A hoard of medieval silver coins have been discovered in the Czech Republic by a woman who was merely out for a casual walk.
The lucky woman was out walking in the Kutnohorsk Region of Czechia, when she accidentally came across a ceramic pot. Although the pot itself was mostly broken, its contents were still there – over 2,150 silver coins, which are known as denarii.
The stash is believed to be around 900 years old and, according to a translated statement, the coins are being analysed by experts from the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague and the Czech Silver Museum in Kutná Hora.
It is a find that has been described as one of the greatest of the last decade. Archaeologist Filip Velímský explained the context surrounding why whoever originally had the stash probably lost it.
“It was probably placed in its place during the first quarter of the 12th century, at a time of internal political instability,” he said. “At that time, there were disputes in the country between the members of the Přemysl dynasty about the princely throne of Prague.”
Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague
While the original holder of the coins was never able to retrieve the huge sum of money that they probably would have been worth, the ceramic pot in which they were placed for their security did its job as the coins weren’t discovered for 900 years.
“Unfortunately, for the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries, we lack data on the purchasing power of the contemporary coin,” Velímský explained. “But it was a huge amount, unimaginable for an ordinary person and at the same time unaffordable. It can be compared to winning a million in the jackpot.”
Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague
Because the Kutnohorsk Region was known for frequent battles for the Prague throne, experts have theorised that the coins could have been “war booty” or even wages for soldiers.
From early analysis, it has been determined that the coins were minted in multiple places within the Kutnohorsk Region and were most likely created between 1085 and 1107 under the rule of three different Přemysl leaders.
“The coins were most likely minted in the Prague mint from silver that was imported to Bohemia at the time,” said Lenka Mazačová, director of the Czech Silver Museum in Kutná Hora.
The coins will be cleaned, restored, X-rayed and undergo spectral analysis to find out their exact composition. It is hoped they can then go on public display.
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