A stash of ancient gold coins found buried in farmland in the United Kingdom has attracted the attention of coin hunters who linked the trove to the Roman Empire.
Metal detectorists have discovered 11 gold coins dating back 2000 years, from a farm in Norfolk, off the east coast of England.
Some experts believe this treasure is said to be related to the Roman Empire, however, the history of the coins has raised more questions. These coins are of 20 carats and their value is in lakhs. Experts expect to get a lot more from here.
The first four coins were found in 2017 when farmers plowed the fields after harvesting, and metal explorers Damon and Denise Pye discovered the gold coins. After their discovery, the place became special for search.
Adrian Marsden, a numismatist (coin expert), told Live Science:
“The coins were found scattered around in the plow soil, which has been churned up year after year, causing the soil to be turned over constantly and led to them eventually coming to the surface.”
Experts question how the coins ended up where they did because they were made before the Romans invaded and conquered Britain from roughly 43-84 A.D. Early theories suggest that the coins could have been part of a religious sacrifice or a trade deal of some kind.
Marsden said:
“It’s apparent that [the coins] went into the ground before the invasion. It’s possible that they could’ve been part of some type of offering to the gods, but more likely someone buried them with the intention of recovering them later.”
“Gold was often used as trade, so it’s possible that a local tribe could’ve gotten ahold of the coins and perhaps planned to use them for other things, such as melting them down to make jewelry,” he added.
The Daily Wire has more details of this story:
In an article for The Searcher, Marsden detailed the specifics of the coins, several of which bear the image of the grandsons of Caesar Augustus. Augustus was the first emperor of Rome and largely responsible for turning Rome into an empire.
“In the second half of Augustus’ reign, when his position was consolidated, the types [of coins] with dynastic reference increased as an indication of his succession, as is the case here with the extensive coinage for his grandsons, Gaius and Lucius Caesar,” Marjanko Pilekić, a coin expert told LiveScience.
The coins found to date, worth about $25,000 collectively, have been placed in an exhibit in the British Museum. Other artifacts, like Roman copper coins and brooches, have also been found in the region.
Sources: TheDailyWire, Live Science
