Rare find of 44 gold coins could represent spoils from Roman soldiers after invading Britain.
A remarkable discovery of ancient British coins in a Dutch field has provided new insight into the Roman conquest of Britain. Two amateur archaeologists, Gert-Jan Messelaar and Reinier Koelink, uncovered 44 gold coins alongside 360 Roman coins in Bunnik, near Utrecht. The coins are believed to have been the spoils of war, likely originating from Roman soldiers involved in the invasion of Britain.
The 44 gold staters, inscribed with the name of the Celtic King Cunobelin, who ruled southeastern Britain from AD5 to AD40, were found together with Roman aurei and denarii. Experts believe that these coins, likely paid as military wages, were intentionally buried, perhaps in a cloth or leather pouch, not far below the surface of the soil.
The discovery marks the first time such a mixed hoard has been found on mainland Europe. The coins appear to have been buried after being removed from circulation in a single event, supporting the theory that they were part of the Roman campaign to conquer Britain under General Aulus Plautius in AD43-47.
Among the British coins, four are thought to be posthumous issues, probably struck by Cunobelinus’s successors, Togodumnus and Caratacus, around AD43. The Roman coins, which include 72 aurei and 288 denarii, date from around 200 BC to AD47, with the most recent coins showing the portrait of Emperor Claudius. Some silver denarii feature images of Julius Caesar, and one depicts King Juba of Numidia (modern-day Algeria).
This extraordinary find has been hailed by archaeologists, with experts stating that the location of the discovery—an area used by the Romans to prepare for their initial crossing into Britain—suggests that the coins were likely left behind by returning troops. The site, near a water-bearing channel, would have been unsuitable for habitation or farming, making it an ideal spot for the burial.
Anton Cruysheer, from the Utrecht Landscape and Heritage Foundation, remarked that this discovery represents the first physical evidence of Roman soldiers returning from their campaign in Britain. It also sheds new light on the early stages of Roman occupation in the region.
