Roman 'Piggy Banks' Filled With Tens Of Thousands Of Coins Unearthed In French Village

Roman-Era Amphorae Packed With Coins Discovered In Senon, France

Archaeologists working for the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) have uncovered three amphora-shaped storage jars buried beneath the floor of a house in the village of Senon in northeastern France. The vessels—deliberately sunk into pits with their mouths flush with the floor—appear to have served as accessible long-term savings containers rather than hurriedly concealed treasure hoards.

Massive Coin Totals And Precise Context

INRAP’s numismatist Vincent Geneviève estimates the three amphorae may together contain more than 40,000 Roman coins. He told Live Science the first jar weighed about 83 lb (38 kg), corresponding to roughly 23,000–24,000 coins, while the second jar and its contents weighed about 110 lb (50 kg), an amount that extrapolates to roughly 18,000–19,000 coins. The third amphora appears to have been removed in antiquity; only three coins remained in its pit.

"The striking value of this discovery is not only the quantity of coins but the precise archaeological context in which they were found," INRAP said in a translated statement.

Dating And Historical Significance

Specialists date the coins to between A.D. 280 and 310. Among the finds are issues bearing the portraits of emperors associated with the breakaway Gallic Empire—Victorinus, Tetricus I and Tetricus II—which ruled Gaul and nearby provinces from about 260 until Emperor Aurelian reincorporated them into the Roman Empire in 274. The presence of these coin types helps refine the dating and economic picture of the settlement.

Evidence Of Use As Savings Vessels

The amphorae were carefully placed into well-constructed pits within the house’s living room. Because their openings were left level with the floor, they would have been easily accessible for adding or withdrawing coins—functionally similar to a piggy bank. In two cases, a few coins were found adhered to the rim of the jar, indicating additional deposits were made after the amphorae were sunk but before the pits filled with sediment.

Site Context And Abandonment

The residential quarter contained substantial stone buildings, features consistent with underfloor heating, basements and workshops with stoves. A Roman fortification stood nearby. At the beginning of the fourth century A.D., a large fire devastated the settlement; although people returned and rebuilt, a later conflagration led to permanent abandonment. As a result, the coin deposits remained hidden for nearly two millennia.

Why This Matters

While coin hoards are known from the region, the exceptional value of this discovery lies in the clear, domestic context—amphorae deliberately integrated into a house floor—and the detailed archaeological data this provides about everyday saving practices, local economy and household life in late Roman Gaul.