Current:Home > FinanceLegendary treasure that apparently belonged to notorious 18th-century conman unearthed in Poland-LoTradeCoin
Legendary treasure that apparently belonged to notorious 18th-century conman unearthed in Poland
View Date:2024-12-24 11:15:29
A trove of gold and silver coins that experts believe were swindled out of an ailing population by an 18th-century conman has been discovered in central Poland, officials said. Volunteer metal detectorists found the treasure hidden underground in multiple locations while exploring the Jeleniowskie mountain range with permission from the local government, and the fact that it exists seems to validate a centuries-old legend.
The collection includes coins that date back to the 17th century and early 18th century, said the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Kielce, a city near the mountain range, in an announcement unveiling the finds. The coins will be analyzed more thoroughly this year, but as heritage officials and explorers themselves have suggested, the treasure seems to prove that tales of the notorious Polish fraudster Anthony Jaczewicz could be rooted in true history after all.
"The coins we recovered may be part of this legendary treasure collected by Jaczewicz," said Sebastian Grabowiec, who heads the exploration group that found the coins, in comments to the government-backed Polish science organization PAP.
Jaczewicz is said to have arrived in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, which include the Jeleniowskie range, around 1708. He established a sort of settlement in the area as Poland entered a massive war involving most of the region's major powers, which coincided with a deadly and widespread outbreak of the plague. As civilians feared for their own lives with the disease spreading, many turned to Jaczewicz, a preacher who falsely claimed to have divine healing powers at a time when such abilities would have been in particularly high demand.
He was not the only trickster who tried to exploit desperate civilians and their fears of contracting the plague. But officials say that, at least as the legend suggested, people flocked to Jaczewicz's compound in the mountains in hopes of receiving his curative gifts. They also paid for his services.
Jaczewicz's scheme was apparently so successful that donations poured into his settlement, eventually allowing him to fortify it with hired guards who then stole from other people around — sometimes taking over entire properties in the vicinity. They are also said to have robbed surrounding aristocrats.
For his alleged financial crimes, Jaczewicz was captured by the aristocrats and imprisoned. He escaped that first detainment and may have gone back to practicing so-called healing, claiming to have received the pope's blessing to do so. But Jaczewicz was ultimately captured again and convicted in 1712 by a high court in Kraków. He faced life imprisonment as punishment.
After metal detectorists unearthed the coins, officials say they were handed over to an archaeological museum in the southwestern city of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. The collection will be preserved and studied with the aim of learning more about how it ended up buried in the mountains and to whom it might have belonged.
The discovery comes just weeks after officials said a metal detectorist in eastern Poland uncovered a 17th century cross icon that experts say was once outlawed by an emperor.
- In:
- Archaeologist
- Poland
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (2231)
Related
- A $1 billion proposal is the latest plan to refurbish and save the iconic Houston Astrodome
- Man charged in death of dog breeder claims victim was killed over drug cartel
- Who is Jon Lovett? What to know about the former Obama speechwriter on 'Survivor' 47
- The Best Halloween Outfits to Wear to Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights 2024
- Jared Goff stats: Lions QB throws career-high 5 INTs in SNF win over Texans
- North Carolina musician arrested, accused of Artificial Intelligence-assisted fraud caper
- 4 Las Vegas teens plead guilty in juvenile court in beating death of classmate: Reports
- Patrick Surtain II, Broncos agree to four-year, $96 million extension
- Secret Service Agent Allegedly Took Ex to Barack Obama’s Beach House
- Power outages could last weeks in affluent SoCal city plagued by landslides
Ranking
- Olivia Munn began randomly drug testing John Mulaney during her first pregnancy
- No leggings, no crop tops: North Carolina restaurant's dress code has the internet talking
- John Stamos Reveals Why He Was Kicked Out of a Scientology Church
- US Open: Tiafoe, Fritz and Navarro reach the semifinals and make American tennis matter again
- Dwayne Johnson Admits to Peeing in Bottles on Set After Behavior Controversy
- Power outages could last weeks in affluent SoCal city plagued by landslides
- Ina Garten Says Her Father Was Physically Abusive
- Ultra swimmer abandons attempt to cross Lake Michigan again
Recommendation
-
Minnesota man is free after 16 years in prison for murder that prosecutors say he didn’t commit
-
Wildlife trafficking ring killed at least 118 eagles, prosecutors say
-
College football's cash grab: Coaches, players, schools, conference all are getting paid.
-
Ugandan Olympic athlete dies after being severely burned by her partner over a land dispute
-
What that 'Disclaimer' twist says about the misogyny in all of us
-
Mississippi House panel starts study that could lead to tax cuts
-
Nearly 50 people have been killed, injured in K-12 school shootings across the US in 2024
-
Americans who have a job are feeling secure. Not so for many who are looking for one