As kids, I think we all had the fantasy at one time or another of finding buried treasure.

Pirates and their ilk, whether they actually buried treasure or not, are fascinating – as is happening upon riches beyond one’s wildest dreams.

Well, that fantasy became reality for one woman who was simply out for a stroll, and historians everywhere are absolutely salivating at the find.

The woman, who lives in the Czech Republic, found more than 2,150 silver coins dating back more than 900 years.

Local archaeologist Filip Velímský says the discovery “can be compared to winning a million in the jackpot. The stash of silver coins represents a huge amount, unimaginable for an ordinary person and at the same time unaffordable.”

Historians at the Czech Silver Museum and the Prague Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic think the cache could have been meant to pay a unit of soldiers, or could possibly have been some kind of war loot.

When the coins were minted, the area around Prague was in regular turmoil caused by an ongoing battle between families.

“It was probably placed there during the first quarter of the 12th century, at a time of internal political instability. At that time, there were disputes in the country between the members of the Přemysl dynasty about the princely throne of Prague.”

Only the base of the storage pot, made of ceramic, remained. Inside, though, was the largest collection of early medieval coins ever found in the area.

They hope to have the coins cleaned and ready for display by next summer (2025).

“Museum staff will register all parts of the find in the collection, to also ensure the cleaning of individual coins and possible restoration interventions, their photography for publication and promotional purposes…including the preparation of a detailed catalogue.”

They also hope to reveal who minted them, and where the minting was done. The silver used to forge the coins can be traced by the elements found in the alloy.

To do this, the researchers will put the coins through X-ray and spectral analysis.

The region was once responsible for about one third of all the silver production in Europe, thanks to natural deposits of the metal in the area.

That said, some of the experts involved suspect the silver was imported from Bohemia.

If you’re wondering, the woman who found them is due to receive a finder’s fee of about 10% of the coins total value.

I wish I could get a reward for taking my daily walk.

If you think that’s impressive, check out this story about a “goldmine” of lithium that was found in the U.S. that could completely change the EV battery game.