Woman, Out On A Walk, Discovers Over 2,150 Silver Coins From Middle Ages

A woman, out for a walk, was in for a surprise when she stumbled upon a buried treasure from the Middle Ages -- more than 2,150 silver coins -- in the Kutna Hora town of the central Bohemian region in the Czech Republic. 

Described by experts as a "once-in-a-decade discovery", these silver coins were minted between 1085 and 1107, according to a press release translated into English by the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ARUP).

Experts believe these coins were manufactured in Prague and were imported to Bohemia.

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ARUP explained that the coins were made of "coin alloy, which, in addition to silver, also contains an admixture of copper, lead and trace metals”.

Once the experts determine the composition used in making these coins, they will also be able to tell the origins of the silver used, it added.

Political instability

The treasure was hidden when the region witnessed political instability, archaeologist Filip Velimsky said.

These coins were stored in a ceramic container that was destroyed over time. However, the archaeologists did manage to discover the bottom of the container.

Recalling history, Velimsky asserted that back then there were disputes in the country "between the members of the Přemysl dynasty about the princely throne of Prague."

Noting that battles were common during the period, ARUP, in its release, claimed that the depot could have been cash “for paying wages or spoils of war.”

The value of these ancient coins was “unimaginable” during the time, the historian said.

“Unfortunately, for the turn of the 11th–12th century, we lack data on the purchasing power of contemporary coins... But it was a huge, unimaginable – and at the same time, unavailable – amount for an ordinary person. It can be compared to winning a million in the jackpot," Velimsky explained.

Officials in the country have called the discovery “one of the largest finds of the last decade.”

What next?

For now, historians have started to process the coins. This includes putting them through X-rays to determine what material these coins are made from.

There are plans to put these coins up for display during an exhibition next year.