Metal detector turns over huge amounts of Roman coins he looted

A metal detectorist who illegally unearthed Roman coins and silverware in the Hildesheim region of Lower Saxony in 2017 confessed to authorities after concealing their existence for eight years. The treasure included approximately 450 silver dinars, several silver bars, a gold ring and a gold coin. It dates back to the first century AD, but in addition to its monetary value, it has great archaeological significance. It is one of the largest Roman Empire treasures ever discovered in Lower Saxony.

Metal detector Jannik Pauli discovered the treasure in woods near Borsum. Pauli began metal detecting as a child and never obtained the official license required for legal metal detecting as an adult. He often got into arguments with city officials over this, so when he discovered hundreds of silver coins and other valuables, he decided to just rob them and keep quiet to avoid fines or legal action. He kept the treasures in a wooden box at his home near Aktum in Hildesheim.

In April this year, Pauli told the police what he had done and handed over the treasure. The prosecutor’s office attempted to prosecute him, but Pauli remained silent after the statute of limitations expired. He pointed out the discovery site to archaeologists and in October sent a team to thoroughly explore the area.

The Lower Saxony State Monument Protection Office, in cooperation with the Lower Monument Protection Office of the District of Hildesheim and the Archaeological Department of the City of Hildesheim, conducted an archaeological survey of the area surrounding the suspected site. The purpose of this archaeological survey is to locate the illegal excavation site in 2017 and salvage items still underground. Of particular concern is whether information about how the coins were stored 2,000 years ago can still be obtained despite the destruction of artifacts during a faulty excavation in 2017. Additional coins were discovered during the investigation; after excavation, the entire treasure trove was recovered.

The Borsum Treasure is now protected and studied by the Lower Saxony State Monument Protection Office. Archaeologists hope to narrow down the age of deposition to determine the origin of the silver. Scientific analysis may help determine whether the treasures were buried by the Romans or by members of the Germanic tribes to keep them safe during the conflict with the intention of returning them after the battle.

As for Yannick Pauli, he is now 31 years old and seems to have regretted the mistakes he made in his early 20s. He has taken a metal detector course from the Lower Saxony State Monument Protection Office, a necessary step to becoming a legally permitted metal detector.