Two hikers traversing the Krkonoše Mountains in northeastern Czech Republic recently unearthed a remarkable stash of gold coins and jewelry — hidden for nearly a century. What began as a casual hike ended in the discovery of nearly 600 gold coins and an assortment of valuable personal items, now under the care of the Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové.
The find began innocently enough. The hikers were at the edge of an overgrown field when they spotted a small metal can peeking out from a crevice in a moss-covered stone wall.
What they found inside the can were 598 gold coins meticulously arranged in 11 stacks, each wrapped in black fabric. Just a few feet away, they uncovered a second container — an iron box housing 10 bracelets, 16 cigarette cases, a powder compact, a comb, a silver-mesh purse, and a chain with a key, all crafted from precious metals.
The complete cache weighed more than 15 pounds and is valued at more than $680,000.
“This kind of find is extraordinary not only because of its volume, but also the variety and geographic spread of the coins,” said Miroslav Novák, head of the archaeological department at the Museum of East Bohemia, in a translated statement. “It was clearly not about the nominal value of the coins or what they could buy. Rather, it was deliberately hidden because it was a precious metal.”
Experts have dated the coins from 1808 to 1915, with some reissued in 1921 in what was then Yugoslavia. The gold pieces come from a broad swath of Europe and beyond, including France, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Romania, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and even North Africa. Curiously, coins from Czechoslovakia and Germany are absent, adding to the mystery.
Theories about the treasure’s origin abound. The Museum suggests that it may have been hidden by Jewish families or fleeing citizens during the Nazi occupation in the late 1930s. Others speculate it could have belonged to Germans fearing postwar expulsion in 1945, or perhaps someone protecting assets during the 1953 Soviet-imposed monetary reform in Czechoslovakia.
“There are a huge number of possibilities,” noted historian Martin Vesely of Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in an interview with The New York Times. “Anything could have happened.”
Regardless of the true story, the find has captured public imagination and sparked interest among historians and archaeologists alike. The treasure carries historical significance that far exceeds its monetary worth.
Novák remembered his reaction to seeing the treasure for the first time.
“My jaw dropped,” he said.
The hikers are set to receive a 10% finder’s fee, and the Museum of Eastern Bohemia plans to display the trove to the public after further analysis.
Credits: Images courtesy of Museum of Eastern Bohemia.