A diver may have made the discovery of a lifetime off the northeast coast of Sardinia: At a shallow depth, the man noticed metallic remains on the seabed. He reported his discovery to the Italian authorities and they were amazed when they examined the site together with the coast guard the following day: the diver had come across a huge number of Roman bronze coins from the 4th century. As the Italian Ministry of Culture announced, based on the weight, researchers are currently assuming there are around 30,000 to 50,000 coins.
When they examined the site, specially trained divers from the Italian police discovered that the coins were located in two “macro areas” between the beach and the seabed. Evidence suggests that the coins were transported on a ship and that it sank.
According to authorities, the coins found are so-called “follis”, which were introduced around 294 AD by the then Roman Emperor Diocletian as part of a monetary reform. It is not yet clear which exact year the Follis come from. However, experts assume that they were minted in the first half of the 4th century.
In addition to the quantity, the researchers are particularly impressed by the exceptionally good condition of the coins. So far only four pieces of money have been found that were damaged, all others are still intact. Sea water and soil would have preserved the follis almost perfectly.
Luigi da Rocca, general director of Sardinia’s archaeological department, called the coin find one of the “most significant discoveries of recent times.” He underlines the “richness and importance of the archaeological heritage that lies in the depths of our earth.”
A similar but much smaller find was discovered off Great Britain in 2013. At that time, 22,888 follis and amphora remains with African and oriental decorations were found just a few hundred meters from the site of a Roman villa and a military fortification from the second to third centuries.
Sources: Italian Ministry of Culture, The Guardian
