Lucky adventure! Hikers find treasure possibly buried by Nazis over 100 years ago, it is worth Rs…

Two people on a hike in Czech Republic were in for a lucky surprise as they stumbled upon a treasure trove worth over Rs 2.8 crore (USD 340,000), according to a report by New York Post. The Museum of East Bohemia, which has since taken possession of the items, said the collection included nearly 600 gold coins, jewellery, and tobacco bags, with a total weight of around 7 kilograms.

‘My jaw dropped’
The hikers were walking on the outer fringes of a forest in the European country’s Podkrkonosí Mountains when they made the discovery. Experts say the gold coins possibly remained hidden for over a hundred years, likely buried after 1921. The collection includes currency from France, Belgium, the Ottoman Empire, and former Austria-Hungary.
“When he (one of the hikers) opened it (the collection), my jaw dropped,” said Miroslav Novak, head of archaeology at the museum in Czech Republic.

Discovery made few months ago
Even though the discovery was made in February, the museum released the information to the public just last week.
Experts are currently trying to figure out how the treasure trove ended up buried on the side of the mountain. “To store valuable objects in the ground in the form of treasures, so-called depots have been a common practice since prehistoric times,” said the museum official.

Lucky hikers to get share
One theory that has emerged among experts is that is the treasure might have been hidden by Nazis retreating from Russian forces when they were ousted at the end of the Second World War.
“It is difficult to say whether this is the gold of a Czech who had to leave the occupied territory after the Nazi invasion of 1938 (or) the gold of a German who feared displacement after 1945,” said the museum director Petr Grulich. “It could also be stolen goods from an antique shop, but we are not inclined to this option.”
According to Czech law, the two lucky hikers will get around 10 percent of the discovery’s total value.