Latest news with #MuseumofEastBohemia
American Military News
09-05-2025
- American Military News
Pic: Gold treasure found by hikers in overgrown field
An 'unusually large' treasure trove of gold coins, tobacco boxes, and jewelry was recently discovered by two hikers in the Czech Republic. In a statement obtained by Fox News, the Museum of East Bohemia in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, confirmed that a 15-pound 'depot of gold coins, jewelry and tobacco boxes' was found by two hikers and delivered to the museum in February. A Museum of East Bohemia press release obtained by Fox News stated, '[T]wo finders discovered two boxes in an artificially created stone wall on the edge of a now non-existent field overgrown with forest during a tourist walk on the southwestern slope of Zvičina Hill.' A picture shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows the large collection of gold coins, bars, and rings found by the hikers in the overgrown Czech Republic field. The picture reveals that some of the gold items have been tarnished due to age. Whoa, what a find! Hikers in the Czech Republic uncovered a $340K stash of gold coins & jewelry near Zvičina Hill! Hidden since WWII, this treasure's now at the Museum of East Bohemia. Keep hunting, folks! — @_Treasure_Kings_ (@_Treasure_Kings) April 30, 2025 According to Fox News, the Museum of East Bohemia confirmed that 598 coins were found in a container that was 'divided into 11 columns and wrapped in black fabric.' The museum said, 'In a metal box found about a meter away, objects made of yellow metal were stored — 16 tobacco boxes, 10 bracelets, a bag made of fine wire mesh, a comb, a chain with a key, and a powder box.' Fox News reported that Miroslav Novák, an archaeologist at the Museum of East Bohemia, described the hikers' discovery as a 'unique find.' 'Storing valuable objects in the ground as treasures, known as depots, has been common practice since prehistoric times,' Novák said. 'Initially, religious motives were more common, but later it was property stored during uncertain times with the intention of retrieving it later. This find is notable for the unusually large weight of precious metal.' READ MORE: Pics: Surprising WWII shipwreck finds revealed Fox News reported that the Czech Republic gold discovery is an unusual find since the earliest coins in the treasure trove are only from 1808. Vojtěch Brádle, a coin specialist with the Museum of East Bohemia, noted that the treasure was buried for 'just over 100 years.' 'Based on the dates stamped on them, the coins range from 1808 to 1915,' Brádle said. 'However, the year 1915 is not decisive for determining when the depot was placed there.' Brádle explained that marks stamped on the coins indicate that the gold coins must have been buried after World War I. 'These marks were stamped on coins in the territory of former Yugoslavia during the 1920s and 1930s,' Brádle said. 'Within the context of domestic finds, this collection is very specific, as most of it consists of coins of French origin, and besides Austrian-Hungarian coins, it also includes Belgian and Ottoman coins.'
Fox News
08-05-2025
- Fox News
Hikers uncover mysterious gold-filled treasure trove in overgrown field: 'Unusually large'
A cache of gold items and other pieces of treasure came to light recently – and officials are still perplexed by the trove's origin. In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, the Museum of East Bohemia in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, said that a "depot of gold coins, jewelry and tobacco boxes" had been found. Weighing a hefty 15 pounds, the cache was found by two hikers who handed the treasure over to the museum in February. "[T]wo finders discovered two boxes in an artificially created stone wall on the edge of a now non-existent field overgrown with forest during a tourist walk on the southwestern slope of Zvičina Hill," the museum said in a press release translated from Czech to English. Pictures show the stunning finds consisting of various gold rings, bars and coins, though the gold had varnished with age. In total, 598 coins were found. The container holding the gold items was "divided into 11 columns and wrapped in black fabric," according to the museum. "In a metal box found about a meter away, objects made of yellow metal were stored — 16 tobacco boxes, 10 bracelets, a bag made of fine wire mesh, a comb, a chain with a key, and a powder box," the museum also said. "This find is notable for the unusually large weight of precious metal." In a statement, Museum of East Bohemia archaeologist Miroslav Novák called the discovery a "unique find." "Storing valuable objects in the ground as treasures, known as depots, has been common practice since prehistoric times," the expert said. Novák added, "Initially, religious motives were more common, but later it was property stored during uncertain times with the intention of retrieving it later. This find is notable for the unusually large weight of precious metal." What makes the discovery so unusual is how relatively young it is. The earliest coins date to 1808. Museum of East Bohemia coin specialist Vojtěch Brádle said that the treasure had been buried "for just over 100 years." "Based on the dates stamped on them, the coins range from 1808 to 1915," the numismatist said. "However, the year 1915 is not decisive for determining when the depot was placed there." He noted that the coins must have been placed after World War I, based on certain marks. "These marks were stamped on coins in the territory of former Yugoslavia during the 1920s and 1930s," Brádle noted. "Within the context of domestic finds, this collection is very specific, as most of it consists of coins of French origin, and besides Austrian-Hungarian coins, it also includes Belgian and Ottoman coins." He added, "Conversely, German and Czechoslovak coins are entirely absent." The museum concluded its announcement by noting the opportunities that the relatively recent treasure trove presents. "[It] presents much broader, albeit more complex, possibilities for studying historical archival documents," the statement read.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hikers Discover Hidden Treasure That May Be Worth More Than $300,000
