Mysterious stroke of luck: detectorist discovers Benno brooch in Möllenbeck!

Mysterious stroke of luck: detectorist discovers Benno brooch in Möllenbeck!

There was recently a spectacular find in the quiet community of Möllenbeck, which has an incomplete settlement history in the Weser area. On September 27th, the detectorist Willi Köster from Ahnsen came across a coin brooch known as the “Benno brooch”. This precious discovery is dated to the late 11th or 12th century and is the size of a thumbnail, although only around two-thirds of it has been preserved. The brooch, cast from brass and with a gold-plated front, bears the inscription “Benno me fecit” around the image of Emperor Henry III, indicating its origins.

As the Schaumburger Landeszeitung reports, the Benno brooch is described as an outstanding find by Daniel Lau, the municipal archaeologist. It is noteworthy that this is the third Benno brooch to be found in Ottbergen. However, at a time when the site was home to a church in the 11th century, life there was not always stable—the settlement was abandoned around 1350, presumably after the devastating “Magdalen Flood” of 1342.

The meaning of the Benno brooch

Fewer than 40 Benno brooches are known in Europe, and each new find increases interest in the numismatic finds from this era. The location where the brooch was found in today's Möllenbeck is not only of interest to history lovers. Four years ago there were already important finds in the museum, including a Benno brooch and a gold ring. These finds bear witness to the cultural past of the region, which was long characterized by monasteries and religious sites.

Köster will give the Benno brooch as a permanent loan to the local museum, where it will soon be exhibited. This makes good business for history fans in the area, who can experience a piece of their local history up close.

Coin finds in Europe

However, the Benno brooch is not the only find that has seen the light of day. According to the Numismatic Catalogue, numerous coin finds have been documented in Europe over the years. These include, among other things, reading finds from Bad Westernkotten, Bennigsen and international sites that were made in archaeological contexts such as Albania and Denmark. These sites expand our knowledge of the historical background and trade relationships of the region.

So can one say that the detectorists in Möllenbeck have a good instinct for researching their own history? It remains exciting to see what wonders the earth still has in store, especially in areas with such a rich and diverse past. Möllenbeck, where a monastery was founded in 896 and marked by historical weather events, could still hide many secrets in the depths of its soils.