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Spanish amateur freedivers have discovered one of the largest collections of Roman gold coins found in Europe.
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The collection of 53 coins dates back to the 4th and 5th centuries and is almost completely preserved.
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Researchers have suggested that the coin may have been hidden from barbaric looters.
Freedivers off the coast of Spain have discovered one of the largest collections ever found in Europe, a treasure trove of 53 fully preserved gold coins from the Roman Empire.
Brother-in-law Luis Lens and Cesar Jimeno were freediving in the Mediterranean during their vacation in Xàbia, Spain.According to, clean up the trash TimesAs they explored the underwater landscape, they came across a shiny object that resembled a “dime”.newspaper El País Said.
After retrieving the object, they noticed an inscription on the face of ancient Greece or Rome and speculated that it was from a jewel.
They used a Swiss Army knife bottle opener to discover another seven coins embedded in a rock gap.
After reporting the findings to local authorities, a team of scuba divers and archaeologists found a total of 53 gold coins, three nails, and some debris that looked like a chest.
Scientists at the University Institute of Archeology and Historical Heritage analyzed the coin. They discovered that they were from the end of the 4th century to the beginning of the 5th century.
“It’s incredible. Finding treasure is a dream for every child,” Lewis Lens told El País.
“This is one of the largest sets of Roman gold coins found in Spain and Europe,” said Jaime Molina, head of a team of underwater archaeologists. University of Alicante, In a press release.
What makes the discovery even more unusual is how completely the coins were preserved.
Researchers were able to identify the emperor of the coins: Valentinianus I (3 coins), Valentinianus II (7 coins), Todosio I (15 coins), Arkadi (17 coins), Honorius (10 coins), and unidentified coins.
Molina said the findings could provide a wealth of new information for understanding the final stages of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.
Historians said the coins may have been intentionally hidden to avoid looting barbarians such as the Alans.
They said the coin shed light on the historic moments of anxiety caused by the arrival of barbarians such as Suebi, Vandals and Alan, leading to the collapse of the Roman Empire.
According to the University of Alicante, the coin will be restored and displayed at the Sorelbrasco Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum in Xàbia.
Read the original article Business insider
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