Gold treasure worth millions of crowns unearthed in north-eastern Bohemia
Archaeologists in Eastern Bohemia have announced the chance discovery of a rare treasure near the north-eastern town of Trutnov. Hidden in a forest, the 7-kilogram hoard includes nearly four kilos of gold coins, worth over CZK 7.5 million.
The sensational discovery took place in early February when two hikers were walking on the southwest slopes of Zvičina Hill, located at the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains.
At the edge of a former field, now overgrown with trees, they first stumbled upon a tin aluminium container, which contained nearly 600 coins, arranged in 11 stacks, each wrapped in black fabric.
About a meter away, they found an iron box with sixteen cigarette cases, ten bracelets, a wire purse, a comb, a chain, and a powder compact—all made of yellow metal.
So far, archaeologists have no idea how the hoard ended up in the ground or who could have hidden it there. What they do know is that it most likely occurred after 1921, the latest date found on the coins.
Miroslav Novák, head of the archaeological department of the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, explains.
“The list of potential reasons for which it was likely buried is fairly clear. 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 also been a reason.”
According to Mr. Novák, the owner clearly buried the treasure somewhere where they could later find it. However, the identity of the person who buried the treasure and why it was never retrieved remains a mystery.
What is clear is that the primary motivation for hiding the treasure was the precious metal, particularly gold. According to the museum’s numismatist, Vojtěch Brádle, the coins alone weigh 3.75 kilograms:
“It was clearly not about the nominal value of the coins, whether they were worth 5, 10, or 100 crowns. It’s not about what the coins could buy—that’s not what mattered. It was deliberately hidden because it was precious metal.”
Numismatists have already examined the find closely and discovered that the coins are French, Turkish, Belgian, and Austro-Hungarian, along with a few coins from Romania, Italy, and Russia. By examining the small marks on the coins, they also determined that the Austro-Hungarian coins were not intended for Bohemia, but more likely for the area of former Yugoslavia, such as Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina:
“Sometime after 1921, they must have been re-stamped in local mints, and only later, under unknown circumstances, did they make their way from former Yugoslavia to our country. What is certain, though, is that in 1921, at least part of these coins couldn’t have been on our territory. They must have still been in the Balkans at that time,” explains Mr. Brádle.
The other items that were part of the hoard are still awaiting examination. Archaeologists hope that with the help of archival records, they will eventually unravel the full story behind the treasure hidden beneath Zvičina Hill.
