About 200 miles southeast of Berlin, in the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains near the Polish border, archaeologists made a historic discovery. They discovered a hoard of coins worth more than $340,000! Historians believe this treasure was buried by refugees from political oppression. This was happening at one of the most tumultuous periods of the 20th century. Each with a different use, two containers were found inside a tech mound made of stone on Zvičina Hill. Collectively, they possessed a horde of about 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms).
The find included a rich hoard of 598 coins, as well as gold bracelets and snuff boxes. These coins range in date from 1808 to 1915. They feature notes from a number of different countries, including France, Belgium, the Ottoman Empire, Russia and former Austria-Hungary. Researchers speculate that the cache was likely hidden in response to the rising threats posed by Nazi Germany in 1938.
The discovery was made when a Kansas City local crossed paths with the two boxes, buried about three feet (one meter) away from each other. The metal box discovered with the coin box only deepens the puzzle of this history mystery.
Even though the burial is an enigma, what spurred this burial is pretty obvious. Miroslav Novák, a historian researching the find, commented.
“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,” – Miroslav Novák.
Novák stressed that the hoard’s importance goes beyond its monetary value.
“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,” – Miroslav Novák.
Many of these coins have small marks applied known as contramarks. That indicates to me that some of these pieces were actually issued post WWI. Vojtěch Brádle, a historian who worked on assessing the hoard, stressed how crucial this detail was. He thinks it is important for placing the hoard’s historical context.
“This is due to the presence of several pieces with miniature marks (so-called contramarks), which could have been added after the First World War,” – Vojtěch Brádle.
As specialists have the opportunity to study the hoard in more detail, they hope to fill in the gaps and recreate the story of the people who buried it. The find shines new light on an important moment in history. It’s certainly a cause for concern, but even more so if you begin to consider who might have been compelled to leave their valuables behind amidst the political turmoil.
The study of this hoard provides a fascinating window into the world of the past. During a time when the ruling powers persecuted others through fear, many individuals hid their treasures to protect them from a fragile world. Our research continues, and the further historical implications of this remarkable find will be fully examined. It will look at its connection and relevance to major historical developments that defined Central Europe in a decisive era.
