Amateur Archaeologist Discovers Germany's Largest Roman Silver Coin Hoard
The find includes 934 silver denarii dating back to the reign of Emperor Hadrian.
An amateur archaeologist in western Germany has unearthed what is believed to be the largest hoard of ancient Roman silver coins ever found in the country. The discovery, made near Wesseling, south of Cologne, consists of 934 silver denarii weighing 3.1 kilograms (6.8 pounds).
Oliver Riedl, the amateur archaeologist, initially found several coins in a field a year ago, but his metal detector continued to signal, prompting him to call authorities. Experts began an immediate excavation, leading to the uncovering of the extensive coin treasure.
The LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments in the Rhineland stated that the coins likely were deliberately buried in the second quarter of the second century A.D., during the Roman Empire.
"Of course, we can only speculate about the motives, but it’s very likely that someone wanted to keep this money safe. After all, banks didn’t exist back then," said Erich Classen, state archaeologist and director of the office. He added that it remains unclear why the owner never recovered the hoard, suggesting, "perhaps the owner died before that could happen, without being able to pass on the knowledge about the coins.”
While hoards from ancient Roman times are not uncommon, few from the second century are as extensive as this one. To provide context for the hoard's value, researchers noted that an ordinary Roman legionary earned 300 denarii annually, with about half withheld for necessities. This means a legionary would have had to save all of his disposable income for approximately six years to accumulate the Wesseling hoard.
The Cologne area was under Roman control for centuries, from roughly 39 B.C. to A.D. 459. The Romans established a significant presence along the Rhine River to secure their empire's border, eventually developing a military outpost that became Colonia Agrippina, the precursor to modern-day Cologne.
The coin collection went on display at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn on Tuesday.