In Germany found the largest treasure of silver coins of the Roman Empire

Amateur archaeologist Oliver Riedl found a treasure in a field under Cologne - 934 silver coins from the time of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. According to the Office for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage of the Rhineland, where the find was transferred, it is the largest treasure of the Roman era from those found in Germany, and the fifth largest in the world. This is reported by The Guardian.

The total weight of the coins found is 3.1 kg. Their market value could be €500,000. According to experts, the denarii were buried in the second half of the II century. The territory where Cologne is located was under the rule of the Roman Empire from 39 BC to 459 AD. The oldest coins from the hoard date from 148 BC, and the latest were made in 125 AD, they depict the Emperor Hadrian.

“Of course, we can only speculate about the motives of the people who buried the coins, but it is likely that they wanted to secure their money.” Banks did not exist then, said archaeologist Erich Klassen, head of the Rhineland Archaeological Heritage Department. According to scientists, for that time it was a very significant amount. A soldier in the Roman army at that time earned 300 denarii a year, and half of this amount was spent on food and equipment. Thus, in order to accumulate as many coins as in this hoard, the legionnaire "had to save all the cash for six years.".

Alena Miklashevskaya