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Short decorative video of a metal detector and a hand picking up an old coin from the ground.
Found coins: reporting and cleaning
Have you found an ancient coin, medal or other numismatic object and would you like to learn more about it? De Nederlandsche Bank can help you identify what kind of item you have. We will also share the results of our research with you.
(Image: Shutterstock)
© DNB
Reporting your find
You can report your find using the form. Add photos of both sides of the coin or medal against a white background. If the coin is heavily soiled, clean it before taking the pictures. Read the cleaning tips on our website.
How to clean a coin
Clean your find carefully by washing it with soap and a soft toothbrush. It’s best to use distilled water. If the object is still not clean enough, place it in a solvent bath. Examples of solvents you can use are alcohol, acetone, benzene and turpentine. Is the object still dirty? Read our other tips.
© DNB
© DNB
Researching coin finds
De Nederlandsche Bank researches numismatic objects found in the Netherlands and records descriptions in the Numismatic Information System, or NUMIS database. This online database contains records of more than 100,000 objects. The information in the database is used to conduct research into our country’s monetary history, often leading to new insights. This research is relevant to the objects in the National Numismatic Collection as well, as most of the ancient and medieval coins in this collection were also found in the ground. De Nederlandsche Bank shares information on coin finds nationally and internationally, for example as part of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam’s Portable Antiquities of the Netherlands project (PAN) and Oxford University’s Coin Hoards of the Roman Empire project (CHRE).
