Speakers
Description
A large hoard of radiates discovered in 2019 near Varzi (PV – Northern Italy) consists of more than 1,300 coins which date from Gallienus to Aurelian (based on a preliminary analysis). The specimens are in a very poor condition, probably due to the lack of a ceramic vessel to preserve them from a direct contact with the ground. This is confirmed by the absence of any ceramic fragments on the site of the discovery.
The Varzi hoard is one of a significant group of hoards deposited in the region during the second half of the 3rd century A.D., and smaller than some of them (Grumello Cremonese, Ceretto Lomellina, Ottobiano).
The coins are being restored at the University of Bologna as part of a degree thesis in ‘Conservazione e Restauro’, sampling different techniques to achieve effective results in readability and preservation of coins with a low percentage of silver.
