A total of 459 kilos of copper coins believed to be 2,000 years old were unearthed by a villager in China's Shaanxi Province, sources told the official Xinhua news agency on Tuesday.

The coins, in mixed rectangular and round shapes, were discovered by a villager surnamed Zhang in Xingping City's Nanzuo Village when he was building a house.

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Zhang told authorities that he was leveling the land to prepare for the construction of his house last Saturday when he found a hole measuring half a meter deep on the ground.

Using his spade, Zhang continued digging and there found the 459-kilo ancient copper coins in three kinds. All of the coins had a hole at the center.

Zhang immediately informed authorities about his discovery and was later told that the coins were from the Xin Dynasty, which dates back between 9 AD and 23 AD.

A cultural relic police officer also confirmed to the Xinhua news agency that the coins were indeed ancient and were used during the Xin Dynasty.

According to Chinese historical records, Wang Mang, an official from the Han Dynasty, launched a currency reform after founding the Xin Dynasty. The capital of Xin was at Xi'an in Shaanxi.

According to history, Wang's currency reform involved issuing different kinds of coins. The reform, however, failed to achieve its goals and only aggravated the financial crisis during his reign.

The coins found in Nanzuo Village will be cleaned, processed, and then evaluated by expert archeologists to officially determine its age.

The 459-kilogram three kinds of copper coins will then be give to the local museum for safekeeping, authorities said.

Last month, a team of Chinese archeologists have discovered the remains of the ancient city of Yueyang. The city was at the center of a political reform 2,300 years ago.

The remains of Yueyang City, capital of the Qin state during the Warring States Period is confirmed to be in the district of Yanliang in Xi'an city.

TagsChina Old Coins, China Archeology, China Artifacts