Spanish pipe-layers find large Roman coin hoard Published duration 29 April 2016

image copyright EPA image caption Experts said the find was "unique"

Construction workers laying pipes in a park in southern Spain have unearthed a 600kg trove of Roman coins.

The bronze coins dating from the late 4th Century were found inside 19 Roman amphoras, a type of jar.

They bear images of the emperors Constantine and Maximian and it is thought they may have been used to pay soldiers or civil servants.

The Director of the Seville Archaeological Museum Ana Navarro said the discovery had incalculable value.

"It is a unique collection and there are very few similar cases," she said.

"I could not give you an economic value, because the value they really have is historical and you can't calculate that."

Work on the pipes, in the town of Tomares, has been suspended while an archaeological survey is carried out.

The Romans began to conquer Spain in 218 BC, ruling until the 5th Century.

image copyright AP image caption The thousands of coins were discovered in several amphoras, a type of Roman jar

image copyright AFP image caption It is thought they may have been used to pay soldiers or civil servants