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Lost WWII Gold Treasure Worth Hundreds of Thousands Discovered in Czech Republic
Greek Reporter ^ | April 30, 2025 | Abdul Moeed

Posted on 04/30/2025 9:43:28 AM PDT by nickcarraway

A casual hike on the slopes of Zvičina Hill in the Czech Republic led to a remarkable discovery when two hikers stumbled upon a lost gold treasure worth more than $340,000.

The find, made in early February but only recently announced, includes 598 gold coins, jewelry, and other artifacts. The entire collection weighs about seven kilograms, with gold coins accounting for nearly 3.7 kilograms.

While exploring the landscape near the Polish border, the hikers uncovered a tin container packed with nearly 600 gold coins. The coins were carefully stacked in eleven piles and wrapped in black cloth. Not far from this spot, they discovered an iron box containing ten bracelets, a wire purse, a comb, a chain, and a powder compact, made from yellow metal.

Mystery of the buried lost gold treasure

Experts at the Museum of Eastern Bohemia are now working to understand how the treasure ended up buried on the hillside. Vojtěch Brádle, a coin specialist, said he was stunned when he first examined the collection. He explained that, based on their markings, many coins likely originated from Serbia during the 1920s and 1930s. How they made their way to eastern Bohemia remains a mystery.

Grecian Delight supports Greece

Several theories have emerged. Some historians believe Czech citizens may have hidden the treasure while fleeing Nazi occupation after 1938. Others suggest that Germans concealed it before being expelled from the region following World War II in 1945. Another theory ties the burial to the communist monetary reforms of 1953, when fear of financial loss might have driven people to hide their wealth.

Museum director Petr Grulich said it’s unclear whether the gold originally belonged to Czech, German, or Jewish owners, highlighting the unanswered questions surrounding the discovery.

Coins reveal international origins and historical value Further examination has revealed that the gold coins are not of Czech origin. Instead, they come from several countries, including France, Turkey, Belgium, and the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, with a few from Romania, Italy, and Russia.

Markings on some Austro-Hungarian coins suggest they were intended for use in the former Yugoslavia, particularly Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Although the current market value is mainly based on the weight of the gold, experts believe the historical significance of the find could be far greater. Under Czech law, the two hikers may be entitled to a reward of up to 10 percent of the collection’s value.

The Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové has begun preserving the artifacts. Officials hope to eventually display the collection, allowing the public to connect with a little-known chapter of the region’s past.


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: abdulmoeed; austrohungarian; belgium; bohemia; coins; czech; czechrepublic; france; germany; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; gold; hoard; italy; romania; russia; serbia; treasure; turkey; worldwarii; ww2
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To: Organic Panic

Shutting up certainly sounds like a good idea, at first. However, think about what happens next: specifically, how do you convert the rare antique gold coins to cash without drawing attention. Worse, once you are asked where the coins came from, you may face criminal or civil penalties for not reporting them in the first place. At that point, you are worse off than before you found them.


21 posted on 04/30/2025 10:43:15 AM PDT by PUGACHEV
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Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash (2007 Remaster) | 2:58
The Clovers - Topic | 1.77K subscribers | 13,989 views | July 14, 2017
Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash (2007 Remaster) | 2:58 | The Clovers - Topic | 1.77K subscribers | 13,989 views | July 14, 2017

22 posted on 04/30/2025 10:44:58 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: nickcarraway

This “lost gold treasure” weighed about 11 pounds. It seems like the story should read something more along the lines of “Cousin Mario’s name has finally been cleared. Great Aunt Ljuba’s jewelry box full of her collection of little gold coins was finally found right where she hid it 90 years ago, along with some other stuff she usually kept in her bedroom.


23 posted on 04/30/2025 10:46:19 AM PDT by fireman15
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To: marktwain

That’s before taxes, fines and fees.


24 posted on 04/30/2025 10:50:21 AM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again," )
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To: nickcarraway

If I found something like this, I would never tell and I would sell them off slowly to not be suspicious.

I don’t feel a need to be famous and have the government seize my find...


25 posted on 04/30/2025 10:57:49 AM PDT by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: woodbutcher1963

26 posted on 04/30/2025 11:00:41 AM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: Red Badger

Metal detecting laws in the UK are that way. Everything you find is the property of the Crown and must be turned over to the authorities. You may get to keep a small percentage, same as in this story.


27 posted on 04/30/2025 11:04:56 AM PDT by NorthWoody (Half of all people are below average, and half of those are in the bottom 25%.)
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To: packagingguy
"Why did the hikers report their find?"

Because it's likely the Czech Republic has a similar law as the U.K., that any treasure found must be reported to the local finds officer, or face arrest. The Coroner then holds an inquest to determine if it is treasure or not. If determined to be treasure, it will be reported to The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and is offered to museums for acquisition. Museums are given a limited time to raise funds to acquire the treasure at a price set by the Treasure Valuation Committee. If the treasure is purchased by a museum, a fair market value reward is provided to the finder. The finder must split the money with the land owner the treasure was found on.

28 posted on 04/30/2025 11:05:12 AM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: nickcarraway

The chocolate inside the coins alone must be worth at least 2000 hyrivnias!


29 posted on 04/30/2025 11:07:10 AM PDT by x
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To: nickcarraway

Good of them to have done the right thing rather than, say, melt them down or sell them to a black market dealer.

Is the picture real? Obviously it is posed, but the box and coins look to shiny to have been buried, even if wrapped, for decades.


30 posted on 04/30/2025 11:30:54 AM PDT by Albion Wilde (Think about it: The Supreme Court is nine lawyers appointed for life by politicians. —David Horowitz)
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To: nickcarraway

This belongs to Hunter Biden.
He is enroute to claim it


31 posted on 04/30/2025 11:35:34 AM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (“I don’t really care, Margaret.”)
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To: mass55th

So in that case, I’m re-burying the find on my land, and only turning in half of what I found. The other half can stay buried on my land for my grandchildren to find.


32 posted on 04/30/2025 11:40:07 AM PDT by Teacher317
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To: pburiak

Always with the negative waves, Moriarty, always with the negative waves. Oddball


33 posted on 04/30/2025 11:48:54 AM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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To: x

That’s funny right there, I don’t care who you are.


34 posted on 04/30/2025 11:52:32 AM PDT by Huskrrrr (Alinsky, you magnificent Bastard, I read your book!)
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35 posted on 04/30/2025 12:11:27 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: marktwain

In the UK, anything like this that is found must be declared. However, if it has no historical/museum worth it is returned to the finder. If a museum does want it they have to pay the estimated value. This policy promotes the detectorists to explore. The detectorists if searching on private property need to set up an agreement with the landowner. I have no idea what those percentages might be. 50/50??


36 posted on 04/30/2025 1:09:29 PM PDT by 21twelve (Ever Vigilant - Never Fearful)
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To: woodbutcher1963

37 posted on 04/30/2025 1:13:09 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: fella

That’s before taxes, fines and fees.


Do they take Czechs?


38 posted on 04/30/2025 1:14:08 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: woodbutcher1963
Kelly’s Heroes ?

lol My first thought, too.

39 posted on 04/30/2025 1:29:40 PM PDT by eccentric
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To: PUGACHEV

You talk as if it’s Plutonium. Gold coins are the most liquid asset in the world, not quite as good as cash. Go to coin dealer. “How much?” Agree on price. Takes about 2 minutes. Less if you aren’t talkative.


40 posted on 04/30/2025 5:09:31 PM PDT by Freedom4US
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