When two visitors discovered a secret treasure tucked away amid the stones, what had started off as a leisurely walk in the woodland became a movie scene. Since then, both archaeologists and historians have been fascinated by their remarkable discovery in the northern Czech Republic’s Krkonoše Mountains.
While exploring the verdant, forested area, the two travelers—who have opted to remain anonymous—spied a gleaming aluminum box that was partly hidden by stones. After opening the package out of curiosity, they were met with a startling discovery.
A CNN article claims that the package had an impressive collection of priceless items:
It is believed that the gold coins alone, which weighed 8 pounds (3.7 kg), were worth 80 lakh Czech Koruna, or almost Rs 3 crore. The fact that the cigar boxes are still unopened heightens the mystery surrounding the discovery.
The vacationers responsibly gave the treasure to the East Bohemia Museum in Hradec Králové instead of keeping it for themselves. The director of the museum’s archeological section, Miroslav Novák, claims that when the finders showed his staff the treasure during their surprise visit, an inquiry was launched right away.
According to preliminary research, the trove is more than a century old, with the coins dating at least to 1921. According to Novak, the wealth was probably hidden before World War II or about 1945. It’s interesting to note that half of the coins are from the Balkan area, the other half are from France, and none are Czech. In the 1920s and 1930s, some even had insignia from the old Yugoslavia.
Locals have conjectured about the hoard’s origins. Some say that it was booty concealed by Czechoslovak troops during volatile times, while others speculate that it could have belonged to the affluent Svirts-Shpork family of the Kuks Estate. But for the time being at least, the real narrative is still buried in history.
The museum is still examining the objects, paying particular attention to the metal composition and the unopened cigar boxes. The finders are entitled to a payment depending on the estimated worth of the treasure, even if the local government is legally the owner under Czech law.
As the inquiry progresses, this accidental find serves as both a reminder that actual treasure hunts still occur today and an engrossing window into Europe’s complicated 20th-century past.
