Metal detectors have unearthed a treasure trove of coins that may have belonged to a con artist hiding in the mountains of southern central Poland after swindling money from people.
During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Antoni Jaczewski, a “hermit, adventurer” fraud, deceived the residents of Kielce, a city near the Jeleniowskie Mountains. According to Polish legend, Jaczewski convinced people of his healing abilities, which he claimed were bestowed upon him by the Mother of God, who lived with him in the wilderness, and then lured them to his mountain settlement.
Two of many silver coins found by metal detectors in the Polish mountains. (Photo: Świętokrzyska Exploration Group).
At that time, Poland was at war, and a plague was ravaging the country, a double disaster that seemed to persuade people to seek out Jaczewski. In exchange for his healing methods, locals paid him with gold and silver coins.
Authorities eventually caught and imprisoned Jaczewski, but he escaped and continued to defraud people. In 1712, Jaczewski was arrested again, but this time he was sentenced to life in prison.
Two years ago, metal detectors discovered this treasure, and it has only now been officially announced. Sebastian Grabowiec, president of the Świętokrzyska Exploration Group, which uncovered the treasure, stated that in addition to the coins, the group also found a gold ducat from Hamburg dating back to 1648, featuring an image of the Virgin Mary and child.
Sebastian Grabowiec, a metal detecting expert and leader of the exploration group, remarked: “Until now, Jaczewski was considered a fictional character. By finding Jaczewski’s treasure, we have confirmed that this person actually existed.”
Grabowiec noted that authorities have not yet disclosed how many coins were found, as an investigation is ongoing. The coins date back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries, primarily made of silver.
