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Friday, 19th December 2008 (898 views)

An eagle-eyed treasure hunter is to be awarded a gold crown after finding a hidden gold coin that was concealed as part of a tourism promotion.

The golden doubloon, which was hidden on the banks of the River Hudson in the Catskills region of upstate New York in 1991, was finally located after 17 years, during which many tried but failed to locate it, the Times Union reports.

It had been placed there as a tourism promotion and had awaited discovery until now, with the golden crown worth $10,600 (£7,137) when valued in 1997 now set to be presented to the finders at a news conference today.

Retired fuel company owner and joint organiser of the promotion Martin Smith told the paper: "I'm amazed nobody slipped and gave away the location in 17 years."

Those hoping to see some gold artefacts will not have to search so hard at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Curated by the National Geographic Society's archaeologist Fredrik Hiebert, an exhibition entitled Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul will run until January 26th, featuring more than 22,000 gold items found during a dig in 1978.

 

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