BURIED TREASURE
Thousands of historic coins found on Second Range Crossing
A TROVE of buried treasure dating back to the 19th century has been found on the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing site.
The Chronicle can finally reveal details of the incredible October 2016 find, following the conclusion of a lengthy investigation into the discovery by the Department of Environment and Science.
More than 5600 coins were discovered by a former Nexus employee, and have been described by the department as having significant “historical value and importance”.
A TREASURE trove of more than 5600 coins, some of them dating back as far as the 19th century, has been uncovered on the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing construction site.
The Chronicle can reveal details of the incredible historic find for the first time following the recent completion of a Department of Environment and Science investigation, which saw the treasure-finder - a former Nexus employee - fined $1828 for failing to comply with the Queensland Heritage Act. The man stumbled upon the coins, buried in a metal container, during initial earthworks in October 2016. A Department of Environment and Science spokesperson said further investigation showed the coins were of archaeological significance, varying from copper to silver, with a date range from 1882 to 1940. The coins are in Australian currency. The State Government has released a photo of one of the coins - a 1927 silver florin. Florins were a coin used in Australia before decimalisation in 1966. Between 1910 and 1945 they made from 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. “While the financial value of the coins is unknown, the historical value and importance is high,” the spokesperson said. Investigations into who buried the coins, and why, are ongoing. The DES, Department of Transport and Main Roads, archaeological experts, and Nexus, have been working to determine the cultural and historical significance of the find over many months. A DES spokesperson said the department had recently completed an investigation “into the reporting process regarding the discovery of a number of historic coins”. “The department’s investigation concluded that the company involved complied with the Act. However, an individual, who was an employee of the company at the time of the offence, was issued a penalty infringement notice for the amount of $1828 for failing to comply with the Act.” Under the Queensland Heritage Act 1992, a person who discovers and archaeological artefact that is an important source of information about an aspect of Queensland’s history must notify the DES as soon as practicable after making the discovery. A TMR spokeswoman said the department was unable to release the location of the find, “due to the potential risk of illegal trespassing on site”.