Trove of treasures from hundreds of years ago discovered in Poland forest. See the find
Leszek Miszczyszyn was recently exploring a state forest in Poland. During his search, he collected a trove of small objects.
Miszczyszyn brought his finds from the Zwierzyniec Forest District to officials for evaluation. That’s when he learned he had actually discovered numerous treasures — some dating back hundreds of years.
Among his finds were rifle shells, aluminum medallions and fragments of other everyday objects, according to a Jan. 15 Facebook post from the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments. Officials identified eight of the objects as notable.
The oldest of Miszczyszyn’s finds was a well-preserved silver coin dating back about 400 years to Rudolf II’s rule of the Holy Roman Empire. Experts said the coin was probably minted around 1612 and is an unusual and rare find for the region.
Several other coins, including one Polish copper coin and several Austrian copper coins, were discovered, according to officials.
The Polish coin was minted in 1768. The Austrian coins, known as krajcars, were minted in 1773 and 1800.
Other finds included a lead seal from the Russian Empire. Officials said the seal dates to sometime during the late 19th century or early 20th century.
Iron horseshoes from between the 16th and 19th centuries were also found, as well as an aluminum medal commemorating a commander of the Austria-Hungary army, archaeologists said. The medal dates to 1900.
A copper button used on a robe or other piece of clothing in the 17th or 18th century was also found.
Officials said the artifacts will be transferred to a museum for further evaluation.
The Zwierzyniec Forest District is about 164 miles southeast of Warsaw.
Google Translate and Facebook were used to translate a Facebook post from the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments.
This story was originally published January 18, 2024 at 12:42 PM with the headline "Trove of treasures from hundreds of years ago discovered in Poland forest. See the find."
