A Roman Hoard of Silver Jewellery Found in the Lower Danube Region

One private numismatic collection in Zagreb, Croatia was found to contain a group of silver items, which has all the characteristics of an authentic Roman hoard, including the usual scarcity of information about the circumstances of discovery and the specific location. Only the following is available in terms of relevant information about the hoard: this chance find comes from the Lower Danube region and was found in a pottery vessel removed from the earth at a depth of approximately 1.5 meters. The type, name and specific or at least approximate location of the site of discovery remain unknown, along with the type and form of the vessel into which the objects were places, and it is not absolutely certain whether the hoard represents an intact complete unit, or if it once perhaps contained other items. The hoard consists of 46 items made from a silver of high purity with a very little admixture of other metals. No analysis was undertaken of all the silver. The partial analysis carried out using x-ray fluorescence only on parts of the hook and eye on the braided wire necklace noted the presence of small inclusions of gold, lead, tin, copper, zinc, and iron, with traces of cadmium, chrome, palladium, and titanium. Although its composition has not been entirely verified, the very appearance, colour, and shine of the silver reveals the uniformity of its fineness, with a possibility of only minimal differences in percentages. All of the objects are in an excellent state of preservation.