2,500-year-old gold and silver Greek and Roman coins were rediscovered in the University at Buffalo. The priceless collection consists of 40 silver Greek coins, three gold Greek coins, and a dozen Roman gold coins. They range in date from the fifth century B.C. to the late first century A.D. The Greek coins were struck by some of the most powerful city-states and rulers of the ancient world, such as Athens, Corinth and Alexander the Great.

Classicist Philip Kiernan of The State University of New York at Buffalo, heard a rumor that there were Greek and Roman coins housed in the archives at the school’s libraries. Three years later he found the collection.

«I must have been the first person to touch them in almost 40 years,” he said.

The coin collection, which also includes coins from early America and England, had been donated to the University at Buffalo Libraries Special Collections as part of a collection of rare books in 1935. However, it wasn’t until Kiernan examined them out of curiosity that the currency’s rarity and value were realized.

It’s the first time the coins will be extensively studied, and Kiernan and his class will publish their findings.