April 30, 2016
The installation of a water pipeline in a Spanish city came to a sudden halt when construction workers discovered an enormous cache of Roman coins buried in the ground.
After noticing that the land they were digging in seemed odd, the workers unearthed an incredible 19 ceramic containers which held an astounding 1,300 pounds of Roman coins.
Remarkably, the coins, which are from the 3rd and 4th century, were newly minted and apparently lost before ever being put into circulation.
Thus they provide researchers with a rare look at Roman currency which was not subject to the ravages of time.
Contained on the coins are depictions of a Roman emperor as well as allegories from their culture.
Researchers theorize that the coins were intended to be used for paying Roman armies or taxes, but clearly the proverbial check got lost in the mail.
Asked to put a price on the discovery, one expert said that the treasure was likely worth several million dollars, but the historical value far exceeds that monetary value.
A team of archaeologists are now studying the massive find and hope to gain new insights into the historical era of the coins.
While there is no word on any reward for the construction workers who discovered the treasure, we have a sinking suspicion that they were back to digging ditches soon after the treasure was recovered.
Source: Washington Post
The installation of a water pipeline in a Spanish city came to a sudden halt when construction workers discovered an enormous cache of Roman coins buried in the ground.
After noticing that the land they were digging in seemed odd, the workers unearthed an incredible 19 ceramic containers which held an astounding 1,300 pounds of Roman coins.
Remarkably, the coins, which are from the 3rd and 4th century, were newly minted and apparently lost before ever being put into circulation.
Thus they provide researchers with a rare look at Roman currency which was not subject to the ravages of time.
Contained on the coins are depictions of a Roman emperor as well as allegories from their culture.
Researchers theorize that the coins were intended to be used for paying Roman armies or taxes, but clearly the proverbial check got lost in the mail.
Asked to put a price on the discovery, one expert said that the treasure was likely worth several million dollars, but the historical value far exceeds that monetary value.
A team of archaeologists are now studying the massive find and hope to gain new insights into the historical era of the coins.
While there is no word on any reward for the construction workers who discovered the treasure, we have a sinking suspicion that they were back to digging ditches soon after the treasure was recovered.
Source: Washington Post