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Archaeologists stumble upon 16th century coins stashed in ivory chess piece

The ivory chess piece was found during construction work in downtown Moscow

© Moscow Mayor official website

MOSCOW, May 10. /TASS/. Archaeologists have discovered a treasure trove in central Moscow dating back to Ivan the Terrible's times - ten silver coins tucked inside an ivory chess bishop, City Hall said on its website on Wednesday..

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The ivory chess piece was found during construction work in downtown Moscow, which is undergoing a major gentrification project. "Ten hand-minted silver coins were stashed in a bishop made of ivory. The total sum is five kopecks," head of Moscow’s Cultural Heritage Department, Alexey Yemelyanov, said.

The coins' origin dates back to the mid-16th century. One was minted in Tver (a city about 174 kilometers northwest of Moscow) and the other nine - in Moscow.

"If each chess piece had the same stowage, the total sum of the stashed coins could amount to 160 kopecks," Yemelyanov said, adding that no other chess pieces had been found yet.

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