Chandahandi: A brass vessel containing 255 silver coins belonging to the 19th century and engraved with the image of Queen Victoria was unearthed Friday on the farmland of a farmer in Pandari under Ramanujpur block in Surajpur district of Chhattisgarh, bordering this block.
According to reports, Phulsae Netam (90), a farmer, Friday asked his nephew Suraj to plow his land. The blade of Suraj’s plough hit the vessel and it came into full view. Frightened at its sight, Suraj ran away and informed his family about the unusual development.
Meanwhile, another villager Satya Narayan Sae, who was passing by, spotted the vessel and opened its cover out of curiosity. Finding the pot full of silver coins, he handed it over to the sarpanch. On being informed, Ramanujpur police reached the spot and seized the coins having great archaeological significance. The coins had been minted between 1862 and 1878, it was learnt.
Locals said such vessels filled with coins were unearthed on a couple of occasions earlier. Many ancient items would come to fore if archaeological department excavates the area, they claimed. The coins would be put on display at a museum in Raipur. PNN
