Archaeologists find gold coins depicting an illegal emperor of the Roman Empire
Kyiv • UNN
Archaeologists have discovered a treasure trove of 141 Roman gold coins dating back 1700 years near the foundation of a Roman fort. The finds include three rare coins depicting the usurper Eugenius, who ruled for only two years.
Archaeologists have discovered a treasure trove of Roman gold coins dating back 1700 years in Luxembourg, which was placed near the foundation of a small Roman fort, similar to a tower. This is reported by Live Science, according to UNN.
Details
According to the publication, the team unearthed 141 gold coins minted between 364 and 408 AD in Holzthum, a village in the north of the country. The coins bear the portraits of eight emperors, but three coins depict an unexpected ruler: Eugenius, an illegitimate emperor of the Western Roman Empire who ruled for only two years (from 392 to 394).
It is noted that the usurper, a rhetoric teacher and court official, was proclaimed emperor of the West by a powerful military officer a few months after the Western emperor Valentinian II was found hanged under mysterious circumstances. However, Theodosius I, the Christian emperor in the East, refused to recognize Eugene and disapproved of his supposed policy of religious tolerance. This led to an armed conflict and ended in Eugene's bloody defeat and death at the Battle of Phrygium in September 394. Coins of this emperor are particularly rare because his reign was very short.
This is a major archaeological discovery, as it is extremely rare to study an entire ancient money deposit in its archaeological context
Interestingly, due to its historical significance, the discovery was kept secret for almost four years, and excavations led by INRA were conducted from 2020 to 2024. The team also faced dangerous conditions, as many ammunition and explosives from the Second World War were buried in the area, prompting the Mine Action Service of the Luxembourg Army to help with the excavations.
It is noted that gold coins are solidus, a term derived from the Latin "solidus" meaning "solid" - a reference to their consistently reliable gold content. The coins, each weighing approximately 4.5 grams, were introduced into circulation in the early fourth century during the "late Roman Empire". The solid remained relatively stable over the centuries and spread throughout the Mediterranean region.
After an independent analysis, which took into account the "excellent condition" of the coins and "the presence of some rare specimens," the coins were valued at almost $322,000. Luxembourg's Minister of Culture Eric Till said:
It will still take some time to process the excavations and finds, but it will undoubtedly expand our knowledge and understanding of the last century of the Roman Empire in the West,
The researchers are going to conduct further analysis of the hoard and eventually publish the results in a research journal.
Recall
An 1800-year-old silver amulet with a Christian inscription was discovered in Frankfurt . The find may change the way we think about the spread of Christianity in Europe, as it is 50 years older than previous artifacts.
