A remarkable collection of Roman coins found in a Swiss orchard, one of the largest archaeological finds of its kind.
A Swiss farmer discovered the ancient coins many months ago in Ueken, a small town in northwestern Switzerland.
Some of the Roman coins found in Ueken, canton of Aargau, which according to experts were buried 1,700 years ago. He dug them up by accident while inspecting his cherry trees. He then contacted local archaeological experts, who confirmed the presence of a collection of more than 4,000 Roman bronze and silver coins. Large hoards of Roman coins are often found in Britain. In 2009, a collection of almost 60,000 corroded coins, known as Frome Hoard, was discovered in a field in Somerset. This Swiss collection is also one of the largest ever found outside the UK, making it very special. The discovery also coincides with a renewed global interest in Rome and Roman history, spurred by the discovery of an intact tomb at the archaeological site of Pompeii in October. Archaeologists explain that the reason Roman coins are often found buried in large quantities may be because they were offered as ritual gifts to the Roman gods. This was the case with the Frome Hoard, but although most Swiss coins have been excavated, no definitive hypotheses have yet been raised about their original purpose. Archaeologists have determined that their owners systematically buried them between 270 and 294 AD and never returned to retrieve them.
The coins were removed from circulation shortly after they were issued, but archaeologists estimate that at the time they were worth between one and two years’ wages.
The coins, composed of bronze and silver components, have been remarkably well preserved in the ground.
“The owner must have deliberately chosen these coins to treasure,” Swiss coin expert Hugo Doppler told Swiss Radio and Television.
Near Mint: Bronze Coins Dating to Roman Times Their silver content would have ensured some preservation of value in times of economic uncertainty. Swiss archaeologist Georg Matter was enthusiastic about the discovery. “As an archaeologist, you hardly experience something like this more than once in your career,” he told Spiegel Online. However, as exciting as the discovery is, the Swiss farmer who first discovered the coins will not be able to keep his find.
“He will probably receive remuneration for his discovery,” he told Agence France-Presse, “but the objects found belong to the public, according to Swiss law.”
The coins will be displayed at the Vindonissa Museum in Brugg, which specializes in Roman history, in the Swiss canton of Aargau.
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