Tens of Thousands Ancient Coins found off the Coast of Sardinia

The coins, dating from the first half of the fourth century AD, were found in seagrass not far from the town of Arzachena. They were first spotted by a diver who saw something metallic out of the corner of their eye.

The diver alerted authorities, who sent divers from an art protection squad along with others from the Italian cultural ministry's undersea archaeology department.

Exactly how many coins have been retrieved has not been determined yet, as they are still being sorted. A statement by the Italian Ministry of Culture estimated that there are at least about 30,000 and possibly as many as 50,000, given their collective weight.

"All the coins were in an excellent and rare state of preservation," the ministry said. The few coins that were damaged still had legible inscriptions, it said.

"The treasure found in the waters off Arzachena represent one of the most important coin discoveries," in recent years, said Luigi La Rocca, a Sardinian archaeology department official. Mr La Rocca added in a statement that the find was "further evidence of the richness and importance of the archaeological heritage that the seabed of our seas, crossed by men and goods from the most ancient of epochs, still keep and preserve".

Main Image : The coins were found buried in seagrass. Photo: Italian Culture Ministry