Owners Karst and Herma of the Bleijendijk estate in Vught are looking for Roman coins that were found in 1962 on their territory. More than sixty years ago, a coin treasure was found that is almost two thousand years old. Karst and Herma would now like to show such a coin to their visitors.
Karst, Herma and their four children have been living on the Vught estate for eight years now. They have, among other things, an organic farm and market garden, a bakery, sawmill, daytime activities and nature education programs for primary school students. Events such as estate dinners are also regularly organized. As a result, thousands of visitors come to their estate every year.
Almost sixty years ago, Roman coins were found on that spot, from the period of 250-275 AD. this happens during dredging work in the Essche Stroom. A river that flows through the middle of their 120 acre property.
“People have taken the coins home as souvenirs.”
“In the dredge, one Roman coin was first found. Later, residents of Vught and Sint-Michielsgestel found hundreds of coins in the dredge,” says the estate owner. “Some have also taken the Roman coins home as a souvenir.
Karst and his wife would like to show the Roman coins to their public and tell about the history of their estate. “This place has been inhabited for thousands of years. When I walk across our land, I see the image that Romans walked here hundreds of years ago.” And such a coin makes history a lot more tangible, they think. “Having, feeling and seeing a coin that was held here by Romans and paid for, appeals even more to the imagination.”
“For us they are just Bleijendijk coins.”
Despite the fact that Karst can pinpoint exactly where the coins were found, there is still discussion about where they were found. “The border between the municipality of Vught and Sint-Michielsgestel runs exactly through the middle of the Essche Stroom. The people from Gestel believe that the coin hoard was found in their municipality because dredging was taking place on their side of the river,” explains the estate owner.
“But the dredged material was dumped on the Vught side of the river and the first coins were found there. That is why residents of Vughten claim that the treasure was found in their municipality.” Karst and Herma can now laugh about this discussion. “For us, they are simply Bleijendijk coins that tell something about the history of our estate,” says Karst.
He hoped to find people who have such a coin in their possession through an appeal in the door-to-door newspapers of Vught and Sint-Michielsgestel. But that has yielded nothing so far. “The generation that helped excavate coins at the time is getting older or has even died. The new generation, ie their children, must now decide what to do with those coins. I hope they think of our estate when they find those Roman coins.”
If you have a Roman coin found during dredging in 1962, please contact [email protected].
