Two men find 598 gold coins and jewelry while hiking in the mountains: they are worth more than 600,000 euros.

What began as a simple mountain hike ended up revealing a legacy hidden for decades. Discoveries like this in nature show that, beneath the stones of any path, a forgotten part of European history could be hidden. This is what happened to two men who, while hiking along the southwest slope of Zvičina Hill in the Czech Republic , discovered what would soon be considered an exceptional treasure: a set of gold coins and jewelry estimated to be worth more than 600,000 euros .

During the excursion, the discoverers noticed an aluminum box sticking out of a stone mound . Upon opening it, they found 598 gold coins meticulously arranged in eleven columns and wrapped in black cloth, valued at 316,200 euros. A short distance away, another metal box concealed items such as bracelets, a comb, a wire mesh bag, a key chain, and a powder compact , all made of precious metals.

The collection was voluntarily handed over to the East Bohemian Museum in Hradec Králové , where it is now being kept. Head of the archaeological department, Miroslav Novák , declared it "a unique find" and explained that "at first, religious motifs were more common, then more often they were items stored away for uncertain times with the intention of returning to them later."

The total weight of the objects reaches 7 kg , a rare amount in the region. "What makes this find particularly remarkable is the unusually large weight of the precious metal," Novák noted. Beyond its economic value, the researchers emphasize the discovery's enormous potential for historical study, due to its relatively recent provenance. It is estimated that the treasure was hidden underground for just over a hundred years .

According to the museum's numismatist, Vojtěch Brádle, some of the coins have countermarks added after the First World War , making exact dating difficult. Many of them were minted in the former Yugoslavia during the 1920s and 1930s , while the collection also contains coins from France, Belgium, the Ottoman Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire . No German or Czechoslovak coins have been found, making this collection a unique combination within the country.

To determine the precise nature of non-monetary metal objects, the Assay Office is conducting compositional analyses. This data will allow for the most appropriate conservation treatments and planning for their future public display. The East Bohemian Museum has shared initial images and information through its official channels.