Over Half a Ton of Ancient Roman Coins Unearthed by Construction Workers

1,300 pounds of ancient Roman coins discovered by construction workers in Spain https://t.co/cZqIZXAAk0pic.twitter.com/SByjbPmNdJ

— CNN (@CNN) April 29, 2016

Over 1,300 pounds of ancient Roman coins were discovered by a construction crew laying pipes on Wednesday in southern Spain.

The coins, many of which were minted with the likenesses of the emperors Maximian and Constantine, were found in 19 amphoras, sealed jug-like containers that were apparently used to store the money. 

The coins were not buried deep, just about a yard beneath the earth in Tomares, outside of Seville, according to the Associated Press. 

"The machines hit against something that wasn't normal for this soil," a town official told a CNN affiliate. "The workers immediately stopped, and soon discovered that there were many coins there, inside broken amphoras."

Primeras imágenes del hallazgo de monedas romanas de Tomares en el #MuseoArqueologico de Sevilla pic.twitter.com/5aK5fovNjj

— Consejería Cultura (@CulturaAND) April 28, 2016

Pipe-laying, for now, has been halted as archaeologists survey the earth. Once verified, officials say, the coins will likely go on display in the Seville Archaeological Museum.