The next time you go for a walk, you may be tempted to look for buried gold. A hike in the Czech Republic turned into an accidental treasure hunt for two men who stumbled upon a buried trove of riches. In February, two men were trekking through the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains, located near the Polish border in the northern region of the Czech Republic, when they discovered a canister filled with hundreds of shiny gold coins. Nearby, an iron box was found with more treasures, including cigarette cases, bracelets, a comb, and a chain with a key. The men handed over the findings to the Museum of East Bohemia, where archaeologists are now analyzing the discoveries, according to an April 25 Facebook post. Together, the items weigh more than 15 pounds and could be worth as much as $340,000. Under Czech law, the hikers may receive up to 10 percent of the treasure's value as a reward, TVP World reports. Related: 14 Valuable Collectibles to Look for in Thrift Stores The can contained 598 coins neatly arranged into 11 columns and wrapped in black cloth, weighing more than 8 pounds. The coins were stamped with dates ranging from 1808 to 1915. Some coins also bear countermarks, indicating that they were reissued in 1921 in an area of Yugoslavia most likely encompassing modern-day Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to Artnet. The coins originated from various countries such as France, Turkey, Belgium, Romania, Italy, and Russia. The reason the treasure was buried is unknown. Miroslav Novák, head of the archaeological department of the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, told Czech Radio that it's possible the treasure belonged to one of the thousands of Czech or Jewish people who fled during World War II to escape persecution. He notes that it could also be linked to "monetary reform," referring to the monetary reform forced upon Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union in 1953. While it remains unclear who hid the stash and why it was never retrieved, experts believe it was hidden because the coins are gold. "It was clearly not about the nominal value of the coins. It's not about what the coins could buy—that's not what mattered. It was deliberately hidden because it was precious metal," the Museum of Eastern Bohemia's coin expert, Vojtěch Brádle, told Czech Radio. Read the original article on Martha Stewart
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Two Hikers Picked Up an Aluminum Can—and Found a Secret Stash of 600 Gold Coins Inside
Two hikers stumbled upon a small aluminum can in a forested area of the Czech Republic that contained nearly 600 gold coins. Just three feet from the gold coins, an iron box contained more precious metal items, from jewelry to cigarette cases. Theories abound as to why the valuable trove of goods ended up tucked away in a stone wall. A field in an overgrown Czech Republic forest has, for nearly 100 years, served as the hiding place for a secret stash of nearly 600 gold coins and other precious metal goods tucked into a stone wall. But the cache of treasure is hiding no more. Two hikers traversing the Krkonoše Mountains (Giant Mountains) came across the small aluminum can, which had been hidden in a crevice in the wall, and opened it up to find the collection of gold coins. Just a few feet away, they found another hidden cache—this one an iron box holding jewelry, cigarette cases, and other personal items all made from gold. The lucky hikers wound up finishing their trip with an extra 15 pounds of precious cargo. They eventually took their discovery for an assessment by experts at the Museum of Eastern Bohemia. 'To store valuable objects in the ground in the form of treasures, so-called depots, have been common practice since prehistoric times,' Miroslav Novak, head of the archaeological department of the Museum of East Bohemia in Hradec Kralove, said in a translated statement. 'At first, religious movements were more common, later it was property stored in uncertain times with the intention of returning later for it.' Still, the latest find—considering its unusual weight of precious metal—is quite unique, Novak said. Whoever stashed the treasure may have done so to conceal valuables while fleeing the Nazis' annexation of the region, or it could have been Germans hiding the small fortune under fear of expulsion. Two hikers first found the aluminum container sticking out above the surface of a stone wall. Inside were 598 gold coins 11 separate stacks wrapped in black fabric. The iron box was only about three feet away, and contained its own bounty of metal goods that included 16 cigarette cases, 10 bracelets, a small purse woven from silver mesh, a powder compact, a comb, and a chain with a key. The 15 pounds of gold coins and jewelry is valued at over $330,000. However, Novak said the historical value of the treasure is incalculable. Using the stamping on the coins, the museum team dated them all to between 1808 and 1915. They come from far and wide across Europe, with coins originating from France, Turkey, Belgium, Romania, Italy, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. The coins from Austria-Hungary—which were likely intended for use in Yugoslavia—feature a specific composition in use until the 1930s. The range of provenances makes it difficult to track how the coins got to where they were—or just why they were stashed away at all. 'It is hard to say whether it was Czech, German, or Jewish gold,' said Petr Grulich, museum director, according to Arkeo News. The museum plans to display the collection, after the finder's fee of 10 percent is doled out to the hikers who brought in the collection to the museum. 'When he opened it,' Novak said, according to the Daily Mail, 'my jaw dropped.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Hikers unearth buried treasure: 200-year-old gold coins found hidden in wall. They are worth…
Two tourists hiking in the Czech Republic stumbled upon a buried treasure trove full of gold coins and bracelets worth $341,000 ( ₹2.8 crore). They found the treasure hidden inside two containers in a wall in a field in February, according to a Facebook post from the Museum of East Bohemia. When they opened the boxes, they foudn gold coins, bracelets, and cigarette cases weighing a total of 6.8 kg. The museum, which was handed over the treasure, said that the hikers stumbled upon the treasure when they saw a can sticking out of a shaft and decided to investigate the wall. Inside, they found a container with 598 gold coins 'divided into 11 columns and wrapped in black fabric.' Another box stored 3 feet away held the bracelets and other objects. Miroslav Novak, Head of the Archaeological Department at the museum, said that while burying valuables has been a common practice since prehistoric times, it's rare to uncover such a large stash of precious metals from a relatively recent era, according to the museum's Facebook post. The majority of the coins date from 1808 to 1915, with some minted in the 1920s and 1930s. This timeline helped experts narrow down when the treasure was likely hidden. The coins came from several regions including France, Austria-Hungary, Belgium and the Ottoman Empire. Although the identity of the person who hid the treasure remains a mystery, Novak believes it was likely concealed during a time of upheaval likely during World War II, given the historical context. 'The list of potential reasons for which it was likely buried is fairly clear. It was the beginning of the war, the deportation of the Czech and Jewish populations, then the deportation of the Germans after the war — so there are several possibilities. There was also a monetary reform, which could have also been a reason," he added.
