MGNREGA workers find pitcher full of silver, bronze coins from 1862 in UP

A fight broke out among the workers after they stumbled upon the pitcher and found coins inside it, said officials. The workers, the officials added, allegedly took some coins in their possession and ran away from the scene.

Workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) discovered a pitcher containing 19th century silver and bronze coins while digging the foundation for a new panchayat building at Kanhau village in Unnao district on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Some 17 silver and 287 bronze coins were found from the site and deposited in the Safipur treasury. (Photo: Sourced)

The discovery comes seven years after Unnao’s Daundia Kheda, which is close to Kanhau village, witnessed an extensive treasure hunt in October 2013 when a seer, Shobhan Sarkar, said he had dreamt that 1,000 tonnes of gold lay buried under the fort of a 19th century king. The authorities had called off that treasure hunt after the nearly 15-day-long exercise ended in vain at the time.

The coins found on Wednesday date back to 1862, going by the year imprinted on them. Subdivisional magistrate (SDM), Safipur, Rajendra Prasad said 17 silver and 287 bronze coins were found and deposited in the Safipur treasury.

The workers who found the pitcher had been engaged under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), officials said.

A fight broke out among the workers after they stumbled upon the pitcher and found coins inside it, they added. The workers allegedly took some coins in their possession and ran away from the scene.

In the meantime, someone informed the Asivan police, who conducted raids and managed to recover the coins from the workers.

“We still feel there could be more (coins) with the workers, they will be recovered shortly,” said Prasad.