Police officers have seized around 800 illegally obtained artefacts during a raid at a private flat in Wągrowiec, North-West Poland.

The man’s place of residence was established shortly after he has sold an illegally obtained coin from the Roman Era. It turned out that the individual conducted illegal excavations and searches with use of a metal detector. Within his flat the Police has identified nearly 800 archaeological artefacts, all of them said to have been obtained illegally. Among the finds are Medieval coins, Roman denarii, Bronze Age and Roman Age artefacts, a Neolithic axe, copper szeląg coins minted in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under John II Casimir between 1659-1668, a lead cross, freight seals, 10th century weights and a rare coronation denarius of Casimir III the Great, King of Poland (1333-1370).

The man faces charges of illegal excavations and theft of goods of extraordinary value for state’s culture, which might result in a sentence of up to 5 years in prison. Since the beginning of 2018 it is a crime in Poland to excavate any archaeological artefacts without official permits with use of mechanical devices, such as metal detectors. So far such actions were labelled as misdemeanors.

 

(after Policja w Wągrowcu & TVN24)