A construction worker in southwestern Germany made a historic discovery. While working, he stumbled upon an incredible treasure trove of coins minted around 1320 AD. The coins belong to various mints in Germany, Switzerland and France. This is a very important historical find, which we will discuss in the following paragraphs.
The discovery of the medieval coins and related research
In May 2024, Claus Völker, a resident of the German municipality of Glottertal, found “small metal plates” while installing subway pipes at a construction site. According to the translated statement of the State Monument Conservation Office of the Stuttgart Regional Council, these objects were buried just a few meters from where he was carrying out his work activities.
That same day, archaeologists went to the site to investigate this great discovery and quickly found about 1,000 medieval coins. By the next day, the rain had turned the ground into a knee-deep quagmire, but the researchers were still able to use a metal detector and recovered another 600 coins.
Andreas Haasis-Berner, an archaeologist with the State Office for Monuments Conservation, explained that most of these coins come from three specific mints – Breisach, Zofingen and Freiburg – all created around 1320 AD. Although the collection also includes isolated units minted in Basel, St. Gallen, Zurich, Colmar and Laufenburg.
In terms of value, the researchers indicated that, at the time of their loss, the individuals could have purchased some 1,500 sheep. This would represent a large haul for the time. Experts note that this is “one of the largest collections of medieval coins in recent decades.”
History of the region
The region in which these discoveries were made may hold interesting secrets. According to Andreas Haasis-Berner, Glottertal was one of the most important mining areas for the Dukes of Freiburg. In fact, the place where the coins were found was one of the main settlement areas of the miners. This would explain the large amount of money found by Claus Völker.
This is one of the most relevant finds of the last decades
As experts state, this discovery of medieval coins is one of the most important of the last decades. Although there were interesting finds before, none were as big as this one. For example, in 2016, more than 200 coins from the 14th century were discovered by chance in a forest near Zurich (Switzerland). However, those coins were only enough to buy 25 sheep.
These finds, along with others in the region, help tell a rather interesting story that hints at some political instability. Although it could also be clear evidence of how rulers and wealthier sectors paid mercenary armies to act on their behalf.
The importance of this find
The discovery of the medieval coins in Germany is not only a major boost for the region, but also offers a new treasure trove for research and could lead to much deeper information about the region at that time. According to the archaeologist from the State Office for the Conservation of Monuments, the evaluation of this treasure will provide insight into how coins circulated in Brisgovia. It will also provide information about minting activity at the mints, the silver trade and mining in Glottertal.
