Over 30,000 Roman bronze coins dating back to 324-340 CE have been discovered near the coast of Sardinia, Italy, after an Italian diver sighted some metal remains in shallow water, the Italian Culture Ministry said. The diver spotted some “metal remains” in shallow water near the town of Arzachena, the ministry stated on Saturday.
The ancient Roman bronze coins are called “follis” and were introduced by the former Roman emperor Diocletian. The coins were later used as Byzantine currency.
The number of coins found so far is yet to be confirmed as they are now being sorted. However, it is estimated that there could as many as 50,000 coins, according to CNN.
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After the person informed the authorities, a group of divers from an art protection squad and the ministry’s undersea archaeological department were sent for investigation.
The coins were found near the north-east shore of the Mediterranean island. All the coins that have been found are in an exceptional and rare state of preservation. However, few coins that are in a damaged state still have legible inscriptions, the ministry said.
"(The finding) highlights the richness and importance of the archaeological heritage that our seabed, traversed by men and goods since the earliest times, still guards and preserves," Luigi La Rocca, director general of archaeology, fine arts and landscape for the region, told CNN.
According to the Culture Ministry, the location where the coins were found suggests the presence of a shipwreck.
"The treasure found in the waters of Arzachena represents one of the most important discoveries of numismatic finds in recent years," La Rocca said while pointing out that the region had an "extraordinary heritage". However, it is "also a very fragile one, constantly threatened by natural phenomena and human action", Rocca further said.
A discovery of a similar kind was made in Seaton, UK, in 2013, where more than 22,888 follis were found, the Culture Ministry said.