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Amateur Archeologist Unearths Priceless 2,000-Year-Old Haul
The Daily Beast • • world
Key Points:
- Amateur archaeologist Oliver Reidl discovered Germany's largest hoard of ancient Roman silver coins in Wesseling using a metal detector.
- The hoard consists of 934 silver denarii dating from 39 B.C. to A.D. 459, primarily from Emperor Hadrian's reign, weighing about 6.8 pounds.
- Researchers believe the coins were deliberately hidden in the second century A.D., possibly to keep the money safe in the absence of banks.
- The hoard is now exhibited at the LVR-LandesMuseum in Bonn, sparking curiosity about the identity and motives of the person who buried it.
- One theory suggests the coins belonged to a Roman soldier, as the hoard's value corresponds to approximately six years of a legionary's savings.
