In 2023, two metal detectorists found a remarkable collection of 404 silver and gold coins near Bunnik in the province of Utrecht. This discovery ranks among the most significant finds of Roman and British coins in Europe.
Archaeologists uncovered this unique hoard in the northern border region of the Roman Empire, now part of the Netherlands. This type of mixed Roman-British coin hoard has never been found on the European mainland before. The National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) in Leiden described the find as a “unique combination of Roman and British coins.”
The most recent coins date from 46-47 AD, during Emperor Claudius’s reign. Roman troops crossed the North Sea to conquer the land they called ‘Britannia’ during this time. Among the coins, 44 gold pieces come from Britain and feature the inscription of King Cunobelin. Researchers believe that Roman soldiers brought these coins back as spoils of war.
This hoard highlights the importance of the Lower German Limes during the Roman invasions of Britannia. This frontier served as a staging area for the initial invasion in 43 CE. It also facilitated the return of Roman troops who brought back various items, including British coins.
The Utrecht find is the largest of its kind from the Roman period in the province. It is also the first mixed hoard of Roman and British coins discovered on the European mainland. Similar hoards have only been found in Britain.
The coins were located near the Roman frontier, away from major sites like the fort of Traiectum (Utrecht) and Ulpia Noviomagus (Nijmegen). They likely buried the coins in or shortly after 47 CE. The reasons for their burial remain unclear. They may have hidden them for future retrieval or offered them to the gods in gratitude for a safe return from battle.
The British gold coins, known as staters, are not pure gold but an alloy of gold, silver, and copper. Minting occurred between approximately 5 and 43 CE, during and shortly after King Cunobelin’s reign. His name appears in Latin on the coins as CVNO[BELINVS].
The Roman coins feature portraits of various rulers, with the most recent examples showing Emperor Claudius. These coins were minted in 46-47 CE, around the time of the first Roman conquests in Britain.
The hoard includes 72 gold Roman coins, known as aurei (singular: aureus), dating from 19 BCE to 47 CE. Notably, two of these coins were struck from the same die and appear unused, suggesting they came from a batch of newly minted coins.
The majority of the Roman coins, totaling 288, are silver denarii (singular: denarius), minted between 200 BCE and 47 BCE. This collection features rare specimens, including coins from Julius Caesar’s era and one depicting Juba, the king of Numidia in present-day Algeria.
Gert-Jan Messelaar and Reinier Koelink discovered the extraordinary coin hoard. After they reported the find to Landscape Heritage Utrecht’s Archaeology Hotline, archaeologist Anton Cruysheer examined the coins. Experts recorded them in the Portable Antiquities of the Netherlands (PAN) database and cleaned them at Restaura, a restoration firm in Heerlen.
To understand the context of the find and the reasons for the coins’ burial, the National Cultural Heritage Agency conducted an excavation with the discoverers. This effort revealed a total of 381 coins, part of the larger hoard of 404.
Cover ımage Credit: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
