One of the largest medieval coin hoards in recent decades has been unearthed in Glottertal, a picturesque village in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district of Germany. This extraordinary find, consisting of approximately 1,600 coins, offers a rare window into the economic practices of 14th-century Europe and sheds light on the region's minting activity, silver trade, and the broader monetary circulation in Breisgau. A Routine Task Turns into a Major Archaeological Find The treasure was discovered by Claus Völker, a local citizen who was assisting with the laying of a pipeline near the village swimming pool in early May 2024, records a Stuttgart Regional Council  press release. Völker's sharp eye caught sight of what he initially described as "small metal plates" within the excavation. Realizing the potential significance of these objects, he promptly reported the find to the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) in the Stuttgart Regional Council. LAD archaeologists, alongside Völker, visited the site the same day to recover the coins, and discovered a whopping 1000 coins. On subsequent visits, a team of certified detectorists braved difficult conditions, including heavy rains that turned the excavation site into knee-deep mud, and uncovered an additional 600 coins, bringing the total to around 1,600. Read moreSection: ArtifactsOther ArtifactsNewsHistory & ArchaeologyRead Later