During a recent hiking trip in Northern Israel, hiker Laurie Rimon bent down to pick up something shiny that caught her eye. What she found was a rare gold coin that experts believe dates back 2,000 years. “This coin is rare on a global level,” states the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Laurie Rimon was hiking with friends in eastern Galilee, when she discovered the rare coin that bears the image of Emperor Augustus, founder of the Roman Empire and its first emperor. Minted by Emperor Trajan and dated 170 AD, the coin was part of a series of nostalgic coins dedicated to the Roman emperors who ruled before him, according to Dr. Donald T. Ariel, head curator of the coin department at the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Rimon, from a kibbutz in northern Israel, thought the coin was just a toy, but when the group’s guide contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority two hours later, a representative joined the group of hikers in the field. Rimon’s discovery has created quite a buzz since it’s unclear why such a valuable coin would be found near the Sea of Galilee.
A coin too valuable for everyday use
“The coin may reflect the presence of the Roman army in the region some 2,000 years ago,” said Dr. Ariel. During that period, soldiers were usually paid 75 silver coins for a month of service. However, if silver, for whatever reason, were not available then a soldier would be paid with three gold coins.
The problem for the soldiers with receiving gold coins was that the coins were so valuable it was difficult to use them to pay for goods or services. Soldiers had to beg paymasters to exchange their gold coins for more useable coins of lesser value, said Ariel. Only one other gold coin similar to Rimon’s coin has ever been found, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority, and it is housed at the British Museum in London.
Apparently, the hiker who found the coin said it wasn’t easy parting with her find. “It’s not every day one discovers such an amazing object,” said Rimon to the Antiquities Authority representative who came to inspect and collect the rare coin.
For turning in the extremely rare gold coin, the Israel Antiquities Authority, who plan on displaying the coin publically soon, will give Rimon a certificate of appreciation.
Other amazing finds
Meanwhile in the United States, archaeologists conducting surveys in Nevada’s Great Basin National Park stumbled upon a rifle frozen in time. The .44-40 Winchester rifle manufactured in 1882 was found propped up against a juniper tree, and appeared to have been left there undisturbed for more than 100 years.
“It looked like someone propped it up there, sat down to have their lunch and got up to walk off without it,” said Nichole Andler, Great Basin National Park’s chief of interpretation.
If a rifle could talk…
Apparently, the rifle blended in so well with its surroundings that it is incredible anyone was able to spot the gun. The wooden base of the unloaded gun had turned gray and was partially buried, and the barrel had rusted. Although the Winchester rifle was popular over a century ago, it wasn’t necessarily a rare and precious item. Today, however, an antique Winchester could fetch thousands of dollars from collectors.
Conservationists will not restore the rifle, but will preserve it in the condition it was found and display it to commemorate the park’s 30th birthday in 2016.
Jewels found buried in the Alps
During a recent climb on Europe’s highest peak, an unnamed French climber discovered a metal box containing jewels reported to be worth $332,000. It is thought that the box may have been aboard one of two Indian planes that crashed in the French Alps in 1950 and 1966. The stash of jewels was found buried in the snow on Mont Blanc.
According to Agence France-Presse, Sylvain Merly, the local police chief, reported that some of the jewels were found in pouches marked “Made in India.”
The unnamed climber handed the emeralds, rubies and sapphires to French authorities, who are trying to trace the owners or heirs to the gems.
Hiker discovers ancient Viking sword
Gøran Olsen had just stopped to rest while hiking a well-known path in the mountainous Haukeli region of Norway, when he noticed a remarkably preserved sword in the rocks. Little did he know that he’d stumbled across an ancient Viking sword approximately 1,200 years old. County Conservator Per Morten Ekerhovd describes the discovery as “quite extraordinary.”
A little more than 30 inches long, the sword is constructed of wrought iron but lacks the original handle. Even so, the sword is remarkably well preserved, according to Ekerhovd. Because frost and snow cover the region for half of the year, and with low humidity in the summer months, the sword remained protected.
The Vikings considered swords a status symbol because of the high cost associated with extracting iron, according to Ekerhovd. So, it’s likely the sword found by Olsen would have belonged to a wealthy individual. The artifact has since been handed over to the University Museum of Bergen for preservation work.
“We are really happy that this person found the sword and gave it to us. It will shed light on our early history,” said Ekerhovd.
—Katherine Marko
Katherine Marko is a freelance writer, author and blog creator. Her areas of expertise include food, health, style, beauty, business and nutrition. Marko holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, a diploma in photography, graphic design and marketing, and certification in esthetics.
Sources:
http://www.antiquities.org.il/article_eng.aspx?sec_id=25&subj_id=240
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/01/14/the-mystery-of-the-132-year-old-winchester-rifle-found-propped-against-a-national-park-tree/
http://www.gunbroker.com/Winchester-1873/Browse.aspx?Keywords=Winchester-1873&Cats=3023
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2013/09/27/indian-jewels-found-buried-on-mont-blanc/?mod=e2tw
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/22/europe/viking-sword-norway/index.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/14/470395022/thats-no-bottlecap-hiker-in-israel-finds-rare-gold-coinhttp://www.nbcnews.com/video/rare-2-000-year-old-coin-found-by-hiker-in-israel-644794947868