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Amateur Detectorist Uncovers Germany’s Largest Hadrian‑Era Silver Hoard

Museum officials present the conserved collection as deliberate early second‑century burial now on display for study at LVR‑LandesMuseum Bonn.

Most coins in the buried hoard date to the time of the Flavian emperors. This one is adorned with the likeness of Domitian, who ruled from A.D. 81 to 96.
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A close up of silver coins with various carvings in them.
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Overview

  • An amateur detectorist, Oliver Riedl, alerted authorities after his device repeatedly signalled in a field near Wesseling and experts excavated a total of 934 Roman silver denarii.
  • The 3.1‑kilogram collection went on public display at LVR‑LandesMuseum Bonn on Tuesday, where conservators and regional archaeologists confirmed the coin count and condition.
  • LVR specialists date the hoard to the second quarter of the second century A.D. and say it is the largest coin treasure from the reign of Emperor Hadrian found in Germany.
  • Most pieces belong to earlier Flavian series and the assemblage includes at least one much older Republican coin from about 148 B.C., a mix that helped researchers gauge the hoard’s accumulation.
  • Officials say the coins were likely buried for safekeeping and may never have been recovered, and scholars plan a full numismatic catalogue and further study to clarify ownership and context.