A former policeman found a real treasure in a commune in Olt. “Today the 13th, the goddess Fortuna and all the gods of fortune were with me”

The Olt County Police Inspectorate announced that the discovery of objects that may represent a real treasure, outside the town of Radomireşti, was made by a former police officer.

“68 coins, probably old, were discovered by a former policeman of the Olt County Police Inspectorate. The reservist notified the policemen of the Dăneasa Rural Police Station by telephone about the discovery made.

The archaeological remains were discovered with the help of a metal detector on a plot on the outskirts of the Radomiresti commune, in Olt county.

The coins found will be delivered, through the town hall, first to the representatives of the Department of Culture of Olt PHOTO: Facebook / Paul Durcă

The man is authorized and is the legal owner of the used metal detector ”, announced the representatives of IPJ Olt.

“After twenty-odd coins, I stopped and called the authorities.”

About this especially precious moment for treasure hunters, even the former policeman spoke on Facebook.

“Hobby
One or the other is said to have a pussy on their head, some have more, and there are even cases where they are said to have a herd. They include me. I can’t say I have a herd, but there are three (beekeeping, chess and metal detecting) I want to talk about metal detecting, this being my newest hobby and without a doubt the most powerful. Today the 13th, the goddess Fortuna and all the gods of luck were with me. No less than 68 silver coins (2nd century BC) were brought to light.
Thanks god!”, Paul Durcă posted on his social media account.

Historian Laurenţiu Guţică Florescu, former director of the Olt County Museum, also speaks in a post on Facebook about the importance of the discovery made, explaining what these coins represent.

“The Tetradrachmas of the First Macedonian

G = 17.0 g D = 33 mm

158 – 150 ien

They played an important role in the circulation of money in the Balkan peninsula and in the north of the Danube.

First Macedonian tetradrachms are issued according to the Attic monetary system, introduced in Macedonia by Alexander the Great. They carry on the obverse the bust of the goddess Artemis Tauropolos, on the right, in the middle of a Macedonian shield. The goddess wears a metal band around her head, the so-called stephane, her hair is tied at the nape of her neck in a twist, with some strands descending on her temples and nape. His tunic is fastened to the shoulder with a round clasp, more or less visible. Behind the head are partially visible a bow and a quiver, attributes of the goddess that often appear together. It seems that the artist who created the obverse type wanted to suggest that Artemis carries the bow and quiver on his shoulder.

The bust of the goddess is surrounded by a circle of pearls. The shield as such is decorated with seven double ovals, in which there is an eight-armed star, which alternates with as many groups of three points each. On the reverse, the coins bear the legend MAKEΔONΩN ΠPΩTHΣ, in two rows separated by a stick placed horizontally, with a thick end to the right. The legend and the type are surrounded by a crown of two oak branches, which always have six leaves on the outside and a variable number of leaves on the inside. Above and below the legend are one or more monograms of the mint leader or leaders. On the left side of the reverse, apart from the crown, there is a lightning bolt in the usual form in Greek coins, but represented by very fine globules. This is the general type of tetradrachm from the First Macedonian. Systematic investigation of coins shows that there are marked differences between coins. The obverse of the pieces shows differences from one piece to another or from one series of pieces to another in terms of the traits of the goddess, so her portrait, but also in terms of her hairstyle ”, wrote Guţică.

Regarding the Radomireşti discovery, however, several questions arise, related to the way things should have developed as soon as the person who made the discovery notified authorities. Only the Local Police, not the Patrimonial Police, would have responded to the man’s requests and would have gone to the place. A group of treasure hunters was caught in a dialogue between people who have this “hobby” and the man who discovered what appears to be a real treasure.

„March 13, 2021, Slatina, Paul Durcă …
Monetary treasure (“Tetradrahme Macedonia Prima”) discovered “in Olt county” with the metal detector (“in a broken pot”)
Date: 158-150 before Chr.

“Today around 2 in the afternoon I went out to rest near the house, 250m, on top of a hill, in an acacia plantation that belongs to me. After twenty-something coins, I stopped and called the authorities (city hall, Department of Culture, police). Unfortunately, only the police responded to the request. In his presence we removed the rest, up to 68, and the fragments of the vessel in which they were, unfortunately broken over time. That’s it.
“Slightly inclined. In fact, it was a few more meters, 5 or 6, to the hill where a wheat field begins.
“I’m curious what the DJC ‘professionals’ said when you called them. No more trouble destroying the context? They were in the shaorma and you annoyed them with your nonsense?

“You guessed it!”

“I find this not uniform attitude of the authorities incredible. You say it’s the county and its own law. Do not the laws that regulate these institutions have application rules, because everything is left to the choice of employees? Why am I asking this? A few months ago, a colleague found a monetary hoard, extracted several coins, and then notified the authorities. The archaeologists intervened, recovered the rest of the pieces and attributed the discovery to him. You did the same, but only the police came, although they were not forced, since it was not active ammunition. Congratulations to them for getting involved! Did you manage to take photos / videos during the excavations? “.

The director of the Department of Culture of Olt, Florin Cătălin Andronăchescu, told Adevărul that the institution reacted to what happened and that everything is in accordance with the procedure.

“Now I’m in the car, with my colleague, with the archaeologist, we are going there (Sunday, March 14, 2021). I spoke to the gentleman. Yesterday we were notified and the man who made the discovery was informed of his obligations, he had to contact the mayor’s office and we had to go to make a delivery-receipt report and remove the merchandise from the mayor’s office. I contacted the deputy mayor this morning, because yesterday the mayor’s office could not be found in Radomireşti, now we are moving, ”said the director of the Department of Culture. The director mentioned that the person who made the discovery legally has 72 hours to deliver the discovered patrimonial assets.

The coins found will be delivered, through the town hall, first to the representatives of the Department of Culture of Olt PHOTO: Facebook / Paul Durcă

“There it was not the Patrimonial Police, it was the Local Police, today I also contacted the Patrimonial Police. It is a 72 hour period. Yesterday was Saturday and at 2.00 (n. Red – 14.00) my colleague, Mr. Laurenţiu Comănescu, who is in charge of detectors, was called and was told what to do. You must stay with the discovery, contact the town hall, after which we arrive, within 72 hours. Yesterday was Saturday. No procedure was violated, but we said not to wait until tomorrow ”, said the director of the Department of Culture of Olt. The royal treasure found will first pass into the hands of the Olt Directorate of Culture and eventually be handed over to the Olt County Museum, after completing all the procedures, said director Cătălin Andronăchescu.

Another discovery made in Olt County caused a stir in Romania in previous years. More than three years ago, it was revealed that a citizen from another town in Olt had a dacian bracelet of special value. He had discovered it months before, but did not turn it over to the authorities, it all came to light when the bracelet arrived at a pawnshop in Slatina.

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