The Eternal Coin of the Czech Kings

Machine translation of the original editorial information.

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Inside this issue

1. 28 · The Mystery of Jehovah’s Thalers
2. 32 · Sudeten Madonna No. 19
3. 38 · The Mysterious Dagger by J. A. Henckels

Dear readers,

You are now holding this year’s final issue of Detektor revue. We have had a year of treasure hunting that was more successful for some and less so for others. But such is the charm and the curse of our wonderful hobby. We never know in advance… what we’ll find, or whether we’ll find anything at all. What we do know, however, is that in the new year ahead of us, the conditions for treasure hunting here – unlike in most of Europe – remain very favourable, and it is very much up to us to ensure that this remains the case. And we also know for certain that we will continue to meet on the pages of our magazine, and we trust that in it – just as in this issue – you will continue to find interesting reading that may inspire your own searches, or perhaps even encourage you to write a contribution of your own.

The editorial team wishes you good health, happiness and as many wonderful finds as possible in the new year!

So what can you look forward to in Detektor Revue No. 6?

In the opening section, ‘Artefact of the Month’, under the heading ‘How the Kings’ Crowns…’, we present a truly extraordinary find made by a metal detectorist: gold jewellery from the 5th century, which, in terms of its social significance, is comparable to medieval coronation jewels. ‘The Eternal Coin’ of the Czech kings – that is what we have called our interview with PhDr., a numismatist at the National Museum. Jan Boublík discusses not only the exceptional discovery of a hoard of two thousand Prague groschen. The fact that ‘it can still be done’ even in winter is attested to by treasure hunter Tomáš in his report entitled ‘Memories of the “Golden Winter”’. The reward for his ‘perseverance as a treasure hunter’ was nothing less than a Maria Theresa ducat. This is followed by the second part of the in-depth article ‘Barrel Seal versus Textile Weight’, in which Vladimír Orlík sheds light on the debate surrounding this topic.

In our regular column ‘Let’s Save History’, we once again look at how treasure hunters are helping to preserve our archaeological heritage. A Long and Arduous Journey (III) – this is how Kazim described his quest to find his dream find, a tank division badge; in this issue, we bring you the final part of his captivating story. Have you ever destroyed an excavated artefact? This is another question we asked treasure hunters in your favourite poll. ‘The Secret of Jehovah’s Thalers’ is the title of a report by our Danish friend Christian about his latest extraordinary find – a hoard of rare 16th-century coins. The discovery of a Wehrmacht mess tin containing a peculiar porcelain figurine and a so-called ‘Mutterkreuz’ in gold provided Kasandra with an opportunity to take a closer look at the background to the awarding of this obscure ‘order’, in the article ‘Sudeten Madonna’ No. 19. Lovers of bladed weapons will also find something to their liking in this issue; PetkoZberatel once again presents an interesting addition to his collection, this time in the article ‘A Mysterious Unique Item’ by J. A. Henckels.

Here is another chapter in the history of weapons produced by Czechoslovak manufacturers, compiled for you by military technology historian Jan Škarka, in which he focuses on one of the most successful designs from the Pilsen arms factory, the legendary 38cm M.16 heavy howitzer. And, of course, we cannot leave out a short story, this time penned by Karel Velkoborský, which the author has titled ‘The Digital Revolution’. In this issue, too, you’ll find answers to your questions about button finds in the regular column ‘The Button Collector’s Advice’, prepared for you by button expert and collector Ivo Tomáš.