Tens of Thousands of Ancient Coins Found Off Sardinia

A picture made available by the Italian Culture Minister showing some of the discovered ancient bronze coins. (Italian Culture Ministry Via AP)
A picture made available by the Italian Culture Minister showing some of the discovered ancient bronze coins. (Italian Culture Ministry Via AP)
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Tens of Thousands of Ancient Coins Found Off Sardinia

A picture made available by the Italian Culture Minister showing some of the discovered ancient bronze coins. (Italian Culture Ministry Via AP)
A picture made available by the Italian Culture Minister showing some of the discovered ancient bronze coins. (Italian Culture Ministry Via AP)

A diver who spotted something metallic not far from Sardinia's coast has led to the discovery of tens of thousands of ancient bronze coins.
Italy’s culture ministry said Saturday that the diver alerted authorities, who sent divers assigned to an art protection squad along with others from the ministry’s undersea archaeology department.
The coins dating from the first half of the fourth century were found in sea grass, not far from the northeast shore of the Mediterranean island. The ministry didn't say exactly when the first diver caught a glimpse of something metallic just off shore Sardinia, not far from the town of Arzachena, The Associated Press reported.
Exactly how many coins have been retrieved hasn’t been determined yet, as they are being sorted. A ministry statement estimated that there are at least about 30,000 and possibly as many as 50,000, given their collective weight.
“All the coins were in an excellent and rare state of preservation,” the ministry said. The few coins that were damaged still had legible inscriptions, it said.
“The treasure found in the waters off Arzachena represent one of the most important coin discoveries," in recent years, said Luigi La Rocca, a Sardinian archaeology department official.
La Rocca added in a statement that the find is “further evidence of the richness and importance of the archaeological heritage that the seabed of our seas, crossed by men and goods from the most ancient of epochs, still keep and preserve.”
Firefighter divers and border police divers were also involved in locating and retrieving the coins.



Saudi Arabia, Japan Discuss Cultural Relations

The Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture met on Monday with Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in Diriyah's Al-Bujairi District. SPA
The Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture met on Monday with Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in Diriyah's Al-Bujairi District. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, Japan Discuss Cultural Relations

The Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture met on Monday with Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in Diriyah's Al-Bujairi District. SPA
The Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture met on Monday with Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs in Diriyah's Al-Bujairi District. SPA

Saudi Assistant Minister of Culture Rakan bin Ibrahim Altouq met on Monday with Japan’s Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Hisashi Matsumoto in Diriyah's Al-Bujairi District.

Altouq discussed the growing Saudi-Japanese cultural relations, emphasizing the Saudi Ministry of Culture's commitment to expanding the scope of cultural cooperation and exchange in various cultural fields throughout this year, which marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Japan.

He also highlighted the Kingdom's participation in a national pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka.