At the end of the 1970s, in Barumini, in the area of Bacu Tres Montis (fig. 1), a hoard of coins was found comprising 368 silver imperial coins (2nd century A.D.), placed inside a terracotta vase, considered to be important for the circulation of Roman coins in Sardinia.

Fig. 1 - Archaeological map of the Barumini area: no. 33 coin store in Bacu Tres Montis (from Lilliu, Zucca 1988, fig. 1, p. 6).

The archaeologist Giovanni Lilliu was informed of the finding of the coin hoard by his brother Natale. The coins, currently kept in the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari, were minted during the Roman Imperial Era, in a period of time from 64 A.D. To 190 A.D, from Emperor Nero to Emperor Commodus. They are mostly in a good state of preservation (fig. 2).

Fig. 2 - State of preservation of the coins divided up according to the Emperor (from Melis 1989, table II, p. 160).

There are several types of images depicted on the back of the coins: Roman gods and goddesses, personifications, objects, various people, animals, buildings or architectural elements (fig. 3).

Fig. 3 - Types of divinities represented on the back of the coins (from Melis 1989, table III, p. 161).