A couple of months ago, during a lazy afternoon, I came across an interesting webpage. It was a short read, taking only about 6 minutes of my time.
Construction began in September 1993 on the development of a parking lot for a hospital located on Feldstrasse, a prime location near the famed Roman bridge in Trier, Germany.
The city was established around 16 BC by the Romans under the name Augusta Treverorum. Consequently, it holds a vast collection of well-preserved architectural structures and artifacts from that era, including the magnificent Porta Nigra. This explains the discovery of ancient walls and vaults from a Roman insula, a multi-story residential block, during parking construction.
Nonetheless, the progress of the excavation carried on uninterrupted despite this discovery. On the 9th of September, while sifting through the soil displaced by one of the machines, a group of coin enthusiasts stumbled upon a handful of magnificent gold coins. Eager to explore further, they returned under the cloak of night armed with a metal detector. It didn’t take long before they unearthed a truly remarkable treasure trove within the excavation hole – a staggering collection of 1,389 Roman aurei. These coins, which were in circulation until 309 AD before being replaced by the solid, bore the signs of time through corrosion and the muddy clay that had enveloped them.
Just as the first rays of the morning sun were about to break through, a remarkable find awaited them in the depths of the basement. A magnificent bronze vessel revealed its hidden treasure – an additional 561 gleaming golden coins. Unfortunately, an overzealous excavator had accidentally damaged the vessel earlier in the day, unintentionally revealing the original repository of all the precious coins that had been unearthed.
Rewinding to the pleasant afternoon of September 9th, an intriguing event unfolded at the Feldstrasse excavation site. As the excavation team planned to repurpose the excess earth by utilizing it as fill material for a neighboring car park at the charming Kockelsberg hotel, located approximately 5 kilometers away on a picturesque hill, a peculiar situation emerged. Eager collectors, hardly able to contain their excitement, decided to trail the truck carrying the earth. Upon reaching the hotel premises, these enthusiasts wasted no time in spreading the delightful rumor that hidden within the seemingly mundane rubble, a treasure could potentially be uncovered.
As a result, the truck drivers and numerous hotel guests were filled with exhilaration as they eagerly plunged into the soil, commencing an enthusiastic digging spree. With the passing of the afternoon, their collective efforts unearthed an additional 400 gleaming gold coins, along with the remarkable revelation of the bronze vessel’s uppermost section.
Throughout both day and night, various other coins had materialized. On the delightful morning of September 10th, a multitude of individuals, including avid collectors, graciously surrendered their extensive coin discoveries to the esteemed Rheinisches Landesmuseum, nestled in the enchanting city of Trier. This awe-inspiring collection would go down in history as the most colossal treasure ever to be unearthed, consisting of a staggering 2,650 aurei, the renowned gold coins from the illustrious Roman imperial era.
A variety of coins from the Trier Treasury, as seen in the photo by Th. Zühmer on Wikimedia Commons, collectively weigh nearly 18.5 kilograms. It is fascinating to note that over 99 percent of these coins were produced during the era spanning from 63 to 168 AD. This remarkable collection represents roughly a tenth of all the aureus minted during that specific period, highlighting its historical significance.
The owner of the substantial sum of 265,000 sesterces remains a mystery. It is possible that it belonged to an individual or even the city’s imperial administration. Just for reference, the Roman procurator of Trier, responsible for finances, would typically earn around 200,000 sesterces per year. Some speculation has arisen suggesting that this impressive amount might have been part of the temple of Asclepius’ deposit, given its close proximity.
The treasure in question has been linked to the conflict between Emperor Septimius Severus and his rival Clodius Albinus, with the latest coins being minted between 193 and 196 AD. It is speculated that the person responsible for the treasure may have hidden it during the attack on Trier by Clodius Albinus, but was unable to retrieve it later due to either death or fleeing.
