Amateur archaeologist unearths Germany's largest Roman silver coin hoard
Oliver Riedl's metal detector discovery of 934 denarii near Cologne is the biggest Hadrian-era coin treasure ever found in Germany.
What to know
- Amateur archaeologist Oliver Riedl uncovered 934 Roman silver denarii near Wesseling, south of Cologne—the largest Hadrian-era coin hoard ever found in Germany.
- The 3.1-kilogram cache was deliberately buried in the second century AD, likely for safekeeping, and went on display at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn on September 22, 2026.
- Using documented Roman military pay, researchers estimate the hoard represents roughly six years of a legionary's disposable income, suggesting significant wealth.
- The original owner likely died without passing on knowledge of the coins' location, explaining why the treasure remained buried for nearly 1,900 years.
“At that time, an ordinary soldier in the legion earned 300 denarii a year. However, about half of that was withheld for food and equipment.”
Rahel Otte, Research associate · Philadelphia Inquirer ↗
Oliver Riedl Amateur archaeologistErich Classen State archaeologist and director, LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological MonumentsRahel Otte Research associate, LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
-
2
Research associate contextualizes hoard value using Roman pay records
Rahel Otte, research associate at the archaeological office, uses documented Roman legionary wages to estimate the hoard's significance: a soldier earning 300 denarii per year (with half withheld) would need six years of total disposable income to amass this treasure.
“A legionary would therefore have had to save all of his disposable income for about six years to amass the Wesseling hoard.”
— Rahel Otte -
G
Amateur archaeologist finds 934 Roman silver denarii in a German field. The hoard, buried south of Cologne in the second century AD, is the biggest coin treasure ever found in Germany from the time of Hadrian. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s... via @theguardian.com
2 more of the top 3 · 5 posts in this stretch
-
H
An amateur archaeologist found Germany's largest hoard of ancient Roman silver denarii coins. Felt they belonged in a museum. So they are now on display at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn https:// apnews.com/article/germany-rom…
-
C
apnews.com/article/germ... archaeologist finds Germany’s biggest hoard of ancient Roman silver coins
-
-
1
Archaeologists interpret deliberate burial in second century AD
The LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments concludes the coins were probably buried deliberately in the second quarter of the second century AD, likely for safekeeping. State archaeologist Erich Classen speculates the owner may have died before recovering the cache.
“Of course, we can only speculate about the motives, but it's very likely that someone wanted to keep this money safe. After all, banks didn't exist back then.”
— Erich Classen -
background
Experts excavate 934 Roman denarii; hoard goes on display — Authorities and specialists excavate the field and uncover a total of 934 Roman silver denarii, the largest Hadrian-era coin treasure ever found in Germany. The hoard, weighing 3.1 kilograms, is displayed at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn.
-
background
Oliver Riedl discovers Roman coins in western German field — Amateur archaeologist Oliver Riedl's metal detector signals repeatedly in a field near Wesseling, south of Cologne, alerting him to a significant buried find.
Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
-
first by Global News, 1d ago · also Courthouse News, Mercury News, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Oregonian
2 more headlines
- Amateur archaeologist finds Germany’s biggest hoard of ancient Roman silver coins Courthouse News · 1d ago
- Metal detector discovery leads to one of Germany’s biggest Roman coin hoards The Oregonian · 1d ago
-
first by Independent UK, 1d ago · also Deutsche Welle EN
1 more headline
- Amateur archeologist unearths Germany's largest trove of Roman coins Deutsche Welle EN · 1d ago
-
1 outlet Man's metal detector wouldn't stop beeping, leading to record-breaking trove of ancient Roman coins
first by CBS News, 1d ago
1 more headline
- Metal detectorist finds record-breaking trove of ancient Roman coins CBS News · 1d ago
and 2 smaller pieces
What people are saying 2 voices from 1 site · best of 5 · verbatim
- Today
-
T
The oldest coin in the trove dates back to 148 B.C. (during the Roman Republic), though the majority originate from the Flavian dynasty (A.D. 69–96). Archaeologists believe the hoard was deliberately buried for safekeeping during the first quarter of the 2nd century A.D. under the reign of Emperor Hadrian. Photo credit Marcel Zanjani/LVR-Amt für…
-
T
Archaeological authorities in Germany have revealed a monumental discovery: the largest coin hoard from the reign of Emperor Hadrian ever found in the country. Unearthed near Wesseling, south of Cologne along the Rhine River, it consists of 934 Roman silver denarii with a total weight of 3.1 kilograms (6.8 pounds). Photo credit Marcel…