Buried treasure found in Córdoba[Spain]

Typically Spanish ^ | 22 Sep 2009 | h.b.

[BGHater]

13 gold coins have been found, wrapped together, by the river in Córdoba

If you know where to look, buried treasure can still be found in Spain. The latest find was not however thanks to a map marked with an ‘X’, but came as part of an archaeological excavation as part of new drainage works in Córdoba, close to the famous Roman Bridge in the city centre.

13 gold coins, escudos, from the reign of Carlos III, dated from 1776 to 1801, and wrapped in a cloth, were found under a layer of limestone which has kept them in a perfect condition for more than two centuries. Each escudo weighs 27 grams and has a diameter of 36mm.

El País reports that Enrique León, the head of the archaeological team, thinks that the coins could have been deliberately hidden ahead of the French invasion, led by General Dupont which pillaged the city in July 1808. However he thinks the hiding place, next to the river, is a surprising one, as the area is thought to have been used as a rubbish tip at the time.

The mystery that will remain is why the person who hid the coins never returned to dig them up. Or perhaps he did but could not find them.

A Carlos III escudo

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

I wouldn’t say a huge fortune. It’s right at 19 ounces of gold.

For example, a standard British soldier would have made six pence a day (he did, however have to pay for almost everything). That would equate out to a gross pay of just over 9 pounds sterling. The average ratio of gold to silver was about 1:16 at the time, so 9 pounds of silver would work out to 9 ounces of gold.

19 ounces would have been a few years of gross income for a common soldier (and quite a find to be sure!), but to an officer or a rent collecting noble, it would have been maybe half a year of net income.

For someone like Mr. Bingley from Pride and Prejudice (who was stated as having income of 4,000 to 5,000 pounds a year), it would have been a fairly inconsequential amount. (4,000 pounds sterling would have been about 250 pounds of gold a year)

[This_far]

If you know where to look, buried treasure can still be found in Spain.

or maybe not...

However he thinks the hiding place, next to the river, is a surprising one,

[BGHater]

This isn’t a ‘news’ article.

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks csvset. 13 gold coins, escudos, from the reign of Carlos III, dated from 1776 to 1801, and wrapped in a cloth, were found under a layer of limestone which has kept them in a perfect condition for more than two centuries. Each escudo weighs 27 grams and has a diameter of 36mm. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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[TheOldLady]

[SunkenCiv]

I’m coin to have to save that image.

[TheOldLady]

Put it in a specie place.

[SunkenCiv]

I currency any reason not to.

[BunnySlippers]

Rich Corinthian Leather [TM]

[TheOldLady]

I gold you it was okay.

[SunkenCiv]

Eight that the truth.

[TheOldLady]

We’ve been cerebrating, so I’ll have a whiskey, and you can have a tot aurum.

[SunkenCiv]

I’ve been bullion people with puns for years, but I’m runnin’ out of ‘em in this context.

[TheOldLady]

I treasure your comments, Darlin.’

[SunkenCiv]

Shiver me timbers!

[TheOldLady]

Thank you, but you really should keep those timbers intact. Perish the thought that you’d actually become a sunken civilization!

[SunkenCiv]

Yo ho ho. :’)