Digging was under way to lay the foundation for a toilet. And surprise! They stumbled upon priceless gold coins that are said to be more than two centuries old.
The pot full of gold coins, buried five feet under, was discovered by construction labourers in Hardanahalli village situated on the outskirts of Chamarajanagar town near here on Sunday.
“There were 93 gold coins, which are about 200-250 years old. While one coin belongs to the Hyder Ali period, the majority are Thanjavur-Maratha coins. There are about eight Mysore Wadiyar Kanteerava Panams (coins), said C.G. Betsur Math, Director of the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage.
Initially, the department was alerted about the discovery of 43 gold coins on Monday morning. “When our team reached the spot and carried out further excavation, we found another 50 coins,” he said. The department has taken possession of the coins.
Additional Superintendent of Chamarajanagar police Muthuraj confirmed that four construction labourers first discovered some pieces of gold on Sunday while digging to lay the foundation for a toilet on a piece of land belonging to one Siddiqui.
“When the news about the discovery of the gold coins spread by Sunday morning, the administrator of the local temple alerted the police. We rushed to the spot and took possession of the gold coins and handed them over to the Department of Archaeology,” he said. The construction labourers were being questioned, he added.
“The coin belonging to Hyder Ali’s period has Shiva Parvathi on one side and an Urdu word on the other. It shows the existence of Hindu-Muslim amity during that period,” said Mr. Muthuraj.
Meanwhile, Dr. Betsur Math said the district administration will now have to issue a notification on claimants for the treasure. “Claimants will have to prove their ownership, or else it becomes government property,” he said.
