According to Bangalore Mirror, the excavation crew found 43 coins inside the buried crock and instead of telling the person who hired them about the discovery, reburied it and told the homeowner that they were unable to finish the work that day.

Later that evening, the men returned to the site and recovered the buried treasure. Then they made their way to the nearby town of Chamarajanagar (Karnataka), taking the coins to a pawnbroker to determine their value.

The lender allegedly sent the workers away, telling them those coins were fake and hence worthless. BM reports the person proceeded to call the local police and inform them of the discovery of ancient coins by a few labourers.

Further digging in the neighbourhood unveiled another 50 gold coins.

Experts are yet to determine the period of the coins but according to sources quoted by The Times of India, most of them are from the late 18th century and early 19th century when this part of the country was under Hyder Ali — ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore.

It is unclear whether the workers may face charges. It is also uncertain if the Archaeology Survey of India will continue to check the area in search of more coins.

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