Huge Treasure Trove Discovered Off The Coast of Sardinia
- Editor OGN Daily
- Aug 27
- 2 min read
A lucky diver has uncovered at least 30,000 ancient Roman coins in remarkable condition.
A diver stumbled across the find of a lifetime off the coast of Sardinia when a stray shiny item loosened itself from the sea grass below. That metallic sheen turned out to herald a bounty of more than 30,000 bronze and copper coins minted in Rome during the fourth century. And it may lead divers to an, as yet, undiscovered shipwreck of considerable significance.
“The treasure found in the waters of Arzachena represents one of the most important numismatic finds in recent years,” says Luigi La Rocca from the Italian culture ministry.
Near the town of Arzachena, on the island's north east coast, divers were investigating a sandy clearing near the beach that was also surrounded by seagrass. That one coin soon yielded tens of thousands of others, all in an “excellent and rare state of preservation” and dating back to between 324 and 340 AD.
The ministry says that, judging by the weight of the coins, there could be at least 30,000 of them and as many as 50,000. That would make this one of the largest ancient coin finds in the past few decades.
And, if we’re lucky, it may even point to a completely undiscovered hidden shipwreck.
The underwater makeup of the region has the potential to preserve a lost shipwreck, which could explain the finding of so many coins in one spot. While there is no news yet of a wreck being found, experts remain hopeful that one could turn up after further investigation. OGN will, of course, keep you updated.
