Explorers Searched for 7 Years Before Finally Finding a Legendary Hermit's Treasure
Antoni Jaczewicz lived a dubious life in the Polish mountains in the 1700s, amassing a collection of wealth that was recently discovered by explorers.
The notorious scammer and robber lived as a hermit in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, hiding his treasure trove of medieval coins.
The collection was discovered by history buffs during a search in the mountains.
A treasure trove of medieval coins linked to Antoni Jaczewicz, one of Poland’s most infamous hermit criminals from the 1700s, has been discovered in the country’s Świętokrzyskie Mountains.
The Świętokrzyskie Exploration Group had been exploring the mountains for roughly seven years when their search yielded a find of ancient coins. It started with a single pile, but the group soon found more coins buried in groups, all from the 17th and 18th centuries. The stockpile features orts, sixes, patagoons, kraicars, and kopecks, but the most fascinating piece was a gold Hamburg ducat from 1648 with an image of Madonna holding a child. A hole punched into the coin has led experts to believe it was once worn as a medallion.
According to a translated statement from the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Kielce, Jaczewicz was a hermit, adventurer, false prophet, and criminal.
During a plague at the start of the Great Northern War, Jaczewicz sold himself as someone with healing powers given directly to him by the Mother of God, who apparently lived with him in the wilderness. The Jaczewicz scam garnered large numbers of donations meant to incentivize the man to employ these healing powers kept flowing in, and Jaczewicz eventually had to hire a group of guards to protect his fraudulent gains from bandits looking to plunder his loot.
But keeping the dishonest gains wasn’t enough, and soon, Jaczewicz sent that assembly of guards to rob traveling pilgrims and raid surrounding properties.
Jaczewicz was eventually captured by authorities, but successfully escaped his first sentencing. He was later recaptured, and was sentenced to life in prison in 1712, just four years after his criminal behavior took root in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains.
Even with Jaczewicz imprisoned and his guards disbanded, his loot was never unearthed.
This troubled history led the Świętokrzyskie Exploration Group, with the blessing of the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Kielce, to search the mountains roughly 110 miles from Warsaw. Officials believe the discovered coins tie directly to Jaczewicz, and were a mix of the fees collected by the hermit and items stolen from the surrounding nobility.
The find was turned over to the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and has now been given to the Historical and Archaeological Museum in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski with the intention of preserving the coins while they undergo analysis.
Work on the current treasure continues, but according to the Miami Herald, it might not be the only treasure in the area. Officials told local media that they believe more hoards could be buried nearby. The collection—and legend of Jaczewicz—may still grow.
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