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Another new Roman coin find
syl
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I posted this on another site, but I KNOW that there are Roman collectors here:
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I read about this today and am now just hoping it isn't placed in a museum where thieves can break a few glass panels and walk off with it in the middle of the night (or even day).
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Metal detecting in Germany is quite strictly controlled, and each state has it's own rules. In Rhineland-Pfalz state, you need a permit from the state government just to operate a metal detector, large chunks of the state are protected and completely off-limits to legal searching and in the parts you are legally allowed to search, you also need permission from the landowner, and you must report all finds of historical significance. This is on top of the hazard of doing metal detecting in a country still littered with unexploded WWII munitions. All ancient artifacts found in Rhineland-Pfalz belong to Rhineland-Pfalz state; the state does pay a "reward" for obeying the rules and reporting finds but the reward money may or may not be proportional or connected to the actual market value of the finds. In this case the finder has already received his reward, along with an official "attaboy" for obeying the rules.
In short, any "amateur archaeologist" legally searching for antiquities in Germany has already signed up to hand over anything they find to the State - they have to legally agree to do that when they apply for the detecting permit - and is probably of the "archaeologist mentality" that that would be the correct and proper thing to do.
The museum in Bonn where the coins are currently being displayed is almost certainly going to be their final home. Rhineland-Pfalz has never yet sold off "unwanted" ancient coins.
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"
Apparently I have been awarded the DPOTD twice.