SAEDNEWS: An archaeological team has uncovered 141 gold coins minted between 364 and 408 CE in Holzthum, a village in northern Luxembourg. The coins feature portraits of eight emperors, though three depict an unexpected ruler.
According to the History and Culture Service of Saed News, archaeologists in Luxembourg have uncovered a 1,700-year-old treasure of Roman gold coins, hidden near the foundations of a small, tower-like Roman fort. The team discovered 141 gold coins, minted between 364 and 408 CE, in Holzem, a village in northern Luxembourg. The coins feature portraits of eight emperors, but three depict an unexpected ruler: Eugenius, an illegitimate Western Roman emperor who reigned for only two years (392–394 CE).
Eugenius, a rhetoric teacher and court official, was proclaimed Western Emperor by a powerful military officer months after Emperor Valentinian II of the West was mysteriously hanged. However, Theodosius I, the Christian emperor in the East, refused to recognize Eugenius and opposed his tentative policies of religious tolerance. This dispute escalated into armed conflict, culminating in Eugenius’s bloody defeat and death at the Battle of the Frigidus in September 394. His coins are rare due to his brief tenure.
Researchers described the discovery as significant: “It is a major archaeological find, as it is very rare to study an ancient monetary deposit in its original context.” The coins are solidi, a term derived from the Latin word solidus, meaning “solid,” referring to their reliable gold content. Each coin weighs roughly 0.16 ounces (4.5 grams) and was introduced in the early 4th century during the late Roman Empire. The solidus remained relatively stable for centuries and circulated widely across the Mediterranean.
Following analysis, the coins were reported to be in “excellent condition” and included “some rare specimens,” with an estimated value of €308,600, or about $322,000. Under Luxembourg’s cultural heritage laws, this sum is allocated to individuals with legal rights, including property owners. Éric Thill, Luxembourg’s Minister of Culture, said in a statement translated for Parliament: “Reviewing the excavations and findings will take some time, but it will undoubtedly enhance our knowledge and understanding of the last century of the Western Roman Empire.”
Researchers plan further study of the hoard, with results to be published in a scholarly journal.
