The Egyptian-Dominican archaeological mission, led by Dr. Kathleen Martínez in collaboration with the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), has made new discoveries at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, located west of Alexandria. Among the most notable findings are foundation deposits beneath the southern wall of the enclosure, containing artifacts and ceremonial objects that shed […]
Coins
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Counterfeit Denarii Found in an Ancient Village Near a Roman Camp in Germany
In Delbrück-Bentfeld, a locality in the Paderborn district of Germany, a team of archaeologists supported by the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) is conducting excavations at what appears to be an ancient village inhabited during the first centuries A.D. This village, located just 1.5 kilometers from an ancient Roman military camp in Anreppen, is revealing valuable clues […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
27 Silver Denarii Discovered on the Island of Pantelleria, Hidden in the Acropolis During a Pirate Attack in the Early 1st Century BC
On the Italian island of Pantelleria, located between southwestern Sicily and the coast of Tunisia, a team of archaeologists led by Thomas Schäfer from the University of Tübingen has discovered a “tesoretto” of 27 Roman silver coins during a campaign of cleaning, restoration, and excavation coverage in the Acropolis of Santa Teresa and San Marco. […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Persian Gold Coins Used to Pay Mercenaries Found in the Ancient Greek City of Notion
A team of researchers led by Professor Christopher Ratté from the University of Michigan has uncovered a treasure trove of Persian gold coins in the ancient Greek city of Notion, located in western Turkey. The find, consisting of a collection of gold coins known as darics, is believed to have been used to pay mercenary […]
Posted inModern Era
Latin Monetary Union, the First Attempt to Create a Supranational Currency, which Operated until after World War I
We all remember the night of December 31, 2001, because at the stroke of midnight, we not only entered another year but also adopted a new currency, the euro, and some rushed to ATMs to see and touch the freshly printed bills from the European Central Bank. The idea of an international currency unification was […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Mystery of Abundance of Silver Coins in Medieval England Solved: they came from Byzantine Empire
Between 660-750 AD, Anglo-Saxon England saw a major revival of trade and commerce. This led to a huge increase in the use of silver coins, moving away from just gold. Archaeologists have found around 7,000 of these old “pennies” made of silver. That’s a massive number, almost as many as from the entire Anglo-Saxon period […]
Posted inAntiquity
Eucratides I, the Greco-Bactrian King who Minted the Largest Gold Coin of Antiquity
Eucratides I was a monarch of the Hellenistic period who ruled the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, located in present-day Afghanistan, between 172 and 145 B.C. Coming from the Diodotid dynasty, which had been overthrown by Euthydemus I, he managed to regain the throne from Demetrius I while the latter was attempting to conquer the northwest of India. […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A Rare Intentionally Broken Persian Coin and a 6th Century BC Weight Unearthed
Archaeologists in Israel have made an exciting discovery that provides new information about one of the earliest uses of coins in the region. During an excavation of a site from the First Temple period in the Judean hills, workers uncovered some uncommon evidence of trading from the distant past. The most notable find was an […]
Posted inAncient Greece, Archaeology
A Spectacular Treasure Trove of Rare Greek Coins from Between the 6th and 4th Centuries BC and Other Objects Found in Ancient Tenea
In October 2023, the systematic archaeological investigation in Chiliomodi (Corinthia region, Greece) concluded, at the site of ancient Tenea, under the direction of archaeologist Dr. Elena Korka and conducted by the Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture. The excavation, among other things, revealed for the first time this year a […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Rare Byzantine gold coin found in Norway, probably brought from Constantinople by Harald Hardrada
A metal detectorist discovered in the county of Innlandet, in inland Norway, a rare histamenon nomisma (literally standard coin), a Byzantine solid gold coin, minted in Constantinople around the year 960 AD. The coin was found in the mountains of Vestre Slidre municipality and has been exceptionally well-preserved given its appearance, as it looks practically […]
