A significant archaeological discovery has been made in the Dutch municipality of Bunnik, near Utrecht, where 404 silver and gold coins from the beginning of the Common Era have been unearthed.

This collection features a rare combination of Roman and British coins found in what was once the northern boundary of the Roman Empire, known as the Lower German Limes. This frontier historically traversed the present-day Netherlands.

Credit: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden – Image compilation – AncientPages.com

Notably, this is the first time a hoard comprising Roman and British coins has been discovered in mainland Europe. The most recent Roman coins in this find were minted between 46-47 AD during Emperor Claudius’s reign when Roman forces invaded ‘Britannia’ across the North Sea. Among these are forty-four gold coins from Britain inscribed with King Cunobelin’s name.

It is believed that these coins were brought to Bunnik by returning Roman soldiers who received them as payment or collected them as war trophies from Britannia. The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities) has acquired this remarkable collection for its permanent exhibition, “The Netherlands in Roman Times.”

Historical Context And Interpretations

The discovery of these coins underscores the significance of the Lower German Limes in the Roman invasions of Britannia. This frontier was crucial for preparations leading up to the initial crossing in 43 CE. Furthermore, evidence suggests that Roman troops used this route to return to the mainland, transporting various possessions with them, including British coins.

Roman And British Coins

This remarkable collection of coins represents the largest Roman-period find ever made in the Province of Utrecht. Notably, it is the first discovery on mainland Europe to feature a combination of Roman and British coins, a distinction previously only seen in Britain. Unearthed near the Roman frontier but outside major sites like Traiectum (Utrecht) and Ulpia Noviomagus (Nijmegen), these coins were likely buried around or shortly after 47 CE for unknown reasons. They might have been hidden with plans for later retrieval or possibly offered as thanks to deities for safe returns from battle.

Credit: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

The British gold coins, known as staters, are composed of an alloy containing gold, silver, and copper. Minted between approximately 5 and 43 CE during King Cunobelin’s reign and just before the initial Roman conquests, these coins bear his Latin name: CVNO[BELINVS]. The Roman coins display portraits of various rulers and emperors; notably, those minted most recently feature Emperor Claudius from 46-47 CE—coinciding with the end of early Roman conquests in Britain.

Credit: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

In total, 72 aurei (singular: aureus), gold Roman coins dating from 19 BCE to 47 CE were found. Among them are two pristine examples that appear unused due to their lack of wear marks—suggesting they came directly from freshly minted stocks. Additionally, this collection has 288 silver denarii (singular: denarius) struck between 200 BCE and 47 BC. These include notable pieces such as those from Julius Caesar’s era and one depicting Juba I, king of Numidia in present-day Algeria.

From Report To Exhibition

The coins were discovered by detectorists Gert-Jan Messelaar and Reinier Koelink. Following the formal reporting of the find to Landscape Heritage Utrecht’s Archaeology H๏τline, archaeologist Anton Cruysheer examined the coins. Subsequently, they were cataloged in the Portable Antiquities of the Netherlands (PAN) database and underwent professional cleaning by Restaura, a restoration firm based in Heerlen.

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To gain deeper insights into the surrounding area and understand why these coins were buried there, an excavation was carried out by the National Cultural Heritage Agency in collaboration with Messelaar and Koelink. The find consisted of 381 coins from what was ultimately identified as a hoard of 404 coins.

These have since been acquired by the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden/National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, becoming part of the Netherlands’ National Archaeology Collection for research purposes. They are now featured in the museum’s permanent exhibition тιтled “The Netherlands in Roman Times.” The acquisition was co-funded by VriendenLoterij, a lottery company.