Chinese farmer digs up 460kg of ancient coins dating back to Jesus’ time

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up

jason73

Auslander Raus
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
75,032
137,961
One of the 456kg of Xin dynasty coins found beneath a new home in Shanxi on Saturday. Photo: SXBC

A farmer in western China has dug up nearly half a tonne of ancient coins that date back to the time of Jesus.

The farmer, surnamed Zhang, discovered the coins,which weighed 459kg, on Saturday while he was preparing the foundations for his village house near Xingping, Shaanxi province, Shaanxi Radio and Television reported.

A local heritage inspection team dated the coins to the reign of Wang Mang, a Han dynasty official who briefly usurped power from the Han dynasty from 8AD - 23AD.

The hoard of coins was buried in a hole about 50cm deep and 60cm wide, Zhang said.

Some were round with square holes, others were spade-shaped, and there were smaller ones the size of buttons.


Zhang called the police after the discovery and the coins were taken away by heritage inspectors.

An official said further identification would be needed and that the coins would later be kept by state-run museums.

Almost a year ago, a farmer in Haikou, Hainan province, found 60kg of coins 1,000 years old buried on his farm.

But archaeologists said they were not valuable as a large amount of similar coins had also been discovered across the province over the years.

The farmer said that during the 1980s, his family had also dug up another 80kg of similar coins, which they later sold off as regular copper.


Farmers across China have made the initial discoveries of many precious artefacts.

Perhaps the most significant of all occurred on March 29, 1974, when farmers digging a well east of Xian, Shaanxi province, found the buried Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.

The coins were dated to brief reign of Wang Mang, the first and last ruler of the Xin dynasty (9AD - 23AD). Picture: Smithsonian
 

lookoutawhale

Mammal of the Sea
Jan 20, 2015
4,402
7,298
The farmer said that during the 1980s, his family had also dug up another 80kg of similar coins, which they later sold off as regular copper
:eek: daym, how much money did this guy lose out on?

edit: oh wait the Chinese government would probably just confiscate it anyways.
 

Sweets

All Around Dumbass
Feb 9, 2015
8,794
10,053
:eek: daym, how much money did this guy lose out on?

edit: oh wait the Chinese government would probably just confiscate it anyways.
They all confiscate under antiquities legislation, happens all the time here.