21 Sep 2014 Mushroom hunter finds 102 Roman coins

Roman coins were discovered by a mushroom picker in the Bruntál region seven years ago. Apparently, a trader lost them. The finder gave the treasure to the museum. In total, it was a depot of 102 coins.

The treasure was discovered by a woman from Ostrava quite by chance while she was looking for mushrooms in the forest. She behaved in an exemplary manner, because she immediately informed the institutions and subsequently handed over the coins to the staff of the Ostrava Museum.

Experts from the museum together with archaeologists from the National Heritage Institute immediately went to the place where the woman discovered the treasure. They searched it with the help of a metal detector. They then uncovered moss growth and discovered three more silver coins. In total, the treasure contained 102 Roman silver coins.

Most of the coins were very worn, indicating that they had been in circulation. "The Bruntál depot contains Roman silver denarii mainly from the 2nd century, with the most represented being the coins of the emperors Trajan (98-117) and Hadrian (117-138). The youngest coins date from the end of the 2nd century," the archaeologists said.

The treasure was probably hidden sometime between the 3rd and 5th centuries. According to archaeologists, the imperial denarii were in circulation in the territory of the barbarian for a very long time. "The discovery of the depot is extraordinary for the Bruntál region, but also for the entire Moravian-Silesian territory, as it is the most numerous find of its kind," the archaeologists added.

According to historian Alexander Michl-Bernard, it is possible that the coins were hidden by a merchant when the robbery was about to take place. In fact, there were gangs in the area that were raiding traders. At the time, 102 Roman silver coins were a very large sum.

"I'm inclined to the theory that the coins were deposited here around the fifth century. These denarii, being made of silver, lasted a very long time in circulation," the expert noted.

The mushroom picker noticed the coin lying in the moss when she bent down to pick up a mushroom. She wished to remain anonymous. "I didn't sleep for two nights after the discovery, I was burdened with responsibility and also had the impression that some kind of spirit was emanating from it," she told the Ostrava City Hall newsletter.

Sources: www.ostrmuz.cz, www.idnes.cz, www.denik.cz