Builders in Britain were left gobsmacked after unearthing one of the country’s largest ever finds of Roman coins, with an estimated value exceeding $126,000.
A staggering 1,368 Iron Age and Roman coins, dating all the way back to Emperor Nero’s rule, were found on a construction site near Worcester.
This monumental discovery has been dubbed “miraculous” by experts who believe it to be one of the most significant finds in over a century. The majority of these treasures are silver denarii, struck in Rome, spanning from the era of the Roman Republic in 157 BC to the epoch of Nero between AD 54-68.
Dubbed as the Worcestershire Conquest Hoard, this cache is not only one of the largest of the Roman Conquest period to be unearthed in Britain, but it also holds the record for being the largest hoard linked to Nero’s reign discovered in the nation.
It’s thought that the treasure trove once belonged to a wealthy agrarian who dealt with the Roman military, providing them grain and livestock.
The remarkable find was made in the Leigh and Bransford area, just west of Worcester, late last year and boasts a valuation of more than $126,000. Dr Murray Andrews, a lecturer in British archaeology at University College London, commented: “It’s the most miraculous thing I’ve seen over the last 100 years. It’s an important piece of archaeology. It tells us about what was happening here 2000 years ago, when the Malvern hills were maybe the boundary of the Roman Empire.”
A collection of valuable items was discovered, containing a rare Iron Age gold coin that is believed to have been created for the Dobunni tribe, a local British group that resided in Worcestershire from AD 20-45.
Researchers think that a nearby pottery kiln in the Malvern Hills was likely where the container holding the coins was crafted, reports the Daily Star.
The collection was officially designated as treasure in June, and currently, $7582 is being raised by Worcestershire Heritage, Art and Museums to exhibit it.