Thursday 16/October/2025 – 11:08 AM
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said, in a statement, that as part of the rescue excavations conducted by the Supreme Council of Antiquities in the central Alexandria neighborhood, a lead capsule was found deposited within the foundations of one of the villas. Inside it was found a rare and diverse collection of Egyptian coins dating back to the reigns of Sultan Hussein Kamel and King Fouad I.
Thirteen coins of different denominations were also found inside it, ranging from millimes to gold coins of 100 piasters.
Antiquities: The discovery of a rare lead capsule containing historical coins in the central Alexandria neighborhood
The collection also includes small coins from the era of King Fouad I, a rare two-qirsh coin from Sultan Hussein Kamel, in addition to silver coins in denominations of 5, 10, and 20 qirsh and three gold coins in denominations of 20, 50, and 100 qirsh from King Fouad I, which are considered among the rarest issues in the history of modern Egyptian coins.
Sherif Fathi, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, noted that this discovery represents an important episode in the history of Alexandria, as it reflects the richness of its cultural heritage and the diversity of its components, including the contributions of foreign communities that contributed to formulating the city’s cosmopolitan identity.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized that this discovery represents an important link between the historical layers of the city of Alexandria from the Hellenistic and Roman era until the modern presence of foreign communities.
He added that this discovery reflects the status of the Greek community and its contributions to the city’s cultural fabric, including the preservation of its rituals and cultural legacies that blended with the Egyptian environment.
It also refers to a common historical custom of placing foundation deposits inside new buildings to ensure blessing and prosperity, which has deep roots in the ancient Greek and Egyptian heritage.
Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, explained that the villa in which the capsule was found is located within the property of the Salvago family, one of the most prominent Greek families in Alexandria, which played a pivotal role in the economic, social, and cultural life of the city in the late nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century.
The capsule also contained a document written in Greek on a typewriter, accompanied by hand signatures and invitations, indicating the laying of the foundation stone for the villa on May 1, 1937 by Constantine M. Salvago, supported by his mother Julia K. Salvago, under the supervision of the French architect Jean Walter, referring to the cultural and religious rituals of the Greek community in documenting the founding moments of their homes.
This disclosure comes within the framework of the Ministry’s keenness to record and document all elements of tangible heritage in its various periods, and to highlight the contributions of all components of Egyptian society historically, including the communities that contributed to shaping Alexandria’s identity as a cosmopolitan city.
The discovered coins are scheduled to be displayed in a special exhibition at the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria, to be a living witness to this unique chapter in the city’s history.
