Most of us have probably spotted a penny on the ground while walking down the street. But in Israel, a hiker made a stunning discovery that dates back to the Roman Empire.
An empire is a group of countries or regions controlled by one ruler. The Roman Empire spanned around the Mediterranean Sea -- from Europe to Africa and the Middle East.
Laurie Rimon discovered this rare 2,000-year-old gold coin while hiking in eastern Galilee. The coin shows the face of Emperor Augustus, who is Caesar's heir and the founder of the Roman Empire. There's only one other coin like this in the world, and it's currently sitting at a British museum.
Rimon turned over the coin to Israel's Antiquities Authority. Now they're trying to answer how the coin may have made its way into galilee in the first place. Experts say it was too valuable at the time for everyday use.
Instructional Links
Website Article: Ducksters, Ancient Rome, Biography of Trajan
http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_rome/trajan.php
Website: PBS, The Roman Empire in the First Century
http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/index.html
Website Article & Video: Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient Coinage
http://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Coinage/
Encyclopedia Article: World Book Student., Galilee
http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar215260&gr=Welcome+Isearch%21
May Need Password
Online Slide Show: SlideShare: Rome Repulbic to Empire
http://www.slideshare.net/jtspag/rome-republic-to-empire-15548683