Coin found in Berlin field turns out to be ancient Greek artifact — and archaeologists are baffled how it ended up there
A 13-year-old boy found a small, rusty coin in a field on the outskirts of Berlin, which experts identified as a rare Trojan coin from 281 to 261 BCE. The coin, depicting the Greek goddess Athena, is puzzling to archaeologists because it originated in ancient Greece, far from where it was discovered. Researchers are unsure how the coin ended up in Berlin, with theories ranging from trade to use as a soldier's keepsake.
- ▪The coin was discovered in a field previously excavated for Iron Age artifacts.
- ▪It was minted between 281 and 261 BCE in ancient Troy and features Athena on both sides.
- ▪Archaeologists speculate the coin may have traveled through trade networks or been used as a souvenir or grave gift.
- ▪No evidence confirms how the Greek coin arrived in what is now Berlin during antiquity.
- ▪Experts initially thought a collector lost it before learning of the boy’s field discovery.
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Archaeology Coin found in German field turns out to be ancient Greek artifact — and archaeologists are baffled how it ended up there By Caitlin McCormack Published April 30, 2026, 7:46 p.m. ET A 13-year-old schoolboy discovered a rusty coin in a field on the outskirts of Berlin that researchers identified as a rare artifact from Ancient Greece — but no one knows how it got there. The abandoned relic was found in a field that was a popular archaeological site between the 1950s and 1970s, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. The boy wound up becoming the first to ever find a Greek artifact in the German capital, the outlet reported. A 13-year-old schoolboy found an coin linked to Ancient Greece in Berlin.
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