Russian Archaeologists Unearth 409 Gold Rubles Valued at $500,000 in Torzhok

Archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences uncovered a trove of 409 gold‑ruble coins while excavating the foundation of an old house in Torzhok, about 420 km southeast of St. Petersburg. The coins, minted between 1848 and 1911, include 387 ten‑ruble pieces, ten five‑ruble, ten fifteen‑ruble and two 7.5‑ruble coins, spanning the reigns of Tsars Nicholas I, Alexander III and Nicholas II.

Experts estimate the treasure’s material value at more than $500,000 (about 13 billion VND). The find will be transferred to the National Museum of History and Ethnography for preservation and study, offering insight into the final years of the Russian Empire and the turbulent period surrounding the 1917 Revolution.