03-05-2025
Gold Coins Worth $341,000 Found Hidden in an Overgrown Field During a Rural Hike
Two hikers walking in an overgrown field in the Czech Republic discovered over $341,000 worth of hidden treasure in a man-made wall
The treasure was found in two separate containers and included gold coins, jewelry and cigarette cases
The discovery was handed over to a local museum, and experts believe the treasure was likely hidden during the Second World War
Two tourists discovered a treasure trove of gold coins and bracelets while hiking in the Czech Republic.
The hikers found the treasure in two containers hidden in a man-made wall in an overgrown field in February, according to an official Facebook post from the Museum of East Bohemia.
Upon opening the containers, they discovered gold coins, bracelets, and cigarette cases weighing a total of 15 lbs.
The museum — which is currently in possession of the treasure — said that the hikers began investigating the wall when they spotted an aluminum can sticking out above the surface of a shaft. The jar contained 598 gold coins 'divided into 11 columns and wrapped in black fabric.'
The bracelets and other objects were then located in a metal box stored about 3 ft. away.
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Miroslav Novák, the Head of the Archaeological Department at the museum, noted that while hiding precious objects in the ground has been a common practice since 'prehistoric times,' it is unique to find such a large amount of precious metal hidden from a relatively recent time period, per the musuem's Facebook post.
Many of the coins found were dated between 1808 and 1915, while several were minted during the twenties and thirties, which helped the museum to better determine when the coins may have been placed in the wall. They noted that the coins originated from a variety of places, including France, Austria-Hungary, Belgium and the Ottoman Empire.
Local news outlet Radio Prague International reported that the coins alone were valued at about $341,000.
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While no one currently knows who hid the treasure, Novák told the outlet that it was likely hidden due to larger world events happening in the region at the time — most specifically, the Second World War.
'The list of potential reasons for which it was likely buried is fairly clear,' he explained. '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.'
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The museum's coin expert, Vojtěch Brádle, additionally told Radio Prague that the coins would not have been valuable for their numerical value, but rather because of the material from which they were made.
'It was clearly not about the nominal value of the coins, whether they were worth 5, 10, or 100 crowns. It's not about what the coins could buy — that's not what mattered. It was deliberately hidden because it was precious metal,' he said.
Read the original article on People
