Amateur Archaeologist Found Largest Hadrian-Era Roman Silver Coin Hoard in Germany
An amateur archaeologist in western Germany uncovered a Roman silver coin hoard of 934 denarii, the largest known in the country from the period of Emperor Hadrian, according to the LVR archaeological authority. Oliver Riedl found the coins in a field near Wesseling, south of Cologne, in autumn 2025. The cache weighs about 3.1 kilograms, or 6.8 pounds.
Riedl had recovered 15 silver coins when his metal detector continued signaling. Rather than keep digging, the licensed detectorist contacted LVR archaeologists, who took over the excavation. “It was clear to me that there was something bigger buried here,” Riedl said.
Researchers believe the coins were deliberately hidden during the second quarter of the second century A.D., within or close to Hadrian’s reign from A.D. 117 to 138. The LVR also described the discovery as the fifth-largest known hoard worldwide from that period.
What the Roman silver coin hoard revealed
The coins span a much longer period of Roman history. The oldest was minted in 148 B.C., when Rome was still a republic, while the youngest dates to A.D. 124 or 125. About two-thirds of the denarii were struck in the final third of the first century A.D. The oldest coin was more than 270 years old when the hoard was buried and remained valid currency.
🔴 Germany's largest Roman coin hoard discovered: 934 silver denarii from Hadrian era
Amateur archaeologist Oliver Riedl found 934 Roman silver denarii in a field near Wesseling, south of Cologne, after his metal detector continued signaling past initial coins. The hoard,… pic.twitter.com/EeXGZ6MYBW
— NewsTongue (@NewsTongueX) September 22, 2026
The find was recovered in a block of earth for examination at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn. Conservation work revealed fragments of a ceramic pot and traces of straw. Researchers believe the coins were probably stored in a straw-padded pot before burial.
Why the money was hidden, and why nobody returned for it, remain unresolved. State archaeologist Erich Claßen said safekeeping was a likely motive, but the reason can only be inferred. He also suggested that “perhaps the owner died before that could happen,” leaving the location unknown to others.
A fortune preserved for nearly 1,900 years
Archaeologist Rahel Otte said an ordinary Roman legionary earned about 300 denarii a year, with roughly half withheld for food and equipment. A soldier would have needed about six years of disposable income to accumulate a similar sum. Otte put the coins’ modern silver material value at just over 6,000 euros.
Researchers have raised the possibility that the money was connected to a Roman rural estate near Wesseling, within the economic area of Roman Cologne. No owner or specific property has been identified.
The hoard went on public display at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn on Tuesday. Under North Rhine-Westphalia law, it belongs to the state. Riedl, who had the required permit and reported the discovery, is due a reward.
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