Construction workers in Spain unearth huge trove of ancient Roman coins
Source: Washington Post
April 29 at 3:41 AM
Some 800 pounds of bronze Roman coins dating to the 4th century A.D. have been unearthed by construction workers digging ditches in Spain.
The find, in 19 amphora storage containers is unique not only because of the volume of coins but because the coins appear to have never been in circulation, making them almost pristine by comparison with other discoveries.
Workers in the city of Tomares, in Andalusia, were working on installing a water line to a park in the city of 24,000, according to the Spanish newspaper El País, when they noticed irregular terrain inside a ditch about a meter below ground level.
Some of the containers were broken, with the coins spilling out of them, while others were intact. They show an emperor on one side and Roman allegories on the other, researchers told reporters. Experts are speculating that the coins were meant to pay taxes or support legions of the Roman armies in Spain at the time.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/04/29/construction-workers-in-spain-unearth-huge-trove-of-ancient-roman-coins/
This is soo cool.
northernsouthern
(1,511 posts)That is literally a jackpot find. Those coins looked in amazing shape. I hope this tours the states at some point would love to see them all cleaned up.
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)If you have "one of only six known, and the only one in pristine condition", people will be making bigger offers than "part of a hoard of thousands".
northernsouthern
(1,511 posts)But very true if someone is a collector, and they have old worn pieces right now...they are looking at a massive price drop if these affect the open market (I assumed they were just going in to a museum, but even that seems like it would make ripples).
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)sofa king
(10,857 posts)"These coins are now worth many times their face value...."
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)democrank
(11,093 posts)Imagine...some of them were "almost pristine" by comparison.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... the containers, amphora, remind me of piggy-banks. Especially the one that is broken.
houston16revival
(953 posts)We're all just giant squirrels
iandhr
(6,852 posts)Sorry couldn't resist.
But this really cool.
allan01
(1,950 posts)Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)Maybe it was 800 kilos originally?
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)I left them there in a past life...
Please inform the Spaniards that I'll be by to collect them.