Hidden trove of treasure worth over $340,000 found by hikers in Czech Republic
Two people hiking in the Czech Republic found a treasure trove worth over $340,000 while walking on the edge of an overgrown forest, according to the museum that took possession of the items.
The Museum of East Bohemia said the hikers found gold coins, jewelry and tobacco bags. The found objects weighed about 15 pounds, the museum said on social media.
The treasure was found in two containers in a man-made stone wall, the museum said. First, the hikers spotted an aluminum jar, which contained 598 gold coins, divided into columns and wrapped in black fabric. Local media reported the treasure was valued at 7.5 million Czech crowns, which is about $341,000.
About three feet away, they found 16 tobacco bags, 10 bracelets, a bag made of fine wire mesh, a comb, a powder coat and a chain with a key. These items were made of yellow metal and were found in a metal box, the museum said.
The coins appear to have been "hidden in the ground for over a hundred years," according to a museum expert, and are dated from 1808 to the early 19th century. Local media reported that the coins, which were likely buried after 1921, include currency from France, Belgium, the Ottoman Empire and former Austria-Hungary. Small marks on the currency indicate that they were minted for use in former Yugoslavia, which existed from 1918 to 1992. The museum called the collection a "very specific set."
Experts have yet to date or determine an origin for the other objects. Efforts are underway to analyze the items and identify the yellow metal that the pieces are composed of.
Miroslav Novák, head of the museum's archaeological department, said the finding is unique, but the practice of burying treasure underground has been a "common practice since the prehistoric times." Often, the pieces were buried "in uncertain times with the intention of returning later for it," Novák said.
