A pair of Czech dudes were recently hiking near the Polish border when something extremely unexpected happened.
One of them looked at the soil and noticed part of an old, peculiar looking aluminum jar. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was filled with 598 antique gold coins!
Rather than pocketing their find and cashing in on the discovery, they decided to be good citizens and hand the coins and other items found in a box next to the jar to a local museum. However, in adherence with Czech law, they will be entitled to a finders fee of up to 10 per cent of the treasure’s value.
The rare trove of valuables, originating from several European countries and dated between 1808-1915, is estimated to be worth approximately C$470,000.
“The treasure was hidden in the ground for over a hundred years,” said local numismatist (coin expert) and Museum of East Bohemia curator, Vojtěch Brádle. He told a local Czech media outlet that his “jaw dropped” when he first saw the discovery.
An archaeologist from the museum, Miroslav Novak, also said that his jaw quickly descended when he first laid eyes on it.
The hikers originally located the cache of valuables in early February before the Czech museum publicly revealed the find in a Facebook post on Apr. 25.
Who left it there and why they never returned to collect it has been a subject of speculation among researchers. Experts at the museum are currently investigating the origin of the treasure and plan to display it in a future exhibit.
“The aluminum jar sticking out above the surface of the shaft contained a total of 598 gold coins divided into 11 columns and wrapped in black fabric. In a metal box found about a metre away there were stored objects made of yellow metal – a total of 16 tobacco bags, 10 bracelets, a bag made of fine wire mesh, a comb, chain with key and a powder coat.” Photo credit: Museum of East Bohemia
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