The Guardian
By Lorenzo Tondo
November 6, 2023
An Italian diver’s sighting of something metallic near the coast of Sardinia has led to the discovery of tens of thousands of Roman bronze coins, Italy’s culture ministry has said.
After the man alerted the authorities, divers from an art protection squad and the ministry’s undersea archaeology department were sent to investigate. The coins, which date back to the first half of the fourth century, were found among sea grass not far from the north-east shore of the Mediterranean island.
The exact date of the initial sighting has not been disclosed by the ministry, but it was near the town of Arzachena. The number of coins retrieved so far is still being determined as they are now being sorted. It is estimated that there are at least 30,000 coins, and possibly as many as 50,000.