The ministry released images of the glittering coins that were bursting from a Roman jar with two handles, known as an amphora, that was buried in the ground.
There were about three hundred gold coins from the late Roman Imperial period, which ended in the fifth century, right before the empire fell. The coins are in amazing shape considering their age, with all of the engravings and designs clearly visible.
Alberto Bonisoli, the culture minister of Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (Ministero per I Beni e le Attività Culturali), stated in a press release that “we do not yet know in detail the historical and cultural significance of the find.”
However, that region is turning out to be a true archaeological gem. An accomplishment that makes me feel proud.
The gold cache inside the urn was sent to a government restoration lab in Milan, where it would undergo a comprehensive examination. The coins were discovered closely packed into small stacks, so this may take some time to extract one at a time with extreme caution.
Twenty-seven coins from the fifth century have been successfully distinguished by historians thus far. Given that the Roman economy had virtually little monetary flow at the time, this gem is very intriguing.
The inscriptions on the coins imply that they were struck under the administrations of five distinct emperors: Libio Severo, Honorius, Leon I, Valentinian III, and Antonio.
None of the coins date back further than 474 AD, although the Italian media has estimated that they could be worth millions of euros. Furthermore, neither the urn nor everything that was discovered within it are included in that.
A gold bar was keeping the coins company, and experts believe there may be more valuable items hidden at the bottom of the urn.
“No such hoard has even been unearthed in northern Italy before,” claims The History Blog.
Although it may seem strange to store such priceless objects at an archaeological site, the person who did so most likely “buried it in such a way that in case of danger they could go and retrieve it.” Maria Grazia Facchinetti, an authority in rare coins, says as much. Historians like Facchinetti have deduced some information about the owner’s identity from the way the coins were concealed in addition to their location.
“They were arranged in rolls that resembled those found in the bank nowadays,” she claims.
“All of this leads us to believe that the owner may be a public bank or deposit, rather than a private individual.”
The theater is located close to the city’s forum, where banks, merchants, and temples frequently conducted business, which supports Facchinetti’s theory.
Even if the area of ancient Rome was renowned for its affluence, a frugal and suspicious private owner is not completely out of the question. The coins were placed in the urn throughout time, or were they all deposited in the same era? This will be ascertained via layer analysis.
The old city of Novum Comum, which is home to numerous other significant Roman artifacts, is not far from the Cressoni Theatre, where the coins were discovered. Originally built in 1807 as a historic theater, it was transformed into a movie theater and shut down in 1997.
Currently, the ancient building is to be demolished and replaced by opulent homes. However, until more excavations can be done, the recent find has put a stop to any further development at the site.