Two metal detectors were prevented from a cache of coins dating from Bible times to a discovery of one kind, according to European officials.
The Netherlands’ cultural heritage agency announced the discovery, which consists of 404 silver and gold coins, in a press release of January 27th. Cache is a mixture of Roman and British coins, making the discovery particularly unusual.
A pair of metal detectorists called Gert-Jan Messelaar and Reinier Koelink found coins in Bunnik, which is in the province of Utrecht in the fall 2023. Although coins have been owned by the Dutch government for months to the public so far.
42 British coins, which historians refer to as “Staterara”, were mined between 5 BC and 43 AD, and made of gold, silver and copper. The name of Cunobeline, a British king who ruled from 9 to 43 AD, was found inscribed in coins.
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A pair of metal detectors found hundreds of coins dating from biblical times. (Istock/Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE))
A total of 288 of the coins were Roman and undermined between 200 BC to 47 AD, the “newest” Roman coins date back to Emperor Claudius, with archaeologists discovering that some of the coins were never in circulation.
“In total, 72 Roman gold coins (goldenSINGULAR aureus) were found, dating from 19 BC to 47 AD, “The press release, which was translated by the Dutch, read.” Two of the golden coins were mined with the same stamp and were unused – they show no signs of dress. The owner apparently took them from a stack of fresh coins. “
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Most of the coins were Roman, while a good part came from pre-Roman Britain. (Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE))
Officials explained that, at a time when the coins were mined, Roman troops had begun to sail beyond the North Sea to conquer the British islands. Experts believe the coins belonged to Roman soldiers who returned them after a mission in Britain.
“It is likely that the coins would return to Bunnik by returning Roman soldiers from Britannia after the first conquests: Roman coins as a salary and the British ones as a prey to war,” the statement explained.
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The discovery of coins is the first of its kind in continental Europe. (Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE))
In the press release, RCE noted that the discovery “supports the essential role of low Germanic lime in the Roman occupation of Britannia”. Limes refer to the border of the Roman Empire, differentiating the inferior germania and Germania Magna.
Not only is archaeological discovery the largest of its kind made at Utretcht, but it is the only discovery of Roman-British coins in continental Europe-a similar cache was found in the United Kingdom.
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A description of the ancient Romans in England about 77 AD (Istock)
“These coins form a unique combination of Roman and British coins, buried in the northern border region of the Roman Empire (low German lime), which at that time passed through the Netherlands,” the statement said. “Such a finding of Roman-British coins has never been made before on the European continent.
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