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An 8-year-old boy in Germany discovered a rare Roman coin dating back more than 1,800 years. The coin, identified as a Roman silver denarius from the time of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, was found in a sandbox at an after-school club in Bremen. The find is considered very unusual, as the area where the coin was discovered was not part of the Roman Empire. The coin will be displayed at the Bremen State Museum for Art and Cultural History. Pandora Dewan reported
In Germany, a remarkable discovery has been made by an 8-year-old boy named Bjarne. While playing in a sandbox at an after-school club in the city of Bremen, he stumbled upon a rare Roman coin that dates back more than 1,800 years to the time of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Local archaeologist Uta Halle has described this find as highly unusual.
Although Bjarne made this remarkable discovery in the summer of 2022, it was only officially announced last week during a press conference held on Friday. The coin, identified as a Roman silver denarius, was found to be of great historical significance.
The Roman Empire, which was established in 27 B.C., is believed to have come to an end on September 4, A.D. 476, marking the formal conclusion of the Western Roman Empire. At its peak, the empire spanned from western Britain to the Middle East and from North Africa to northern Europe.
The recently discovered coin was minted during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who ruled from A.D. 161 to A.D. 180. It is particularly intriguing because the area of Germany where it was found was not historically part of the Roman Empire. The mystery of how it ended up in Bremen remains unsolved.
The origin of the sand in the sandbox where the coin was discovered is unknown. However, Halle speculates that the coin could have been deposited in the sand during mining activities. Alternatively, Roman coins could have spread beyond the empire’s borders through trade or as spoils of war. It is even possible that the coin made its way to Bremen as a souvenir.
Uta Halle emphasizes the significance of this find, describing it as a “very special” discovery. She notes that there have only been two other comparable coin finds from the Roman Empire period in the city of Bremen, one in Rekum during settlement excavations in the 1930s and another in Mahndorf in the latter half of the 20th century.
Bjarne expressed his joy that the coin will be showcased in the Bremen State Museum for Art and Cultural History, known as the Focke Museum. He is pleased that others will have the opportunity to admire the coin as well.
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