Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
The sheer number of ancient coins recently discovered off the coast of Sardinia should serve
as a reminder to coin collectors that what is rare today may not always be rare.
This is true not only of foreign and ancient coins but of U.S. coins as well. For example,
the so-called New York Subway Hoard of about 23,000 coins amassed by New York City
Transit Authority workers during the 1940s to the 1960s included 241 1916-D Mercury
dimes. These rare dimes impacted the availability and value of these coins to collectors.
The recent cache encountered by a diver off the coast of Sardinia are coins originating from
a yet-to-be-identified shipwreck. What has been described as tens of thousands of fourth-
century Roman coins will likely change the availability and the collector value of many
issues from that time period.
The exact number of coins found had not yet been determined at the time this article was
being written, but it was estimated to be between about 30,000 and 50,000 based on their
weight.
In an official statement, Italy's Ministry of Culture's undersea archaeology department said,
“All the coins were in an excellent and rare state of preservation.”
According to the ministry, the coins were encountered in a sandy clearing between the beach
and an area of sea grass, a combination that, in theory, could preserve a shipwreck. The find
includes “walls” of African and eastern-produced amphorae. Some of the amphorae were
described as tall and narrow-necked Roman or Greek jugs with two handles.
The ministry statement noted the find is larger than the 22,888 ancient Roman bronze follies
coins found in 2013 in Seaton in the United Kingdom. The Italian ministry said only four of
the coins in the current find appear to be damaged and that the coins date from between 324
and 340 A.D.
Luigi La Rocca leads the Sardinian government's archaeology department. La Rocca said,
“[The finding] highlights the richness and importance of the archaeological heritage that
our seabed, traversed by men and goods since the earliest times, still guards and preserves.”
La Rocca continued, “The treasure found in the waters of Arzachena represents one of the
most important discoveries of numismatic finds in recent years.” He referred to the area
of the find as “extraordinary heritage” but cautioned it is “also a very fragile one, constantly
threatened by natural phenomena and human action.”
Arzachena is situated in northern Sardinia, the second largest island off the coast of the boot
of Italy. The Romans called the region Turibulum after a local mushroom-shaped rock that
today is used as the symbol of the town.
In general, ancient coins discovered in Italy will likely become the property of the government.
The United States and Italy have had a Memorandum of Understanding since 2001 regarding
the legal export of anything determined to be part of Italy’s archaeological heritage. The
objective is to stop looting and illegal trafficking of cultural patrimony. This find appears
to be under government control as firefighter divers and border police divers have been
involved in both locating and retrieving the coins.
Licinius (Valerius Licinianus Licinius) ruled Rome between 308 and 324, ruling both as
a colleague and a rival to Constantine I “the Great.” Constantine ruled between 307 and
337. Crispus ruled as Caesar under Constantine between 316 and 326. Delmatius was
Caesar under Constantine between 335 and 337. Coins were issued in both of their names.
Constantine died in 337. His son Constantine II ruled until 340, when he was defeated by
his half-brother Constans. Crispus, Constantius II (337-361), and Constans (337-350)
issued many commonly encountered billon composition centenionalis coins during this
period. Many coins dedicated to Rome or Constantinople were also issued during the
time of the family of Constantine.
The most common coins of this period are the small bronze nummus comprised of a copper
alloy. The coins were introduced to address a shortage of gold and silver coins but came
into common usage in commerce to pay soldiers and taxes. There are hundreds of varieties
of these coins, having been struck at numerous mints.
According to R.A.G. Carson in Coins of the World, “In bronze coinage particularly, largely
the same type or limited range of types was struck at the same time in all the mints, the issues
varying only in the changing mark indicating the place of minting and the particular workshop.
Some changes took place in the chain of mints…The coinage in bronze, reduced now to a
weight of about 2.75 grams, was struck in a much more defined pattern throughout the imperial
mints.”...
Here is the link for the rest of that story.
Several common themes and takeaways in that article.
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Here is the important part.
The surf will be very high on Thursday and Friday. We've also have been getting a slightly negative morning
low tide and a nice high high tide.
The winds and surf direction could be better. Other than that we should get some good conditions.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net.
