Bulgaria: the oldest gold coin in the world found

An unusual find took place in Bulgaria. In the waters of the Black Sea a diver found a gold coin, which, according to estimates, seems to be the oldest coin of its kind ever found in the world! The best part is that the coin was found… by accident. According to the Bulgarian news agency

ByMałgorzata Brykała

Published: September 17, 2014 - 19:41

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 08:08

Bulgaria: the oldest gold coin in the world found

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According to the Bulgarian news agency BTA, a diver spotted a gold coin near Sozopol on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The precious object was handed over to Bozhidar Dimitrov – head of the National Historical Museum in Sofia.

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Museum staff have determined that the coin was most likely struck in western Anatolia, in the second half of the 7th century BC. This makes the object found more than 2750 years old! The coin is believed to have come from Lydia, a land in Anatolia that is considered to be the birthplace of gold and silver numismatic coins.

Vladimir Panchev, numismatist at the National Historical Museum in Sofia, told BTA agency that the coin was made of electrum – an alloy of aluminium, gold and silver used in the production of early coins. He also confirmed that the coin is one of a kind.

Source: sofiaglobe.com