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.
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.”
