Hoard of Roman Republic denarii found in central Germany

A unique group of silver denarii from the time of the Roman Republic has been discovered in Halle, central Germany. There are only five coins, but they are of oversized archaeological significance because this the first documented hoard of Republic-era coins found in Saxony-Anhalt. As there are no coins from the imperial era in the group, archaeologists believe the coins arrived in Halle at the turn of the millennium or just after.

The hoard was discovered in 2025 by metal detectorist volunteer archaeologist Dirk Braungardt. They were grouped in a very small area, but had likely been moved apart from their original deposit cluster by plowing, erosion of animal activity. No remains of a container were found; archaeologists believe they were probably buried in a purse that has decomposed.

The coins are all silver denarii and they were already very old when they reached Germany. The oldest dates to 148 B.C. The remaining four were minted between 82 and 79 B.C. They are heavily worn and were clearly in circulation for many years.

It is striking that four of the five coins were minted within a very short period (82 to 79 BC). Also noteworthy is the presence of three so-called serrati, denarii with a serrated edge – in two cases even bearing graffiti. The purpose of the serration is disputed. It is debated whether it served as proof that the coin was made entirely of silver, as protection against clipping, or purely for decorative purposes. The historian Tacitus describes a predilection for such coins among the Germanic tribes. However, this seems rather unlikely in light of all the Roman coin finds discovered so far in the Barbaricum.

Republican denarii were legal tender and used through the end of the 1st century A.D., although there was no monetary economy in what is now Saxony-Anhalt when the coins likely arrived there, so they didn’t circulate as currency. Instead, they probably reached Halle from long-distance trade, diplomatic gifts, tribute or military loot.

This find is of particular significance for Saxony-Anhalt. To date, only 19 republican coins are known from the present-day territory of the state. Almost all were discovered as individual finds. Imperial-era coins have also been found at more than half of the sites. […]

The find is also of great significance in a supra-regional comparison. While considerably more Republican denarii have been documented in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, both as individual finds and as components of hoards, their density decreases significantly to the northeast.

* This article was originally published here