The loot. Authorities hypothesize that it might have been buried during the political upheaval of World War II. Photo: Museum of East Bohemia
A pair of hikers stumbled across a fortune in valuable gold coins in the Czech Republic. Instead of keeping the loot for themselves, they admirably handed it over to a museum.
The hikers were strolling in the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains in February, near the Czech border with Poland, when they discovered a small aluminum can hidden in the crevice of a wall. It contained nearly 600 gold coins wrapped in fabric. Just feet away, they discovered a box containing cigarette cases, a comb, bracelets, and a chain, among other items, all also made of gold.
All in all, the 15 pounds of items are valued at roughly USD $340,000.
The items were handed over to the Museum of East Bohemia, which, after examining the dates on the coins, determined that the stash was hidden no earlier than 1921. The coins themselves were dated between 1808 and 1915, hailing from far-reaching corners of Europe, including France, Turkey, Belgium, Romania, Italy, Russia, and Austria-Hungary.
Krkonoše Mountains near the Czech border with Poland. Photo: Wiki Commons
It’s anyone’s guess why they were hidden, but the museum’s experts logically note that the coins’ dates align with the region’s political upheaval during World War II.
“The list of potential reasons for which it was likely buried is fairly clear,” said Miroslav Novák, head of the archaeological department of the Museum of Eastern Bohemia. “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 been a reason.”
The museum will put the trove on display, but the two honest hikers will not walk away completely empty-handed. They’ll be given a “finder’s fee” of 10 percent – still a hefty chunk of change in exchange for a walk in the woods.
