Siberian villager finds treasure trove

20 Jul, 2007 17:53 / Updated 17 years ago

A villager in Siberia's Chita region has discovered a stash of 100-year old gold coins bearing an imprint of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. The man found the prize clay pot while digging for firewood.

The contents date back to the late 1890's when the area was populated by wealthy Kazakh immigrants. Unsure what to do with his new found wealth, the man took the find straight to local police. The treasure's current face value is estimated at nearly $US 30,000 – and that's without considering its historical significance.