Byzantine wealth in Drenthe

A total of 47 ‘solidi’: originally Roman coins each weighing at least 4 grams. Remarkably, they are from different times and places. Imagine sacrificing a treasure like this! 

The treasure contains very rare coins. Late Roman, Ostrogothic ones and one that is unique in the Netherlands: the Frankish one bearing the image of the Merovingian king Theudebert, who ruled over parts of southern Europe from 534 to 548 CE. 

Most coins originate from the Byzantine Empire: a continuation of the Roman Empire, but only its eastern part. From the capital Constantinople - present-day Istanbul - Byzantine emperors ruled over this area which included Greece and Turkey, and stretched as far as Egypt. 

In the Northern Netherlands, Byzantine solidi are occasionally found, but these are usually loose specimens. It is very rare to find so many together. Byzantine coins can be recognized by the image of Emperor Justinian the Great. He ruled from 525 to 565 CE. The other solidi also come from far away: Rome, Ravenna and Laos.