A remarkable hoard of 404 ancient coins has been unearthed in the Netherlands. Among them, 44 were minted in the name of Cunobelin, a Celtic king who once ruled southern Britain. The rest are Roman coins, with the most recent dating to 46-47 AD—the period of Rome's conquest of Britain.
The first Roman incursion into Britain occurred in 55 BC, led by Julius Caesar. However, a full-scale invasion began in 43 AD under Emperor Claudius, who dispatched an army of 40-45 thousand soldiers commanded by Aulus Plautius. The campaign was launched from what is now the Netherlands, and the discovery of this treasure suggests that some of the Romans may have returned there afterward.
The hoard was found in October 2023 near Bunnik, close to Utrecht. Treasure hunters initially uncovered 381 coins before archaeologists from the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency excavated another 23. The coins were buried in a swampy area far from ancient settlements, likely placed in a cloth or leather bag in a shallow pit about 30 centimeters below the current surface.
The 44 British coins are gold staters, with four issued posthumously by Cunobelin’s successors. Seventy-two of the Roman coins are gold aurei, while the remaining 287 are silver denarius. Some Roman coins date as far back as 200 BC, showing the long circulation of currency during that era. Notably, one coin was minted by Juba, the king of ancient Numidia (modern-day Algeria).
The composition of the hoard suggests it wasn’t accumulated gradually but represents a snapshot of the monetary system of that time. It may have been a donation or a gift given to a soldier after the military campaign. The total value is approximately what a regular Roman soldier could have saved from 11 years of salary.
Photo: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
