This is a story that @bozz sent to me a few days ago and suggested I might post about it. I spent a few days researching the story, but there isn't too much available yet. Despite that, it is pretty cool. It's not silver or gold (maybe; the story isn't entirely clear on specifics) but any coin collectors in the group may find this interesting. It also calls to mind a similar story I read not too long ago that did involve gold.

Anyway, with that warmup, let's jump in. Take a look at this photo:

^{Photo from Asahi news}

A significant archaeological discovery was made in Maebashi City, Japan, where over 100,000 ancient coins were unearthed. These coins, dating from 175 BC to the 13th century AD, were found bundled in groups of approximately 100 each, secured with straw cords known as "sashi." Actually, according to one of the stories only 334 of the coins has been examined yet, so there could dates outside this range.

The coins were concealed underground. The cache was discovered in the Sojamachi district, close to historical Japanese residences, suggesting that they were buried by elites for safety during times of warfare. The location and method of burial indicate that the coins were hidden hastily, likely for safekeeping in anticipation of war.

^{Photo from Asahi news}

Old coins that could be bound with a cord down the middle might remind you of my post here about the old Japanese mon coins. Having a hold in the center to make it easy to bind and carry them was a common feature of older coins.

The oldest coin in the collection so far is a Ban Liang coin from 175 BC, the first coins minted in unified China, introduced around 210 BC by China's inaugural emperor, Qin Shi Huang. This coin measures 2.3 centimeters in diameter and 1 millimeter in thickness, featuring a 7 millimeter square hole in the center. The inscriptions "Ban" and "Liang" are engraved on it. Especially early in their history, Japan often used Chinese coins, so this isn't so unusual.

^{Photo from Asahi news}

Looks a little similar to my mon coins, eh?

The newest coin in the collection dates to 1265, leading the authorities to guess that the collection was buried during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). The Kamakura Period was marked by significant political and social changes in Japan. It was a pretty wild time. It saw the rise of the samurai class and the first military government, as well as the establishment of feudalism. The period was characterized by civil wars, uprisings, and conflicts among various samurai clans, leading to the development of a feudal system. Two Mongol invasions between 1270 and 1285, bankrupted the shogunate and eventually led to its collapse in 1333.

Like I said, a wild time. Given the time period, it's not a surprised that the elites would try to bury their money to safeguard it. This discovery is one of the largest of its kind in Japan; it could potentially provides valuable insight into the country's history and its connections with ancient China. I can imagine historians are just waiting to get ahold of some of these to see what kind of insight into the period they can get.

^{Photo from Asahi news}

Interesting stuff!

None of these may be gold, but being so old I'm sure they are pretty valuable. This find reminded me of one I read about a few weeks ago of a guy in Norway who found a cache of gold with his metal detector.

^{From the linked story above}

Back home in America when I was growing up I remember very often seeing people walking around with metal detectors. I was always seeing them stopping and digging something up, but I have no idea if these things were of value or not. At this moment I can't recall if I've ever seen anyone using a metal detector in Japan. I'm sure people do, I just can't remember seeing it before, so maybe it's not as common as elsewhere.

Have any of you ever found anything with a metal detector? Either precious metal or old coin or anything else with some value? Let me know in the comments.

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org.