The hoard of 127 silver roman denarii of Suese (Italy)

[Vel Saties]

It all begins on 9 November 2021, in the Tenuta Bellavista Insuese between Collesalvetti and Livorno, when in the agricultural and forestry area of naturalistic interest, a member of the Livorno Archaeological and Paleontological Group, while walking along a slope affected by a recent forest cut, saw among the leaves some apparently ancient coins.

Having immediately contacted the Superintendency, he sent the photos of the discovery to the archaeological official responsible for the territory and having received confirmation of the archaeological interest, he remained to monitor the area until the recovery of almost all the coins and some fragments of the container, a small olla of dough. In the following days the Superintendence carried out an excavation in the immediately surrounding area, with the recovery of a few other coins removed in ancient times, as the worn fractures of the container would attest.

Overall, the treasure found, from the late Republican period, is made up of 175 silver denarii in good condition with the exception of two fractured coins that can be reassembled in full, one broken into two parts and only slightly more than half preserved. The original number of coins should be very close or even coincide with what was found since, despite the breakage of the container, many coins were still grouped together and only a few specimens were dispersed in a short radius away from the largest nucleus.

The denarii can be dated, according to Crawford, between 157-156 BC. and 82 BC.

With the exception of the oldest issues, dating back to 157-156 and 110 BC. and attested in one or at most two or three specimens, the presence of larger groups begins from the decade 109-100 BC. and then doubled in the following decades. The maximum concentration occurs in the years between 91 and 88 BC. of the social bellum in which the mass of coinage reflects the great movement of men and means by Rome against the revolt of the Italic socii. Subsequently we have a numerical reduction up to 82 BC, the date to which the most recent examples date back, terminus post quem immediately after which the hoard of coins is to be considered closed, perhaps even in 82 BC itself. or in the previous year if one follows the recent studies on the latest monetary issues also present in Suese's treasure chest.

The closure of Suese's treasure would therefore have occurred shortly before Sulla's victory, when part of central Italy and all of Cisalpine were still in the hands of the Marians.

The mint is always that of Rome with the exception of an example from the Narbonne mint, by L. Pomponius from 118 BC. The treasure could be the savings of a soldier already involved in the social war and perhaps also in that between Sulla and the Marians. Once he returned to his house and his fields, he would hide the silver coins under a tree in the nearby forest, which he would never return to recover.

The study of the material found took more than a year and took place thanks to the work of the Superintendence in synergy with the Natural History Museum of Livorno and the cultural volunteering of the Museum itself.

The Livorno Archaeological and Paleontological Group collaborated in the logistics of all the operational phases, from the measurement to the weighing and photographic documentation of all the coins up to the drafting of the catalog together with the archaeologist official of the Superintendence, the planning and setting up of the exhibition.

The Museum of Natural History of the Mediterranean of the Province of Livorno and the Tuscany Region have financed the printing of the catalog and the creation of the exhibition which will be inaugurated shortly at the Museum itself.

http://musmed.provincia.livorno.it/fileadmin/museo/_processed_/csm_20230505_192509_dfa2b6b344.jpghttp://musmed.provincia.livorno.it/fileadmin/museo/_processed_/csm_20230505_192542_0456debb44.jpghttp://musmed.provincia.livorno.it/fileadmin/museo/_processed_/csm_20230505_192527_a31538ba00.jpg

http://musmed.provincia.livorno.it/fileadmin/museo/_processed_/csm_20230505_192451_c619cad0a2.jpghttp://musmed.provincia.livorno.it/fileadmin/museo/_processed_/csm_20230505_192458_81d0c1f0e0.jpghttp://musmed.provincia.livorno.it/fileadmin/museo/_processed_/csm_20230505_192519_2109c770a5.jpg

Edited April 7 by Vel Saties

[Vel Saties]

 

 

[Vel Saties]

Official press release from the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Pisa and Livorno.
The discovery of a monetary hoard of 175 silver denarii in the Livorno area
On 9 November 2021, in the Tenuta Bellavista Insuese (Collesalvetti-Livorno), an agricultural and forestry area of naturalistic interest, a member of the Livorno Paleontological Archaeological Group, while walking along a slope affected by a recent forest cut, spotted some coins among the leaves ancient appearance.
Having immediately contacted the Superintendency, he sent the photos of the discovery to the archaeological official responsible for the territory and having received confirmation of the archaeological interest, he remained to monitor the area until the recovery of almost all the coins and some fragments of the container, a small olla of dough. In the following days the Superintendence carried out an excavation in the immediately surrounding area, with the recovery of a few other coins removed in ancient times, as the worn fractures of the container would attest.
Overall, the treasure found, from the late Republican period, is made up of 175 silver denarii in good condition with the exception of two fractured coins that can be reassembled in full, one broken into two parts and only slightly more than half preserved. The original number of coins should be very close or even coincide with what was found since, despite the breakage of the container, many coins were still grouped together and only a few specimens were dispersed in a short radius away from the largest nucleus.
The denarii can be dated, according to Crawford, between 157-156 BC. and 82 BC.
With the exception of the oldest issues, dating back to 157-156 and 110 BC. and attested in 1 or at most 2-3 specimens, the presence of larger groups begins from the decade 109-100 BC. and then doubled in the following decades. The maximum concentration occurs in the years between 91 and 88 BC. of the social bellum in which the mass of coinage reflects the great movement of men and means by Rome against the revolt of the Italic socii. Subsequently we have a numerical reduction up to 82 BC, the date to which the most recent examples date back, terminus post quem immediately after which the hoard of coins is to be considered closed, perhaps even in 82 BC itself. or in the previous year if one follows the recent studies on the latest monetary issues also present in Suese's treasure chest.
The closure of Suese's treasure would therefore have occurred shortly before Sulla's victory, when part of central Italy and all of Cisalpine were still in the hands of the Marians.
The mint is always that of Rome with the exception of an example from the Narbonne mint, by L. Pomponius from 118 BC.
The treasure could be the savings of a soldier already involved in the social war and perhaps also in that between Sulla and the Marians. Once he returned to his house and his fields, he would hide the silver coins under a tree in the nearby forest, which he would never return to recover.
The study of the material found took more than a year and took place thanks to the work of the Superintendency in synergy with the Natural History Museum of Livorno and the cultural volunteering relating to this Museum.
The Livorno Archaeological and Paleontological Group collaborated in the logistics of all the operational phases, from the measurement to the weighing and photographic documentation of all the coins up to the drafting of the catalog together with the archaeologist official of the Superintendence, the planning and setting up of the exhibition.
The Museum of Natural History of the Mediterranean of the Province of Livorno and the Tuscany Region have financed the printing of the catalog and the creation of the exhibition which will be inaugurated shortly at the Museum itself and which will be announced via a press conference.
The archaeologist officialThe Superintendent
Dr. Lorella Alderighi Arch. Valerio Tesi
lorella.alderighi@cultura.gov.it

[Vel Saties]

 

 

[Vel Saties]

And here is the catalog in pdf

TESORETTO completo rid-compresso.pdf

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Very interesting!  I've been greatly enjoying your writeups!