An archaeological team recently discovered a Roman coin trove, a collection of 175 Roman silver coins that had been hidden in an Italian forest. The coins are estimated to have been buried around 82 BCE, potentially during a Roman civil war. The group stumbled upon the trove during a hike in a newly cleared area northeast of Livorno in 2021. Archaeologists have since explored the area but have not uncovered any additional artifacts.
The coins, which range in age from 157 BCE to 82 BCE, were contained in a terracotta pot. Scholars speculate that the hoard may have belonged to a soldier or wealthy merchant seeking to protect their assets. However, the identity of the person who buried the coins remains unknown, as they were never retrieved. Archaeologists speculate that the person who buried the coins did so as a way of safeguarding them during a time of turmoil, as the latest coin dates to a period of internal strife. In 91 BCE, a war erupted between Rome and its allies who were seeking citizenship.
General Sulla, who had previously been declared an enemy of the state, returned from Asia with his army in 82 BCE to confront his Roman adversaries. As per Il Terrino’s report, after being concealed for 2,000 years, the coins are set to be exhibited at the Museum of Natural History of the Mediterranean in the Province of Livorno.