Ancient pot of gold unearthed in Italy

A stoneware jug full of ancient Roman gold coins was unearthed on the site of an old theater in northern Italy that had been slated for redevelopment.

The coins, some of which date to the 5th century, were discovered beneath the basement of the Cressoni Theater in Como, which was about to be torn down to make way for luxury housing, according to Agence France-Presse.

Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli called the find “a discovery that fills me with pride.”

“We do not yet know in detail the historical and cultural significance of this discovery, but this area is a real treasure for our archeology,” he said in a Facebook post.

The hundreds of coins are likely worth more than their weight in gold. Local Italian media estimated they could be worth millions of dollars.

Italy’s Culture Ministry tweeted photos of the gold (right) glittering through a crack in the soapstone jar.

Officials said they do not want to further destroy the artifact to extract the coins, but have sent it to the ministry’s restoration laboratory in Milan for examination by archaeologists and restorers.

The treasure was discovered Wednesday as crews prepared to demolish the Cressoni Theater for new housing. That project has been put on hold to allow for further excavations, AFP reported.