Ancient World Review

Trove Of Roman Coins Discovered In Spain

"Construction workers have found 600kg (1,300lb) of ancient Roman coins while carrying out routine work on water pipes in southern Spain," according to the Guardian.

"...Dating back to the late third and early fourth centuries, the bronze coins were found on Wednesday inside 19 Roman amphoras, a type of jar, in the town of Tomares near Seville ... The coins are stamped with the inscriptions of emperors Maximian and Constantine, and they appeared not to have been in circulation as they show little evidence of wear and tear."

Note: I haven't found any mention of what kind of coins these were, but they're currently worth "several million euros," according to an archaeologist interviewed by The Guardian.

Swiss Farmer Discovers Trove Of Ancient Roman Coins

"A trove of more than 4,000 bronze and silver coins dating back to ancient Rome [3rd century], uncovered this summer in the orchard of a fruit and vegetable farmer, has been described as one of the biggest treasures of this kind found in Switzerland." Source: The Guardian

Gold Roman Solidus Found In The UK 2014

Note: This fantastic find was made in Buckinghamshire, England, apparently in 2014. According to Wikipedia, "The solidus (the Latin word for solid) was originally a gold coin issued in the Late Roman Empire, and a weight for gold more generally, corresponding to 4.5 grams. It was widely propagated in 312 AD by Constantine I and replaced the older Aureus as the main gold denomination."

Related: Ancient Coins From The Roman Empire

St Albans Roman gold coin hoard found bought for £100,000

History Of Roman Coins

Note: Video takes a while to get started.

"Smoking Gun" Ancient Coins Are Being Looted From Excavations

"Millions of ancient looted coins from archaeological excavations enter the black market yearly, and a researcher who has seen plundered sites likens the thefts to stealing 'smoking guns' from crime scenes. But those who collect and study coins have been far too reluctant to condemn the unregulated trade, he says." Source: Science Daily (June 2014)

Note: The traffic in looted antiquities is a multibillion dollar business these days. In the case of looted coins, removing them from their original site destroys their historical context, but "[s]ome scholars and collectors may be hesitant to question a coin's background for fear of alienating dealers or other collectors." In other words, even if they're "concerned" about the looting, they don't want to do anything to jeopardize their supply.

Crusader's Coins Discovered In Israel (2012)

Ancient Treasure Discovered In University Library Archives

"A collection of ancient Greek and Roman coins includes an incredibly rare aureus of the Roman emperor Otho, who reigned for a mere three months. The Greek coins were struck by some of the most powerful city-states and rulers of the ancient world, such as Athens, Corinth and Alexander the Great." Source: Science Daily.

Note: The coins, discovered by a classics professor in the archives of the University of Buffalo library, had been apparently lying around unnoticed for something like 40 years.

"'Libraries are becoming museums,' says Michael Basinski, curator of the UB Libraries Special Collections. 'Everything is going digital, but we remain tied to the physical objects.'"

Ancient Coins Found In Chinese Farmer's Field

"Two full pots of antique coins, weighing more than 130 kilograms, were unearthed in a township in South China's Hainan province ..," according to the Archaeology News Network.

Note: "All the coins are copper money that date back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279)."

Divers Find Record Trove Of Gold Coins In Med

"Scuba divers have discovered the largest trove of gold coins ever found off Israel's Mediterranean coast - about 2,000 pieces dating back more than 1,000 years." Source: Science Daily.

Note: According to the Daily Mail, the treasure was found in the seabed of the ancient harbor of Caesarea. "Experts ... called to the site uncovered almost 2,000 gold coins in different denominations, circulated by the Fatimid Caliphate, which ruled much of the Middle East and North Africa from 909 to 1171."

Roman Treasures In Britain (2012)

Notes: See "The Top Ten British Treasures" for more information and photographs of hoards, treasures and precious artifacts from various periods which have been found in Britain. National Geographic also has an article with pictures of gold treasure and roman coins found in the UK.