In Torzhok, Russia, 409 Imperial gold coins were found under a house, revealing a mystery over 100 years old about wealth and survival. The treasure came to light during rescue excavations by the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Hidden in a ‘kandyushka,’ which is a traditional glazed ceramic pot, it lay buried beneath stone foundations. These coins, dating from 1848 to 1911, were predominantly minted during the 1897 monetary reform.
Experts believe it is a ‘return hoard,’ likely hidden during the turmoil of the 1917 Russian Revolution, with plans for retrieval later on. Though historians analysed tax registers and parish records of the 24 families that once lived nearby, no one knows who owned this immense fortune. It stands as a mute witness to what could have been for an unknown family, current forensic analysis of the soil may reveal further clues.
