LEIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS—The Guardian reports that a hoard of ancient coins was discovered by a pair of metal detectorists in the Netherlands, in an area where Roman troops returning from Britain may have landed. The coins were placed in a cloth or leather pouch and deposited in a shallow pit in a swampy area. The hoard is made up of 44 gold staters bearing the name of the Celtic king Cunobelin, who ruled in southeastern Britain from A.D. 5 to 40. The hoard also contains some 360 Roman coins, including 72 gold aurei, and 288 silver denarii dated to between 200 B.C. and A.D. 47. The latest coins bear the image of the Roman emperor Claudius (reigned A.D. 41–54). In all, the collection of coins is estimated to total the wages of a Roman soldier over a period of about 11 years. The coins are thought to have been taken as spoils during the conquest of Britain between A.D. 43 and 47, and then perhaps distributed to Roman soldiers as a reward for a successful campaign known as a donativum. “This is the first time that physical evidence of the return of the troops has been found,” said Anton Cruysheer of the Utrecht Landscape and Heritage Foundation. “Apparently, they came back with all sorts of things. That is new information,” he concluded. To read about a Roman sanctuary unearthed in the Netherlands, go to "Romans Go Dutch."
