When crews started gutting the Cressoni Theater, a 19th
century opera house in Como, Italy, they knew the building had a basement. But when they began clearing 150 years’ worth of accumulated items out, they noticed an old, cracked soapstone amphora partially sunken into the dirt floor.
It was barely distinguishable from the grey earth surrounding it, but something shiny was inside.
Stacks of Gold
Workers found hundreds of gold coins from the 5th-century Roman Empire, all stacked neatly in rows. Unlike most discoveries of buried ancient coins, these had been well protected and preserved in much better condition than many coins of that era. The coins had inscriptions relating to Roman emperors that dated them to 474 A.D. or earlier. They have been sent to archaeologists in Milan for further analysis of their place in history.
A Merchant’s Treasure?
While it’s unknown who the coins belonged to or why they were left where they were found, a market known as the Novum Comum forum was located nearby during the Roman Republic. It’s possible they had been buried centuries ago and only exposed recently.
The coins are one of several recent discoveries in the area and have led authorities to suspend construction work on the luxury apartment conversion while archaeologists search for other antiquities in the vicinity.
Cressoni Coins Latest of Recent Finds
While Roman coins have been being discovered for centuries, several recent finds have reminded us how far Imperial Rome’s influence spread. From English farmlands to Jerusalem and as far away as Japan, new caches of Roman coins have been turning up frequently as archaeological digs and new construction turn over soils that have lain undisturbed for centuries.
Collecting Ancient Coins
With the thousands of coins from Rome and other civilizations discovered over the years, collecting ancient coins has become a popular hobby. It offers a fascinating look into world history and the stories behind it.
Ancient coins are widely available from many sources, many at surprisingly affordable prices. A quick search of the internet will find multiple dealers and collectors offering them. As with any collectibles, do your research and only buy from reputable sources. Because ancient coins were crudely made, replicas and counterfeits are common.
There are also numerous books on collecting ancient coins that give more detailed information on the specifics of the field including books that specialize in certain eras or civilizations. And while there are fewer local dealers who carry ancient coins than those that have more recent ones, most major dealers and shows have ancient coins available.
