Additional Coverage:
- Builders stunned as they dig up one of largest ever hoards of Roman coins worth more than $126,000 (themirror.com)
Builders in Britain Stumble Upon Trove of Roman Coins Worth Over $126,000
A construction site near Worcester, England has yielded an astonishing treasure: 1,368 Iron Age and Roman coins, dating back to the reign of Emperor Nero. Experts are calling the discovery, estimated to be worth over $126,000, one of the most significant finds in over a century.
Dubbed the Worcestershire Conquest Hoard, the collection consists primarily of silver denarii minted in Rome, spanning from the Roman Republic in 157 BC to Nero’s era (AD 54-68). It represents not only one of Britain’s largest hoards from the Roman Conquest period, but also the biggest hoard associated with Nero’s reign found in the country. Experts believe the coins belonged to a wealthy landowner who likely supplied grain and livestock to the Roman military.
Dr. Murray Andrews, a lecturer in British archaeology at University College London, described the find as “miraculous,” adding, “It’s an important piece of archaeology.
It tells us about what was happening here 2,000 years ago.” The hoard also includes a rare Iron Age gold coin thought to have been made for the Dobunni, a local British tribe that inhabited Worcestershire.
Researchers believe the container holding the coins was likely crafted at a nearby pottery kiln in the Malvern Hills.
Declared treasure in June, the hoard is the subject of a fundraising campaign by Worcestershire Heritage, Art and Museums, which aims to raise $7,582 to put the collection on public display. Karen May, Chair of Worcestershire County Council’s joint museums committee, emphasized the importance of the find for understanding the county’s heritage, calling it “real Worcestershire treasure” that should be enjoyed for generations to come. This remarkable discovery marks the third such find in the region in the last 25 years.