ID
7438
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Hoard name
AHN-MACHTUM
Data type
Hoard
Date of discovery (from)
Apr 1958
Total number of coins
100
Summary
Around 100 gold coins of Constantine I/Constantius II and the House of Valentinian were found in the river Moselle.
In the Moselle Towards the end of April 1958, having taken gravel from the bed of the Moselle between Ahn and Machtum, a dredger belonging to the company Hein de Machtum, brought in his load many currencies of Roman gold. They are pieces of: 3,2,1 1/2, 1 and 1/2 solidi, struck almost exclusively by the effigies of the emperors Valentinian I, Valens and Gratian, and preserved at the corner of the coin. The coins were discovered scattered in the gravel, especially on the site of the aforementioned company located at the place called "Kommert" near Machtum and the depot of the Bridges and Chaussees located at a place called "Banzelt" near Roodt / Syr , where a truck had deposited two loads of this "enriched" gravel. Several pieces, especially the multiples, had more or less suffered from their passage through the crusher. No trace of a vessel was found, nor any piece of silver or bronze. It is impossible to estimate accurately the number of pieces found, but the information available to us suggests that it must have been more than a hundred. Coins entered private collections or were sold abroad. Two pieces were acquired by the Cabinet of Medals of the Museum of History and Art, Luxbg. (Nos 24 and 29). The absence in this treasure of the coinage of Valentinian II, raised to the rank of Auguste on November 22, 375, and associated with his half-brother Gratien in the government of the western part of the empire, is explained by the fact by Pearce, that Valentinian II does not take part in the first emulation of the period 375-378, of which date the most recent pieces of the treasure. Among the solidi and multiples are several unpublished pieces and some minor variations. This treasure, flowing with a ship from Treves, represents, in our opinion, some of the donativa lavished by Gratien on the occasion of the sumptuous fetes celebrated during his decennalia (376/377).