Over 4000 copper coins from the Late Roman period (284-493) were presented on December 9 at the Limburg Museum. They were found in 2023 in a field in Buggenum, Limburg. This is the largest coin discovery ever in Limburg.
Volunteer archaeologist Wolf Alberts made the discovery with his metal detector and reported it immediately. Thanks to quick action by restoration company Restaura and the municipality of Leudal, archaeological consultancy RAAP was able to investigate the coin find in situ the same week. The pit in which the coins were placed was excavated entirely using block lifting and further examined at Restaura. This pit may have been located within a settlement.
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Why and who buried the coin hoard is unclear. What is clear is that it was a turbulent, unstable time. The Roman Empire was in its final days. Invasions by Germanic tribes were common. The money was becoming less valuable, especially the small change we are discussing here.
Numismatic research shows the youngest coins were minted by Emperor Theodosius (379-395 AD). But since the coins are heavily worn, it is likely they were used for a long time and only ended up in the ground around the mid-fifth century. The coins are on display in the permanent exhibition of the Limburg Museum.
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Process from discovery to display
During the presentation of the coin find, the documentary ‘The Coin Discovery of Buggenum’ was also shown, made by regional broadcaster L1 about the entire process from ‘discovery to display’.
At the event, praise was given for the way many different parties collaborated. Head of the Archaeology Department of the Cultural Heritage Agency, Björn Smit, praised this well-oiled cooperation, starting with finder and amateur archaeologist Wolf Alberts: I find it very special that Wolf managed to control himself and not immediately take the coins out of the ground. You don’t see that often, but this is how it should be. This preserved a lot of important information and I am very happy that this coin find has found a nice place in the Limburg Museum.
More information about the exhibition and the film: The Coin Discovery of Buggenum - Limburg Museum
