The artifact, recovered from underneath the pavement, was originally used to create fake coin dies which were then used to mint counterfeit coins, according to a statement posted on the Moscow mayor’s office official website.
It should be noted that all construction and renovation works in the Moscow city streets are always conducted under the supervision of archaeologists, and any potential artifacts discovered are immediately examined.
"We’ve just received a report from archaeologists regarding this find. This is an archaeological sensation. The item was discovered underneath an 18th century pavement layer and is currently being studied by numismatic experts. As per the Russian legislation, it will eventually be turned over to a state museum," Moscow chief archaeologist Leonid Kondrashev said.
