The United States has returned 83 Roman coins minted during the era of Constantine the Great to Turkey. They were minted in Anatolian mints in the 3rd and 4th centuries of the Roman Empire and are valuable cultural objects bearing traces of the political and military activity of their time.
During the examination of Roman coins seized in the United States in 2015, it was determined that they belong to the reigns of Emperors Maximian, Constantine I, Constantine II and Arcadius and were minted in mints in Anatolia (present-day Turkey), the Anadolu Agency reported.
As part of the bilateral agreement for the protection of cultural properties signed between Turkey and the United States in 2021, it was decided to return 83 historical coins to their homeland. The Roman coins returned to Turkey as a result of the work carried out were accepted by Turkish Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gökhan Yazgı from Brian Stimler, Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Ankara.
At the handover ceremony held at the Museum of the Republic in Ankara, Yazgı recalled that the “Turkey-United States Joint Seminar on Preventing Cultural Heritage Smuggling” was held last week.
The Deputy Minister said that it was an honor to share with the public the return of another 83 important cultural assets to Turkey following this seminar. He emphasized that the bilateral agreement signed in 2021 has significantly strengthened cooperation between Turkey and the US in the field of cultural heritage protection.
“Today’s handover is another concrete proof of how effectively, transparently and successfully this agreement has been implemented. Thanks to strong cooperation, the process was carried out quickly and securely, ensuring the safe return of our artifacts to our homeland,” he said.
Yazgı explained that the 83 returned coins were minted in Anatolian mints in the 3rd and 4th centuries by the Roman Empire and are valuable cultural objects bearing traces of the political and military activity of the era. He stressed the importance of international cooperation in combating the smuggling of cultural assets and noted that bilateral agreements and mutual understanding are of key importance. Yazgı recalled that since 2002, more than 13,000 artifacts have been returned to Turkey, emphasizing that this is not just a statistic, but a concrete success of international cooperation and shared responsibility. He assured that Turkey will continue to play a leading role in this field through even greater international cooperation for the protection of cultural heritage, and thanked everyone present at the ceremony.
Illustrative Photo by John Nail: https://www.pexels.com/photo/statue-of-constantine-the-great-in-york-in-england-5152217/
