March 27, 2007 The Tábor treasure counts 3959 coins

Twenty years ago, builders discovered a silver treasure during the reconstruction of a house in Tábor. The depot counted an incredible 3,959 coins, with the largest part consisting of Prague groschen. Fourteen years ago, a publication was even published about him.

The famous treasure was discovered by the builders on November 28, 2001. They were working in house number 308 in Svatošová Street in Tábor. The coins were poured in two ceramic containers. “In the back room of the late medieval house was a brick tile floor. Under one of the tiles lay a ceramic bottle with a neck narrow just for the coins that lay in it. After raising the tile floor, twenty centimeters from the first discovery, we discovered a second coin treasure thanks to cooperation with a construction company. This is really not seen every day, "said Rudolf Krajíc, head of the Department of Archaeological Monument Care of the Hussite Museum in Tábor.

Experts on numismatics from the South Bohemian Museum subsequently found out that these were excavations from the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century. They appreciated that the builders behaved honestly and declared the treasure properly. “Depot is rare for several reasons. It has been preserved in its entirety, which is not entirely common. Furthermore, the finders honestly handed it over and in a record short time it was processed. In addition, we can tell exactly who the treasure belonged to. This is also a completely exceptional situation, "explained Jiří Chvojka, numismatist at the South Bohemian Museum.

The youngest coin from the depot dates from 1524, then the house burned down. The vast majority of the treasure is made up of Prague groschen, 98 percent. These are excavations from the reign of Charles IV., Wenceslas IV. and Jiřího z Poděbrad. Especially Vladislav II. and Ludvík Jagellonský. Of the 3959 coins, 3,500 are. Numismatists also discovered some forgery from the period.

They also have accurate information about the history of the house where the treasure was located. "It belonged to the Tábor councilor Mikuláš Vlaský of Zion, who was responsible for market control in the city council. If we imagine that less than fifty kopecks of Prague groschen corresponded to the value of one not very ostentatious house at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, it is clear that a member of the city council and the owner of this house was no poor thing, "said Chvojka.

In 2006, the South Bohemian Museum exhibited the Tábor treasure as part of the Trip to the Middle Ages exhibition. Over three thousand people came to see the exceptional collection of coins in three and a half months. Almost four thousand silver coins were placed under glass in the museum. Some were over two centimeters in diameter. Together they weighed seven and a half kilograms.

Sources: Písecký deník, Táborský deník, Táborské listy, https://cesky.radio.cz/