Archaeologists have discovered a hoard of gold Roman coins dating back to the Fourth Century which include the marks of nine emperors ruling between 364 and 408 AD.
“This is a major archaeological discovery, as it is extremely rare to be able to study an entire ancient monetary deposit in its archaeological context,” announced the National Institute for Archaeological Research (INRA), following the find in northern Luxembourg.
The coins were excavated near the foot of a burgus, or late Roman fortified tower, used for military observation. These watchtowers were commonly built along the edge of the Roman Empire in the Fourth Century, and there were several graves surrounding the structure.
Rare Finds from Reign of Eugenius
“What is very unusual is the combination of the size of the hoard and the material: apparently 141 gold coins in total, manufactured under the reigns of several emperors,” said Rebecca Usherwood, Assistant Professor in Late Antique and Early Byzantine Studies at Trinity College Dublin.
“This represents a huge amount of personal wealth for the individual or group of individuals who had collected these items.
“Each gold solidus weighed around 4.5 g and was extremely pure, so we’re talking over 6 kg of pure gold.”
“The majority of people living in the Roman empire would have rarely seen a single gold coin, let alone a collection of this many.
“They were too high in value to be in common circulation, so typically represent gifts or payment from emperors to those in their service, especially soldiers; the value of this find suggests military officers of a higher social standing rather than common soldiers.”
“This can also be linked to the significance of the find context, which was apparently a fortified building, right on the edge of the Roman empire.”
The most notable coins found are from the reign of Eugenius, who ruled for just two years, during which time he attempted to bring back some Roman pagan traditions.
The short reign of Eugenius came to an end, however, at the battle of Frigidus in 394 AD when he was defeated by the Christian Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I.
Eugenius had come to the throne with the help of the powerful generate Arbogast, emperor of the Western Roman Empire following the death of Valentinian II. Coins bearing Eugenius’ image—such as the three that have been found as part of the hoard—are rare.
Coins Found in Ruins of Roman Fort
The solidi—the Latin word for gold coins like these—were uncovered in the ruins of a Roman fort in the village of Holzthum during a series of excavations from 2020 to 2024.
The find was kept secret for almost four years. Additionally, the Luxembourg Army Mine Action Service helped with the dig because of the danger from several Second World War explosives and munitions buried nearby.
The coins are said to be in excellent condition, and are worth $322,000, a sum that, according to Luxembourg law, is reserved for those who have legal rights, such as property holders, over the find.
Why Were The Coins Buried?
“It’s clear that the political and military environment was a major factor in the decision to bury this treasure. This region had been very prosperous earlier in the fourth century, particularly around the city of Trier,” says Usherwood.
“However, by the early 5th century, infiltrations of large groups of peoples form over the Rhine had made the area impossible to hold on to; this corresponds to the final datable coins in this hoard.”
“Coins are a highly portable form of wealth. Someone could have traveled with 6 kg of coins if they had felt safe enough to do so. The fact that they buried them suggests that they weren’t in a position to do this.”
“Possibly, if they were in the military, they were involved in some kind of skirmish, after which they had intended to recover these coins.”
The most interesting, aspect, says Usherwood is that those who buried this treasure had clearly intended to return one day and recover their wealth, but never did.
“Perhaps the fort could no longer be reached safely, and the owner or owners died before they could return. They hid the coins so carefully they remained undiscovered for over 1,600 years.”
INRA/C.Nosbusch
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