Metal detectorist picks up signal in Romania — then unearths almost 5,000 ancient coins
_fitted.png "Raoul Vlad Suta was using his metal detector in Romania when he discovered nearly 5,000 coins dating to the Middle Ages, according to a Facebook post.")
Raoul Vlad Suta is an avid metal detectorist, but lately he’s been too busy to go exploring.
On a recent Sunday, though, Suta took his metal detector out with some friends in Romania. After breaking for lunch, the group got back to work, searching for anything.
That’s when Suta said he got a short but stable signal, according to his July 12 Facebook post.
He grabbed a shovel, and immediately something caught his eye: a small silver coin.
Suta said he kept digging and quickly uncovered a second and third coin. His friends joined him and helped unearth more coins buried at a shallow depth.
The metal detector continued signaling, leading the group to what appeared to be a larger vessel, Suta said in his post. After tracing the perimeter, Suta and his friends unearthed more than just a few coins — they found a ceramic pot holding nearly 5,000 ancient coins.
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The approximately 4,868 coins have issue dates between 1500 and 1550, with most coming from the reign of Vladislaus II — who was the king of Bohemia and Hungary during that period, according to Britannica — but Suta said he is awaiting expert insight to more accurately describe the coins.
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In addition to the coins, Suta said he also found three silver plates and four unidentified coins that are bigger than the others he found.
Google Translate was used to translate a July 12 Facebook post from Raoul Vlad Suta.
This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Metal detectorist picks up signal in Romania — then unearths almost 5,000 ancient coins."
