Treasure trove: Gold items, copper coins found in strongbox at Goa govt building, says CM

Panaji, Mar 15 (PTI) Several items of immense value, including gold pieces and copper coins, were found after a strongbox kept at a Portuguese-era building was opened just for the second time since Goa was liberated in 1961, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday.
The strongbox, kept in the Directorate of Accounts building in Panaji, was opened in the presence of a state-appointed committee, he added.

“We found gold pieces weighing 2.23 kilograms, 5,000 antique coins, 307 coppers coins of different dates cumulatively weighing 3.15 kilograms, 814 coins weighing Rs 4.78 kilograms with inscriptions in Arabic, 786 copper coins with Queen Victoria written, household items like tumblers etc,” the CM said.

“The is the second time the strongbox was opened since Goa’s liberation. It was last opened in 1991,” he added.

The Directorate of Accounts office was recently shifted from Panaji to the new ‘Lekha Bhavan’ in Porvorim and the strongbox was opened as it needed to be moved to the new structure, Sawant said.

“All the items were documented and kept back in the box. Some samples of these items would be displayed in the state museum,” the CM told reporters.