Divers find priceless record trove of gold coins in Mediterranean

Scuba divers have discovered the largest trove of gold coins ever found off Israel’s Mediterranean coast — about 2,000 pieces dating back more than 1,000 years. By pure chance, members of a diving club in the Roman-era port had come across the coins, described as “priceless”.

The largest treasure of gold coins discovered in Israel was found in recent weeks on the seabed in the ancient harbour in Caesarea.

Israeli Antiquities Authority

Experts from the authority called to the site uncovered “almost 2,000 gold coins in different denominations” circulated by the Fatimid Caliphate, which ruled much of the Middle East and North Africa. The Israeli Antiquities Authority has declined to put a cash value on the coins, which it said had been exposed as a result of winter storms.

"At first they thought they had spotted a toy coin from a game and it was only after they understood the coin was the real thing that they collected several coins and quickly returned to the shore in order to inform the director of the dive club about their find," it said.

Israeli Antiquities Authority

Middle East