The remarkable discovery was made by father and son Sławomir and Szymon Milewski near Pomiechówek, a village in Poland’s east-central Mazovia province.
As members of the
Triglav Historical and Research Association, an organization dedicated to archaeological and historical exploration, they teamed up with the “Husaria” Polish Treasure Hunters Association in a search originally aimed at uncovering traces of an ancient trade route believed to date back to Roman times.
Little did they know that their research would lead them to stumble upon a hidden treasure of 17 coins dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries.
Piotr Duda, an archaeologist from the Triglav association, told Polish state news agency PAP: “This is probably one of the largest treasures of this type discovered so far in Poland, and certainly in Mazovia.
“Over the last few years, coin deposits from various historical periods have been found, but not from the 16th and 17th centuries. Their historical value today is indescribable, and the material value is estimated at about half a million zlotys [almost €115,000].”
He added: “We knew that these were silver coins, and their value could be high, but when we started looking at them, we rubbed our eyes in amazement. This is simply unbelievable.”
The discoverers have been left pondering the origins of such a treasure in the vicinity of Pomiechówek.
The coins will now be handed over to Mazovia’s Conservator of Monuments, an official body responsible for the preservation and protection of cultural heritage sites.
