Amateur Archaeologist Finds 934 Roman Silver Denarii in German Field
An amateur archaeologist in western Germany has uncovered 934 Roman silver denarii near Wesseling, south of Cologne, the largest Hadrian-era coin hoard found in Germany. The 3.1kg treasure is now on display at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn.
Oliver Riedl found several coins in the field about a year ago. “It was clear to me that there was something bigger buried here,” Riedl said, describing how his metal detector continued beeping even after he had found several coins. He called authorities for help, and a group of experts who began digging immediately uncovered the full hoard, according to the report.
The collection weighs 3.1kg (6.8lb) and went on display at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn on Tuesday. The LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments in the Rhineland said the coins were probably buried deliberately in the second quarter of the second century AD.
“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, a state archaeologist and the director of the office. Classen said it was not clear why the treasure had not been recovered. He added that “perhaps the owner died before that could happen, without being able to pass on the knowledge about the coins.”
Treasure troves from ancient Roman times or other distant eras are not uncommon, the archaeological office said. However, few from the second century are as extensive as the one found in Wesseling. The office said it was difficult to estimate the coins’ value at the time of their burial, but the documented pay of Roman legionaries provided a point of reference.
“At that time, an ordinary soldier in the legion earned 300 denarii a year,” said Rahel Otte, a research associate at the archaeological office. “However, about half of that was withheld for food and equipment.” Otte said a legionary would therefore have had to save all of his disposable income for about six years to amass the Wesseling hoard. She added that it remained unclear exactly who ultimately amassed this considerable fortune.
The Cologne area was under Roman control roughly from 39BC to AD459. The Romans established a presence in the region under General Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa to secure their empire’s border along the Rhine River, setting up a military outpost which later became Colonia Agrippina, today’s Cologne.
Editor's Summary
An amateur archaeologist found 934 Roman silver denarii near Wesseling, Germany, the largest Hadrian-era coin hoard discovered in the country. The 3.1kg collection is now displayed at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn. Archaeologists believe it was deliberately buried in the second century AD, though the owner’s identity and why it was never recovered remain unknown.