In April 1958, a dredge was extracting gravel from the bed of the Moselle between Machtum and Ahn. Gold coins suddenly gleamed in the midst of one of its loads. This fabulous discovery could not fail to attract the attention of the workers and, soon, of collectors. The excellently preserved coins are solidi and multiples, i.e. commemorative medallions, many of them quite unique. Unfortunately, most were damaged by the crusher when they were found.

The coins depict three emperors: Valentinian I, his brother Valens and his son Gratian, all of whom reigned on the vast Roman Empire at the same time. The hoard was probably put together on the occasion of one of several sumptuous largitiones, donation ceremonies, probably one organized in the imperial capital, Trier, by Emperor Gratian to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his accession to the throne in 377.

Gifts such as these bestowed by the Emperor on high-ranking military and civilian dignitaries – called donativa – were intended to buy their loyalty. Could it be that the boat of one of the recipients sank in the waters of the Moselle, engulfing his magnificent wealth?

Once the hoard had been recovered, most of it was dispersed, also among foreign auction houses. At that time, the museum’s coins and medals collection could not acquire any of the coins, and some of them were sold to as far as North America! It was only later that the museum was able to purchase twenty of the coins from this hoard.

Text | CC BY-NC | François Reinert and Cécile Arnould