Corsican divers find Roman gold coins

In September 1985, three divers from Corsica—Félix Biancamaria, his brother Ange, and their friend Marc Cotoni—uncovered a large number of Roman gold coins while diving for sea urchins in the cove of Capo di Feno, Gulf of Lava. They found the first coins at about two meters depth and continued to dig through the sand, using tools like jacks and mining bars to uncover more, with some coins stuck to rocks and requiring knives or hammers to remove.

Estimated value of the treasure

Félix Biancamaria claimed to have found nearly 600 coins, enough to fill several jam jars. Experts, however, believe the total could have been as high as 1,400 or even 4,400 coins, with a potential value between 21 to 100 million euros. The exact number remains unknown because the coins were scattered before a complete inventory could be made.

French law and ownership of underwater treasures

Under French law, treasures found underwater with unknown owners belong to the State and are considered maritime cultural assets. The Department of Underwater and Subaquatic Archaeological Research (DRASSM), part of the Ministry of Culture, was responsible for recovering the coins. In November 1986, the State seized 73 coins—about one-eighth of what Félix Biancamaria claimed—while the rest were largely dispersed and later appeared on the market.

Legal consequences for the divers

In 1994, Ange and Félix Biancamaria, along with Marc Cotoni, were sentenced to eighteen months in prison with suspended sentences and fines of 25,000 francs for illegally possessing and removing a maritime wreck. Two professional numismatists were also condemned, and the sentences were upheld on appeal in 1995. The State kept the 73 coins, placing them in the Cabinet of Medals in Paris and the museum of Sartène.

Resurfacing of a gold plate

A gold plate weighing 879 grams, discovered in August 1986, resurfaced in 2010 when Félix Biancamaria was caught trying to sell it at Roissy station. The plate, valued between 2 and 8 million euros, was seized by the State after a trial in Marseille in January 2024. Félix Biancamaria was sentenced to 12 months in prison with a suspended sentence and a fine of 200,000 euros, to be paid jointly with Jean-Michel Richaud, who received eight months with a suspended sentence.

Origin of the treasure remains unclear

The absence of a shipwreck at the site has raised questions about where the treasure came from. Some speculate it may have originated from Roman villas on nearby hills, unearthed by Italian workers in the 19th century and partially hidden in a cave near the sea. If the treasure came from land rather than a shipwreck, the legal rules for shipwrecks may not apply in the same way.

Ongoing legal and recovery efforts

The case remains partially unresolved, as the State can still claim the Lava objects at any time, though some items have already been sold at auction. In March 2017, four people were arrested in Bastia with sixteen gold coins hidden in wooden and rubber ink pads. A Gallien medallion, estimated at 580,000 euros, has also disappeared and is actively being sought by authorities.