Amateur archaeologist Oliver Riedel has unearthed a major hoard of silver coins dating back to the reign of Emperor Hadrian in a field on the outskirts of Cologne, Germany. According to a report by "The Guardian," this discovery marks the largest ancient Roman treasure ever found on German soil and ranks as the fifth-largest discovery of its kind globally.

The hoard consists of 934 silver denarii with a total weight of 3.1 kilograms. Experts estimate the historic collection's current valuation at approximately 500,000 euros.

Historical analysis indicates that the treasure was buried during the second half of the 2nd century AD. The oldest coins in the collection date back to 148 BC, while the most recent were minted in 125 AD bearing the portrait of Emperor Hadrian. The territory of modern-day Cologne was under Roman Empire rule from 39 BC to 459 AD.

Archaeologist Erich Claßen noted that in the absence of banking institutions, the coins were likely buried for secure safekeeping. Historians highlight that a Roman legionary earned an annual wage of around 300 denarii, part of which was deducted for food and equipment. Consequently, accumulating a sum of 934 denarii would have required a legionary to save their entire salary for nearly six years.