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A reserve of Roman gold coins discovered under a theater in Italy last week could be worth millions of dollars, local media have suggested.
Archaeologists have said that money dates back to the 5th century, a time marking the fall of the Western Roman Empire. According to CNN, hundreds of pieces were found hidden in a steatite jar buried under the Cressoni theater in the city of Como, in the north of the country.
The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities reported the discovery last week. The pieces were then transferred to Milan's Mibac Restoration Laboratory, where archaeologists and restorers will examine them further. Additional information on the research should be published later in the day.
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
The Cressoni Theater opened in 1807 before becoming a cinema before its closure in 1997. Workers working on a project to turn the disused theater into apartments discovered the coins in a stone urn.
It is near the area covered by the Roman city of Novum Comum, established around the 1st century BC. Many other Roman artefacts have already been discovered in the area.
Tripping over such a treasure is unusual. Although the authorities have not yet confirmed the value of the discovery, The Local Italy cited the national media as suggesting that the coins could be worth millions. according to The temperatureAccording to Luca Rinaldi, superintendent of local archeology, the value of the treasure is "invaluable", adding, "We are talking about an exceptional discovery".
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The Minister of Culture, Alberto Bonisoli, issued a statement noting: "We do not yet know in detail the historical and cultural significance of the discovery, but this area is proving to be a real treasure for our archeology. fills me with pride.
Archaeologists still have to determine who owns the pieces or why they were buried. Rinaldi said the discovery was particularly unusual because of the large number of pieces and their preservation.
"It's practically an entire collection, unlike anything that has already been found in northern Italy," he said. "Sometimes the pieces found are glued together, but they are all separate, so it was like opening a wallet."
The coins were minted while the Roman Empire, which reigned over much of Europe and the Mediterranean region for centuries, was in decline. Eventually, the western part of the empire collapsed under repeated incursions of tribes such as the Visigoths, Vandals and Huns.
The discovery is the most important in recent years. Archaeologists have already discovered even older Roman currencies, for example in 2016, when a 2,000-year-old gold coin was found in Jerusalem. Apparently minted in 56-76 AD, the coin bears the face of Nero, one of Rome's most famous emperors.
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