Excited authorities have called the discovery a fairytale find, saying in a statement Friday that it amounts to “one of the qualitatively most significant discoveries of medieval treasure in Austria”.
Austria’s department in charge of national antiquities said the trove consists of more than 200 rings, brooches, ornate belt buckles, gold-plated silver plates and other pieces or fragments, many encrusted with pearls, fossilized coral and other ornaments.
So how did all of this only come to light now? Andreas didn’t know what he had – he stuck the treasure in his basement and only found it again two years later while moving out. Not until he posted pictures of the loot online were collectors able to let him know how potentially valuable the treasure was. Because if you don’t know what a buried treasure looks like, Reddit will. [SFGate image credit: AP Photo/Bundesdenkmalamt/Bettina Sidonie]
Riavan
Monday, April 25, 2011 at 1:53 PMYou may find it interesting to know that, in Australia we have a “treasure trove” law, which states that gold/silver/diamonds/doubloons etc all belong to the crown (the government) and not the finder, lol.
Alexander Cardosa
Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 1:53 AMOh hell no, why would they even still have those laws, the Crown. What is Australia still back in the 1500′s when they made this loot.
Justin Stafford
Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 5:53 AMYou may also find that the first fleet was in 1788 so 650 years is not possible, maybe the goods are of that vintage perhaps?
Andrew Yallop
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 12:10 AMYou may also find that Austria and Australia are not one and the same.
Butters
Monday, April 25, 2011 at 3:33 PMThose Austrians sure love to hide a wide variety of stuff in their basements…
Adrian Cascun-Valencic
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 9:54 AMI shouldn’t have LOLed, but I did.
^__^