Well-preserved bronze coins found off the coast of Sardinia may be associated with a shipwreck. A diver exploring the waters off Sardinia, Italy, discovered tens of thousands of Roman-era bronze coins hidden in sea grass. The man immediately contacted authorities about the find near the city of Arzachena.

Based on the warehouse’s location, experts believe the warehouse may be related to an undetected shipwreck, according to a translation of a statement by the Italian Ministry of Culture.

Early estimates of the weight of the treasures included 30,000 to 50,000 pieces. Only four were damaged, but even these had legible inscriptions, including dates and faces. Further investigation by archaeologists revealed the folli, a type of large coin used in Roman times. And The Byzantine Empires were once minted between 324 AD and 340 AD and were “in an exceptional and rare state of preservation,” according to the statement.

The coins were in circulation during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, which lasted from 306 to 337 AD.

“The treasure found in the waters of Arzakena is one of the most important discoveries of numismatics in recent years, once again emphasizing the richness and importance of the archaeological heritage.” [в] “Deep in our seas,” Luigi La Rocca, the Mediterranean island’s general director of archaeology, fine arts and landscape, said in a statement.