he contributed to an orderly exploration of this remarkable discovery.”
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“These coins and this treasure have become part of our cultural heritage. And I think that’s a very good result of this history.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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