Ukrainian border guards uncover hidden historic coin collection

Ukrainian border guards from the Izmail Detachment discovered 38 ancient coins at the Orlivka checkpoint, which are believed to hold cultural or historical value.

This was reported on Facebook by the Southern Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

The items were found during a joint inspection with customs officers in one of the bags belonging to a 55-year-old Ukrainian citizen traveling by bus to Bulgaria.

The coins date from 1734 to 1942. Notable pieces include a Finnish 50 Pennie from 1915, a Third Reich 50 Reichspfennig from 1940, and a Romanian Regatul României coin from 1942.

The collection was seized pending a court decision. An expert evaluation will determine whether the items possess cultural or historical significance.

According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, the coins were discovered during customs inspection of the bus and passengers’ luggage. The man had carefully concealed coins of various denominations, countries, and minting years in his backpack.

He did not possess any official documentation authorizing the transport of the collection across the customs border.

The coins were temporarily confiscated under a protocol for customs violations.

As previously reported, border guards in Bukovyna recently thwarted an attempt to smuggle 17th-century coins into Romania.