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According to a press release from the Ministry of Heritage and Cultural Activities in Italy, a mine of Roman gold coins was discovered in the basement of an old theater in Como, north of Milan. the New York Post reports that the Cressoni Theater was being demolished to make way for a luxury residence when a pot of broken soapstone was discovered, hundreds of gold pieces gleaming inside. The construction was stopped immediately and will remain shut down while the area is carefully excavated.
Centinaia of the late imperial epoca sono state rinsed in the pieno centro a #Como, in a recipiente in pietra ollare di forma inedita. "A little further than the world," he added? @BonisoliAlberto pic.twitter.com/ff6ep38gtG
– MiBAC (@_MiBAC) September 7, 2018
"We do not yet know in detail the historical and cultural significance of this discovery, but this region is a real treasure for our archeology," Culture Minister Alberto BoniSoli wrote in the press release. The area to which it refers is known as Novum Comum, a former Roman colony on which the modern city of Como was built. According to the ministry, previous excavations in Novum's comum revealed other Roman treasures.
The exhibits were discovered on Wednesday, September 5 and, after the initial assessment, were transported to the laboratory of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities in Milan, where they will be examined and restored. A press conference is scheduled for Monday, September 10th, at which time more information will be disclosed on the discovery.
The value of the coins is difficult to estimate, but according to CNNItalian media say they could be worth millions of euros. Some pieces seem to date back to the late Roman imperial era of the fifth century and most seem to be in perfect condition. At the time of writing this article, the resale prices of the original Roman gold coins on APMEX varies from $ 2,500 each to $ 5,500 each, depending on the condition. Given the state and provenance of these coins, as well as their number, the estimates per million seem reasonable.
The city of Como is at the southern tip of Lake Como, about 50 km north of Milan. According to the website of the history of Lake Como, the colony of Comum was conquered by the Romans in 196 BCE. Later, under the reign of Julius Caesar in 59 BC, the marsh at the southern tip of the lake was drained and Caesar named the newly usable Novum Comum area. With easier access to water, the colony flourished as a shopping center, which increased the number and variety of coins passing through the region. Today, more than two millennia later, the ruins of Novum Comum have become an archaeological treasure for the Italian Ministry of Culture.
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