1,600-year-old gold coin with portrait of ancient Roman emperor found
A group of students discovered a 1,600-year-old gold coin depicting the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II in Israel.
Four schoolchildren found a rare 1,600-year-old gold coin in a field near Sepphoris in the northern Galilee region, the Israel Antiquities Authority said, marking the first time gold coins have been discovered in the ancient Land of Israel.
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One side of an ancient gold coin depicting the Eastern Roman emperor Theodosius II. |
The four students, Ido Kadosh, Ofir Sigal, Dotan Miller and Harel Grin, were studying at Haemeq Hama'aravi High School in Kibbutz Yifat (in the Jezreel Valley). After discovering the gold coin, the four students reported it to their geography and history teachers at the school, who then asked them to contact the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The solid gold coin weighs about 4.5 grams. According to Dr. Gabriela Bijovsky, an expert at the Israel Antiquities Authority: The coin was minted during the reign of Theodosius, in the Constantinople area (present-day Istanbul, Türkiye). The coin dates back to around 420 - 423 BC.
One side depicts the portrait of the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II, one of the most influential emperors of the Byzantine Empire. The other side depicts the goddess Victoria with a cross.
It is known that this is a Roman gold coin, the most popular currency during the late Roman Empire and early Eastern Roman Empire.
Emperor Theodosius II began his reign over Byzantium, the eastern part of the Roman Empire, with its capital in Constantinople. Emperor Theodosius II is known for promulgating the Theodosian Code and building the walls around Constantinople.