An Indian winner of more than $ 800,000 in a lottery has found a huge treasure he did not expect after the discovery of a large cache of coins dating back 100 years.
P. Rathnakaran Pillai, part of the $ 842,000 lottery he won in January 2018, used to buy some land in his hometown of Kilimanjore, Kerala, India.
As Pillai plowed his land near the ancient Krishna temple, his plow stumbled upon a pot containing more than 2,500 coins. When examined, he realized that the pieces belonged to the Kingdom of Travancore, which ruled the southern state of Kerala for hundreds of years.
The coins, weighing more than 20 kg, were minted in silver, copper and gold, and are believed to be nearly 100 years old.
Pillay told the authorities about his amazing discovery, where the treasure would be sent to a laboratory for cleaning, especially after most of the coins turned green due to oxidation. Their value will be assessed by experts.
The government reportedly plans to offer a reward to the lucky Indian for informing him of the archaeological coins.