Hikers just found a treasure trove with almost 600 gold coins hidden 100 years ago: Will they get a reward?

Hikers in the Czech Republic have stumbled upon a mysterious treasure trove that’s reported to be worth nearly $350,000.

The chance find occurred in February this year, when two walkers on the Zvicina Hill, located around 25 miles from the northeastern Czech city Hradec Kralove, discovered two boxes concealed in a man-made stone mound in a field.

What was in the treasure trove?

According to a social-media post by Hradec Kralove’s Museum of Eastern Bohemia, where the finders handed in the boxes, the stash includes 598 gold coins.

In addition, the museum revealed, the two boxes contained 16 snuff boxes, 10 bracelets, a bag made of fine wire mesh, a comb, a chain with a key and a powder compact.

Per a report by the Czech media outlet Radio Prague International, the treasure trove has an estimated value of over 7.5 million korunas ($343,000).

The head of the Museum of Eastern Bohemia’s archaeological department, Miroslav Novak, told CNN: “The finders came to our museum’s numismatist without a prior appointment. Only after that did archaeologists begin to deal with the find and set out to explore the site.”

How old is the hidden hoard?

While it remains unclear why the stash was concealed and who by, Radio Prague International notes that it appears to have been hidden no earlier than 1921. This is the most recent date that investigators found on the gold coins.

May have been concealed “in certain times”

In the museum’s social-media post, Novak pointed to the practice of storing property “in uncertain times with the intention of returning for it later”.

Speaking to CNN, he added: “It is most likely related to the turbulent period before the start of World War II, when the Czech and Jewish population was leaving the border area, or to 1945, when the Germans were leaving.”

Novak also told CNN that, under Czech law, the treasure trove automatically became the property of the regional government after it was found.

However, he added that the finders can expect to be rewarded for their discovery.

“In this case, the treasure was correctly handed over to the museum,” he explained. “The finder is entitled to a financial reward, which depends on the value of the metal or historical appraisal.”

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