The man suddenly discovered a rare pure gold crown dating back more than 2,000 years buried in an old newspaper box under his bed.
According to Ancient Origins, the delicately carved golden crown belongs to ancient Greece, dating back to 300 BC. The crown is in an old newspaper box at a house in Somerset, England. The anonymous owner was extremely surprised by the discovery and was even more surprised to learn that the artifact was worth at least $146,000.
Valuers from Duke’s Auctions in Dorchester, Dorset, visited the retired man’s home to examine a number of items inherited from his great-grandfather. However, Guy Schwinge, auctioneer of Duke’s Auctioneers, was surprised when he opened a pile of old newspapers and saw a valuable antique.
“When the owner took the pure gold crown out of an old newspaper box, my heart stopped beating. When I came here, I did not expect to encounter an antique gold item. This type of crown is very difficult to date. It is “It is possible that the crown dates from the Hellenistic period (31-323 BC) and the design indicates it was made in northern Greece,” Schwinge said.
According to Schwinge, the crown is 20 centimeters wide and weighs about 100 grams. It is handcrafted with pure gold and crafted by skilled craftsmen. The bracelet has been in good condition for 2,300 years. “It’s a rare antique. I’ve never seen a bracelet like that before,” Schwinge shared.
The pure gold crown imitates the braided bracelets of real leaves that the ancient Greeks wore on their heads during religious ceremonies or as prizes in sports and artistic competitions. They take the shape of branches of laurel, oak and olive trees, symbolizing wisdom, victory, peace and virtue.
Many crowns were used as offerings to the gods in places of worship or buried in the tombs of royal family members and people of the aristocracy. They became more common after Alexander the Great’s eastern conquests, when gold became more abundant in Greece.
