Rare Discovery: Treasure Hidden During WW2. American And Russian Gold
Most of the riches plundered by Adolf Hitler's Nazi army from across Europe during WW2 have remained lost... But recently, a rare treasure has been unearthed.
A gold treasure was discovered by a group of treasure hunters from Szczecin, Poland, who set out to uncover Nazi-hidden relics from World War II, according to Heritage Daily.
Golden Coins Picture (Source: Szczecin Search Group Association)
The Treasure - American And Russian Gold
A Team of metal detectorists from The Szczecin Search Group Association have uncovered a treasure hoard consisting of American Dollars and Russian Rubles in the forests near Szczecin.
Szczecin witnessed a significant battle during the war between the Soviet Red Army and Hitler's Nazi troops.
Prior to the outbreak of WW2, the Wehrmacht made Stettin the headquarters for Wehrkreis II, which controlled the military units in all of Mecklenburg and Pomerania.
At that time, less than 1% of the city inhabitants were Polish, who became marginalizsed and persecuted by the rising Nazi regime
In 1944, Allied air raids and intense fighting between the Wehrmacht and Soviet forces led to the destruction of 65% of structures in Stettin, including the near-total destruction of the city center, port, and local industries.
The city was eventually captured by Soviet forces in 1945, leading most remaining residents to abandon their homes.
According to a press release from PAP, detectorists from the Szczecin Search Group Association found 70 coins deposited in a heavily corroded metal box buried at a depth of about 15 to 20 cm.
The total discovery was estimated at 100,000 zlotys, or over $24,000 USD, based on current conversion rates.
A preliminary study of the coins has already identified a Liberty Head double eagle, also known as a double Coronet eagle, which is a twenty-dollar American gold piece designed by the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, James B. Longacre.
The coin bears the motto "In God We Trust," a Type III that circulated between 1877 and 1907.
Gold coins of ten dollars with the Indian head eagle, dated 1912 and designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, have also been identified. These coins circulated between 1907 and 1933.
A Dream Come True
Łukasz Istelski from the Szczecin Search Group Association stated, "This is a dream come true for every detectorist. It is not only a material treasure but above all a great discovery.”
Also, Istelski noted that the coins could have been related to war activities and deposited for safety, but their origin is truly a mystery.
It is to be noted that wars always unleash chaos, providing a window for looting and plundering.
This reality was notably evident during World War II when invaluable works of art, artifacts, and treasures from both Europe and the Asia Pacific region were stolen by Nazis.
The Nazis, in particular, engaged in the systematic looting of cultural property from museums, private residences, and royal palaces.
Jewish people were a special target. Jewish property was looted beginning in 1933 in Germany and was a key part of the Holocaust.
