Imagine you’re helping out with a home or building renovation and while deconstructing the original building you find millions of dollars worth of gold coins!

This scenario did happen last month. Archaeologists discovered 300 old Roman coins in the basement of a former theater.

An Amazing Discovery

The discovery was made in the Cressoni Theater in Como, Italy, north of Milan. The theater opened its doors in 1807. It eventually became a cinema until its closing in 1997. The site is now being renovated to become an apartment building.

The coins were found in a two-handled soapstone jar. The way that they were in the jar has given the discoverers a clue about the original owners —  the coins were stacked in rolls, the same way banks stack coins today. The clue suggests the owner may not have been an individual, but a public bank or deposit.

Coins of Roman Emperors

The engravings on the coins are of emperors, like Antonio, Libio Severo, Valentinian III, Honorius, and Leon I.

The coins were sent to the Mibac restoration laboratory in Milan and are being examined by archaeologists and restorers.

It’s been suggested by reporters that the coins may be worth several million dollars.

Over the past few years, many artifacts have been discovered in this area. In 2016, a rare coin was found by archaeologists in Jerusalem. The 2,000-year-old coin was of the Roman emperor Nero.

And as if finding gold coins wasn’t enough excitement for one day, a gold bar was also found inside the jar.

The moral of this story: keep digging!