‘Lišty’ is like a minefield

Machine translation of the original editorial information.

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Inside this issue

1. 14 · Tatar HG 1944 Division Ring
2. 20 · ‘The Curse’ by Josefov
3. 26 · In the footsteps of mining town Příbram

Dear readers, the fourth issue of Detektor Revue this year is currently rolling off the press, and we trust that you will all find something of interest to read, which may serve as inspiration for your own searches, but also – as we never fail to emphasise – perhaps also an incentive to write an interesting article.

The editorial team wishes you good health, well-being and as many wonderful finds as possible during the coming autumn season!

So what can you look forward to in Detektor Revue No. 4?

In the opening feature, ‘Artefact of the Month’, Josef Blaho, under the heading ‘Not Just Pikachu’, will introduce you to the world of Pokémon card collectors, which has, over time, become a truly remarkable phenomenon in both collecting and investment.

‘Medal bars are like a minefield,’ says Josef Blaho, an expert and collector of ceremonial medal bars from the German Reich dating from 1933–1945, in an extensive introductory interview with Kasander about collecting them.

What will become of your finds one day? That is the question we put to treasure hunters in the next instalment of your favourite Survey.

In his report ‘Tatar HG 1944 Division Ring’, metal detectorist RelicFinder1914 not only presents a unique find he made in Lower Austria, but also outlines the possibilities for metal detecting in our southern neighbour.

In our regular column ‘Let’s Save History’, we use examples of artefacts that have been handed in to show how treasure hunters are helping to preserve our archaeological heritage. This time, for example, we might look at a bronze animal figurine from the Iron Age, a white groschen of Maximilian II from the Jáchymov mint, or an Eneolithic axe.

‘The Curse’ from Josefov – behind this promising headline lies an interview with Milan, nicknamed ‘Ital’, a collector of artefacts from the period of the French Revolution and the reign of Napoleon I. Bonaparte, who now has nearly two thousand of them in his collection.

Hundreds of Czech Celtic coins were stolen last year from a museum in Manching, Germany, by brazen thieves. The Bavarian police have now announced that they have apprehended the gang. Was the rare treasure successfully saved? Read more in the article ‘The Hunt for the Celts’ Treasure’.

In his article In the Footsteps of Mining-Era Příbram and My Ancestors, Vojta explains how searching is not always ‘just’ about the adrenaline rush, but can sometimes become a deeply personal journey into the past.

Another unique item from his extensive collection – a Wehrmacht officer’s dagger in the rare ‘Eisenkopf’ variant – is presented by PetkoZberatel, an enthusiastic expert and collector of bladed weapons.

What follows is the second part of an investigative report by our long-standing contributor Manuel van Eyck, who searched for missing American soldiers in the territory of the former Czechoslovakia. He gave his article the concise and evocative title ‘The Missing’.

In his report ‘Testimony of a Witness’, treasure hunter Tomáš demonstrates that it pays to do some research in the sources before setting out on a hunt.

Here is another chapter from the history of weapons, compiled for you by the renowned military historian Jan Škarka; in this instalment, he explores the origins of modern Austrian artillery in the context of the artillery reform carried out by Field Marshal Josef Václav of Liechtenstein.

And, of course, we cannot leave out a short story, this time penned by Zdeněk Jarchovský, which the author has titled ‘About the Golden Echelon and the Second Hangover’.

And finally, in this issue you’ll also 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.

We wish you pleasant summer reading

Editor-in-chief Zdeněk Kasander Procházka and publisher Miroslav UC Kratochvíl.