DETECTORISTS UNEARTH 300-YEAR-OLD COIN STASH HIDDEN BY LEGENDARY POLISH CON MAN

Sat 25 May 2024:

Metal detectorists have discovered a trove of coins in the mountains of south-central Poland, believed to have belonged to a notorious 17th-century charlatan. This 300-year-old hoard of gold and silver coins was linked to Antoni Jaczewski, a known con artist who deceived people in Kielce by claiming to have healing powers, as reported by Live Science.

Jaczewski, described as a “hermit, adventurer, and false prophet,” operated in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He convinced people that he had received healing powers from the Virgin Mary and lured them to his mountain hideout. At a time when Poland was ravaged by war and plague, desperate citizens paid him in gold and silver for his so-called healing services.

Jaczewski was eventually captured but managed to escape imprisonment, continuing his scams until his final arrest in 1712, which resulted in a life sentence.

In 2022, metal detectorists unearthed the coin cache, but the discovery was only announced two years later. Among the finds was a 1648 gold Hamburg ducat featuring an image of Madonna and child, suggesting it may have been worn as a medallion due to a piercing in the coin.

“We waited a long time to announce this find, almost two years, but it was worth it, today we can say that we have confirmed the true story of a certain legend,” Sebastian Grabowiec, the president of the Świętokrzyska Exploration Group, which discovered the treasures, said in a translated statement.

Sebastian Grabowiec, a metal detectorist leading the exploration, mentioned that the exact number of coins remains undisclosed as the investigation continues.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

______________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22