Archaeologists surveying the construction site of the former City Hall in Rotterdam have unearthed a collection of 477 coins stuffed inside a 16th century shoe.
The oldest coin in the hoard dates to 1472 and the most recent to 1592.
The shoe, its leather still in quite good condition, is a 16th century
style.
Experts believe it was buried in 1592 or shortly thereafter,
under the floorboards of a house by the owner, either as a standard
savings practice (like the proverbial keeping your money in y
our
mattress) or out of fear that they might be lost or stolen during
turbulent times.
Most of the coins are Netherlands nickels, half pennies and double
nickels. There are also English and Spanish pieces. At that time,
foreign currency was just as usable as local coin. It was the quality
and weight of the silver that counted. Some of the coins show signs of
having been tested for value; they’ve been pierced to see if they’re
real silver through and through. The total worth of the hoard in 1592
would have been around 50 guilders. To give you an idea of the buying
power, a skilled craftsman earned a little less than one guilder a day,
so this collection amounted to about two month’s pay.
More with video @ The History Blog
WOW! Very cool....
ReplyDeleteExciting for sure.
Delete