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Friday, 20th November 2009 (2673 views)

A rare Hungarian gold coin dating back to the 15th century has been found at a monastery near Moscow.

The coin was part of a wider hoard of cannonballs, jewellery, ceramics and other artefacts believed to be 3,000 years old, according to an Itar-Tass report cited by Zee News.

It was discovered at the New Jerusalem monastery and is thought to have been minted at the Hungarian royal court.

"This wasn't a coin for monetary circulation, though; it was a gift article, which the king would present only to the people close to him," explained hegumen Theophilactus, the abbot of the monastery.

Founded in the 17th century by Patriarch Nikon, the New Jerusalem monastery is seen as a fine example of Russian ecclesiastical architecture and houses an icon, decorations and inscriptions that are believed to represent the most important polychrome ceramic work ever produced in the country.

It was bombed in 1941 but was partially rebuilt during the 1980s.

 

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