The soapstone vessel containing hundreds of valuable gold coins. Photo: MiBac.

According to CNN, hundreds of gold coins housed in a soapstone jar dating back to the late Roman Empire – the 5th century – were unearthed in the basement of the Cressoni theater in Como, north of Milan.

“We don’t yet know the details of the historical and cultural significance of the artifacts found,” Italian Minister of Culture Alberto Bonisoli responded in a press release. “But the area is truly a treasure trove for archaeology. A discovery to be proud of.”

According to the Italian Ministry of Heritage and Culture, these coins were discovered last week and have been transferred to the Mibac restoration laboratory for authentication.

Although Italian authorities have not disclosed the value of the coins found, according to some articles in local newspapers, the gold vessel could be worth millions of dollars.

The Cressoni theater opened in 1807, later converted into a cinema, and closed in 1997. Prior to that, local officials planned to demolish the structure and build a luxury residential area. However, after the discovery of the gold vessel, Italian officials ordered a halt to construction to support excavation work in case more treasures are hidden underground.

In 2016, archaeologists unearthed a rare 2,000-year-old Roman coin in Jerusalem. The coin featured the face of Emperor Nero – the most famous emperor of Rome. The coin was discovered by the team of archaeologists from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte during an excavation at the Zion Mount archaeological site, south of the Old City of Jerusalem.

In the same year, a group of archaeologists excavated 10 ancient Roman and Ottoman coins from the ruins of a castle in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.