3653) Did You know Series (97): Roman Coins Found in No-Man's Land on between Germanic tribes and borders of the Roman Empire: About 2,940 coins and an additional 100 thin silver fragments on which geometric patterns appear:

3653) Did You know Series (97): Roman Coins Found in No-Man's Land on between Germanic tribes and borders of the Roman Empire: About 2,940 coins and an additional 100 thin silver fragments on which geometric patterns appear:

Coins similar to this issue of Roman Gallic Empire ruler Gordian III were recently found in what had been a no-man’s-land between Germanic tribes and the borders of the Roman Empire.

There are lots of theories, but nothing concrete, as to why a large hoard of mostly Gallic Empire Roman coins has been discovered near Herschbach, Germany. 

The location of the find had been a no-man’s-land that served as a buffer between the Roman Empire and local Germanic tribes at that time. 

The initial find was discovered by a licensed metal detectorist who immediately reported the coins to government archaeologists in Koblenz, Germany.

 Further excavations yielded what has been reported to be about 2,940 coins and an additional 100 thin silver fragments on which geometric patterns appear. 

The hoard was buried in a ceramic pot hidden between two rocks. The pot was broken at the time of its discovery.

The find is outside what had been the Roman Empire’s borders but is also away from any known Germanic tribe settlements of the time. 

Herschbach is in the Westerwald Mountain range, 11 miles past the Limes Germanicus or Germanic Limes. 

The Limes or frontier encompassed approximately 60 forts and 900 watchtowers that spanned 353 miles and guarded the Roman border provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior, and Raetia against Germanic tribes between A.D. 83 and about 260. 

The Limes utilised natural boundaries and ditches with wooden palisades and watchtowers.

The coin find was discovered within the Upper Germanic Limes. 

These Limes start at the Rhine River at Rheinbrohl, cross the Taurus Mountains to the River Main east of Hanau, then follow the Main to Miltenberg and from Osterburken south to Lorch in Wurttemberg in a nearly straight line for about 44 miles.

Third-century Roman coinage is frequently found within the empire's borders. However, a large hoard such as the one found near Herschbach is rare outside the Limes. 

Herschbach wasn’t named in any records until 1248, although the 963-dated “Engers Chronicle” names a Hergispach in the same region.

The coins are described as being primarily in poor condition. 

The Office of State Archaeology in Rhineland-Palatinate said 100 coins have been identified, most being issued in the name of either a Roman or Gallic emperor. 

The identified coins range from issues of Roman Emperor Gordianus III (ruled from 238 to 244) to Gallic Emperor Victorinus (ruled about 269 to 271). Archaeologists are not certain what function the silver fragments served. 

The original shape of the fragments and the entire hoard will be reconstructed via computerised tomography scanning. 

The shape of the pot in which everything was found is consistent with third-century Roman ceramic pottery.

Most of the coins are so called "antoniniani" ("double denarius"), which were the official silver coin in the Roman Empire in the third century but mostly consisted of bronze with a thin silver overlay.

Because of inflation, the denarius had been replaced by the double denarius, which quickly degenerated from a coin of good silver content to a bronze coin with a thin silver wash that promptly wore away.

The coins were probably buried during the early 270s. The Gallic Empire broke away from the Roman Empire during what is today known as the Crisis of the Third Century, a period in which numerous Roman military commanders and aristocrats attempted to declare themselves emperor.

Postumus took advantage of barbarian invasions and instability in Rome to establish the Gallic Empire in around 258. 

At its zenith, the Gallic Empire encompassed parts of Britain, Gaul, Germania, and Hispania. The demise of the Gallic Empire began with the assassination of Postumus in 268. 

In 274, the territory was retaken by Roman Emperor Aurelian following the Battle of Châlons.

The coins identified so far primarily originated at a mint in Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, now the city of Cologne, and were struck for the Gallic Empire. Others were also minted in Rome.

The Gallic Empire covered parts of what is today Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. 

However, the coins were found outside the boundaries of the Gallic Empire, creating questions regarding how and why a large number of coins would be hidden in the Westerwald Mountains, a land not claimed by the Gallic Empire or Romans.

It has been suggested that perhaps the Gallic Empire may have attempted to bribe Germanic leaders to either refrain from attacking or launching raids against the Roman Empire. 

It has also been suspected that the coins may have been looted from Roman-controlled territory during some raid. Lang believes a trade route was nearby, which might lead to further theories about the find. 

For now, the reason for the hoard’s burial remains unclear.