Precious coins unearthed - Ancient 365-year-old silver treasure discovered.
During the summer of 2023, while constructing a new sewage pipeline in Brauhausgasse, Wettin (Saxony-Anhalt), a remarkable discovery was unearthed: at a depth of 50 centimeters below the ground level, archaeologists stumbled upon a historical trove of coins!
This was a significant find for the archaeologists from the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology (LDA). These 285 coins offer fascinating glimpses into previously unimagined trading connections of the 17th century.
Located near the gateway of a centuries-old farmer's estate built around 1600, this intriguing find was delicately unearthed from the soil. Vera Keil, an expert restorer from the LDA, spent countless hours reviving these coins under controlled laboratory conditions: "With great care, we removed each coin layer by layer, cleaned and documented them until they were ready for conservative restoration."
A treasure trove from the 17th century
While still in its preliminary stages, research suggests that these coins were buried at the end of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). The oldest coin dates back to 1499, while the most recent was minted in 1652. It's estimated that the value of this silver collection would have amounted to over ten years of a craftsman's wages in the 17th century - equivalent to about 500,000 euros in today's currency - excluding its historical value.
Dr. Oliver Dietrich of the LDA asserted, "Establishing precise values for these old coins is challenging, but the high-silver hoard clearly signifies massive wealth."
Does this belong to the former mayor of Wettin?
The coin hoard's contents were unexpected: it consisted of both traditional Saxon groats and foreign trade coins, sourced from various places like the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Hamburg, Nuremberg, Constance, and even from Metz (now in France) and Tuscany (Italy).
Leading experts believe that this treasure could have been in the possession of the then-mayor of Wettin, the affluent merchant Johann Dondorf - who resided in the same house.
The coins have now been digitized and are accessible to researchers for further study.
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