The coins were tied together in bundles with straw rope passed through a hole in the middle. The haul was unearthed in the Sojamachi district here at a site where a company plans to construct a factory.
The coins were found in an area measuring 60 centimeters by 1 meter, according to Maebashi municipal government officials. Each bundle contained about 100 coins and a total of 1,060 bundles were dug up. Traces of straw found in the area suggested the bundles were wrapped in straw matting before being buried.
So far, 334 of the coins have been examined. At least 44 types were confirmed, ranging from those made in 175 B.C. to ones as recent as 1265.
The site where the coins were dug up has a large number of relics, leading experts to surmise it was a central part of Kozuke province, the predecessor to Gunma Prefecture, from around the time of the Kofun (burial mounds) Period between the late third century to the late seventh century.
Main Image :Ancient coins dug up in the Sojamachi district of Maebashi, Japan (Provided by Maebashi city government)