A remarkable medieval coin hoard has been discovered in southwestern Germany. Around 1,600 coins dating to the 14th century were found in the village of Glottertal.
Claus Völker made the discovery while doing pipe laying work near the village’s swimming pool. He spotted some “small metal plates’ and contacted representatives of the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) of Stuttgart Regional Council. Once they arrived, the archaeologists found about 1000 coins in the trench where the pipe was being laid down.
Advertisement
The LAD followed up the discovery by commissioning three metal detectorists to search the surrounding area. They were able to find another 600 coins.
Photo courtesy State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council
Following an initial cleaning, experts began assessing the significance of the hoard. “These are mainly coins from the Breisach, Zofingen, and Freiburg mints, which were minted around 1320,” explained Andreas Haasis-Berner, an archaeologist with the LAD. He further noted that some coins originated from Basel, St. Gallen, Zurich, Laufenburg, and Colmar.
Advertisement
Haasis-Berner also highlighted the historical importance of the find: “The evaluation of this coin hoard will enable us to make statements about the circulation of coins in Breisgau, the minting activity in the mints, the silver trade, but also the mining in Glottertal.” He added an intriguing perspective on the hoard’s value at the time: “You could have bought about 150 sheep with the coins.”
Photo courtesy State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council
Top Image: Courtesy State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council
A remarkable medieval coin hoard has been discovered in southwestern Germany. Around 1,600 coins dating to the 14th century were found in the village of Glottertal.
Claus Völker made the discovery while doing pipe laying work near the village’s swimming pool. He spotted some “small metal plates’ and contacted representatives of the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) of Stuttgart Regional Council. Once they arrived, the archaeologists found about 1000 coins in the trench where the pipe was being laid down.
The LAD followed up the discovery by commissioning three metal detectorists to search the surrounding area. They were able to find another 600 coins.
Following an initial cleaning, experts began assessing the significance of the hoard. “These are mainly coins from the Breisach, Zofingen, and Freiburg mints, which were minted around 1320,” explained Andreas Haasis-Berner, an archaeologist with the LAD. He further noted that some coins originated from Basel, St. Gallen, Zurich, Laufenburg, and Colmar.
Haasis-Berner also highlighted the historical importance of the find: “The evaluation of this coin hoard will enable us to make statements about the circulation of coins in Breisgau, the minting activity in the mints, the silver trade, but also the mining in Glottertal.” He added an intriguing perspective on the hoard’s value at the time: “You could have bought about 150 sheep with the coins.”
Top Image: Courtesy State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council
Related Posts
Subscribe to Medievalverse