Diver Finds 17th Century Gold Coin Worth $17,000 in Moscow River

A 400-year-old gold coin worth over $17,000 was found by an amateur treasure hunter at the bottom of the Yauza River in Moscow.

This valuable discovery was found by an amateur diver who was sweeping the Yauza River bed with a search magnet; the coin was stuck to a metallic pivot buried deep within the silt.

The coin turned out to be a gold ugorsky chervonets minted during the reign of Russian Tsar Boris Godunov (1598-1605), TV channel Moscow 360 reports.

Gold ugorsky chervonets of Tzar Boris Godunov (1598—1605)

© Photo : coins.su forum

Such coins weren't used as currency but were issued as a reward for martial valor. It is considered extremely rare, as only six such coins have been found to date, and may be worth over $17,000.

Meanwhile, the lucky treasure hunter opted to remain anonymous, because per Russian legislation a person who engages in archaeological activities without proper authorization and inflicts damage to artifacts during the process may face a hefty fine and up to four years in prison.