New Britain herald., 1928-04-21

town, people began rebuilding their homes. but no one knew or gave thought to the buried treasure with in the little altar, and for centuries it remained untouched.
 After the coins were found by the workmen and their authenticity was ascertained. part of it was given to the National Museum in Posen and Warsaw, while the rest remained in the hands of the present pastor who later sent 1t to his brother in this country. The collection is interesting in a sense that every coin depicts part of the history of Poland from the year 1886 to 1886. It would be difficult to take each coin seperate- ly and describe it infinitely. The fact remains that they tell their story of some districts which today are questioned by European Powers. the question being whether they belong to Poland or Germany. Each coin bears the Polish eagle with an in scription in Latin, telling what Po- lish king was reigning at the time the particular coin was minted. On the other side of each coin is en- gravel the coat of arms of the dutchy or province where it was le- gal tender. and the name of the Ger man prince or duke. who was its monarch, but who was a vassal of of fho city of Danzig, which today is a free port, bears on one side its coat of arms or the emblem of the reigning prince, while the other side reveals the crowned Polish eagle with the inscription of tn reigning king, an- other coin reveals the story of Be- hemian and Hungarian cities and provinces that came under the jur- isdiction of the Polish kings.
 The coins are irregular in propor- ton, showing that in those times they were all minted by hand and they vary in size. The smallest in the collection is about three-eighths of an inch in diameter. while the largest IS about one and one-quarter inches in diameter. The inscriptions on practically all of them are leg Ible and Gothic lettering can be distinguished. The coins bear no year in which they were minted and the approximate date can be only determined by the names of the reigning monarchs.
 According to the numismatists the coins were stamped in the following places: Cracow. Thorn, Danzig, FL hing. Wilma, Posen. koeningsberg. Goerlic, Breslau. Lignitz, Malbourg. kuestrin. Riga, Mainz. and several other German hints. Most of the coins are about the thickness of le- gal stationery and are made of either silver pr copper.
 Coins of the following rulers are in the collection of Rev. Father Bartkowski:
 Polish and Lithuanian coins during the reign of Ladislaus Jagello. 13S6- 1434: Ladislaus Warnenczyk. 1884 A; Casimir Jagellonczyk. 1447-S2; John Olbracht 1492-1501: ..lexan- der. 1501-06; Sigismund I, 1506-4s; Sigismund August. 154s-72; Stephen Batory. 1576-S6.
 Prussian coins, of provinces which paid tribute to Poland and were under the sovereignty of Polish kings during the reign of Grand Master Michael von Sternberg, 1414- 22; of Paul von Russdorf. 14c2-41 Henry von Plauen, 1467-7o: Henr. von Richtenberg, 1470177: Martin yon Truchsess, 14S9-97: Albert vol Hohenzollern. 1525-69; Albert Fred erick, 15Ga-7s.
 Bohemian coins of the time ot Ludovicus JageIlonczyk, 1516-oG Ferdinand of Austria, 1526-64; Max imillian II. 1564-76: Rudolf, II 1576-1612.
 Silesan coins, during the reign ol Frederick II of Breslau, 1495-t547; John Brandenburg von kuerstein 1535-71.
 Hungarian during the time o1 Matthew korwin, 145S-90.
 All these coins have been found to be authentic and the Nationa
 Museum has issued letter signed
 by the director, which is in the pos
 session of Rev. Father Bartkowski.