Video: Rare Roman and British coin hoard discovered in Utrecht province
A unique collection of 404 silver and gold coins dating back to 46 A.D. has been discovered near Bunnik, in the province of Utrecht. The discovery, made in October 2023 by two individuals using metal detectors, has been described as one of the most significant finds of Roman and British coins in Europe.
The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht, and the Rijksdienst voor Cultureel Erfgoed jointly revealed the discovery Monday morning. The museum in Leiden called the find a "unique combination of Roman and British coins," noting that such a Roman-British coin hoard has never been found on the European mainland before.
The discovery was made in an area that was once part of the northern border region of the Roman Empire, known as the Neder-Germaanse Limes, during the early Roman period. From this location, Roman soldiers were known to travel to Britannia, present-day Great Britain.
Among the 404 coins found, 44 feature the name of British King Cunobelinus. This indicates that soldiers returning from Britannia likely brought these coins back with them to the European mainland. Experts believe that these coins may have been plundered by Roman soldiers during their campaigns.
The two individuals who found the coins initially discovered a few of them and then reported their find to the Meldpunt Archeologie of Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht. An archaeologist investigated the coins, which were subsequently cleaned by a restoration workshop.
To learn more about the location of the discovery, the Rijksdienst voor Cultureel Erfgoed, together with the finders, conducted further excavation work. This effort ultimately revealed the full extent of the hoard, totaling 404 coins.
The coins have now been acquired by the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, where they are included in the ongoing exhibition, "Nederland in de Romeinse Tijd."
