Tanja Hols, Janitor In German Library, Finds Historic Coins Possibly Worth Millions

Library janitor or Indiana Jones?

Tanja Höls, a custodian at the Passau state library in Germany, stumbled upon a box full of coins while on the job last week. Turns out, those coins are thousands of years old and could be worth millions.

“The box itself was fairly unspectacular, it looked like a big jewlery box, with lots of little drawers inside,” she told The Local.

When she told her bosses at the library, they were stunned. The library believes that the collection likely belonged to local prince-bishops, who hid the treasure in the library in the early 19th century to avoid paying taxes.

The gold and silver coins can be traced to ancient Rome, Greece and the Byzantine empire, according to the German Herald.

Höls, who had walked by the unassuming box many times before daring to open up, will be rewarded for her curiosity. A spokesman for the library told Der Spiegel that "she was very honest, a brilliant historian and a great detective. We are certainly going to promote her to the curating side of the museum and we're discussing a suitable reward for her."

Comments

[Activist Annie]

06:16 AM on 12/19/2011

"...When she told her bosses at the library, they were stunned. The library believes that the collection likely belonged to local prince-bishops, who hid the treasure in the library in the early 19th century to avoid paying taxes. ..."

Hmm. This is similar to what corporations are doing today to avoid paying taxes today out of the country.

[Dan Carelli]

04:31 PM on 12/14/2011

Glad she did the right thing and brought them to the public's attention. However, why not? I'll be the jerk, why does opening a box in plain site make her worthy of a promotion?

[Sunwyn Ravenwood]

04:17 AM on 12/16/2011

Because she was honest as well as inquisitive. And it's "sight".

[Dan Carelli]

03:31 PM on 12/17/2011

At first I had no idea what you were making reference to, then saw my typo. Honesty is a fine virtue, but I still am skeptical.

[bobby6]

07:46 PM on 12/17/2011

A lot of that depends on the level of service/expertise her fellow workers provide.i.e does she work on the same crew as "The Three Stooges'? If so,not burning the place down biweekly merits a promotion.

[biglot]

04:22 PM on 12/14/2011

Wot? Princes AND Bishops hiding the loot to escape the taxes? Off with their [descendants] heads!!

[sluggo824]

03:25 PM on 12/14/2011

I'm surprised that nobody questioned the comment that these coins were possibly "thousands" of years old....and could be worth millions. The first coins every made were thought to be from 600-550 BC. Would be very hard to believe that found coins were "thousands" of years old. While they might be worth a lot of money, I doubt if their value would be in the "millions". Would like to see an independent appraisal. First report of this find indicated they might be worth as much as $250,000.

[rgray222]

03:18 PM on 12/14/2011

An even more valuable treasure was found a short while ago in the basement of a Los Angeles Museum. Over 1000 rare codices were found, one of which the Mayans said is essential piece of information that they need. Many think it relates to the 2012 prophecy.
http://www.educatinghumanity.com/2011/10/2012-calendar-mayan-calendar-1000-rare.html

[212to631]

02:45 PM on 12/14/2011

Myself? Would have kept it quiet and kept the coins myself. As someone who adores antiques and old things, I honestly will admit this, even if it is wrong. So what if they questioned where she got them, should she try to sell them? Maybe someone left them to her in her family. She could come up with some story. Idk- she is a good person though, hope they reward very well.

[Vincent Van Der Hyde]

04:02 PM on 12/14/2011

So, you really want to publically admit you would be a criminal?

[bobby6]

07:50 PM on 12/17/2011

Could have confessed to being a politician.Is that reduntant or oxymoronic?

[212to631]

11:50 AM on 12/19/2011

Sure why not, seems fun no?
Sir, didn't admit I was a criminal. I didn't do anything. But, if the situation arose? Perhaps I would do what I stated. Doesn't mean I have. And personally, I don't see it as a crime. It wasn't the libraries- big whoop, it was on library property. They obviously were too ignorant to notice it for what, centuries?! Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. Would you be happy being a janitor?! Every man or woman for himself, sometimes, and if you are not hurting anyone. well, call me a "Criminal" then! haha

[quovadiszero]

01:27 PM on 12/14/2011

They must not tidy up the place to well to have a box collecting dust in plain sight.

[MichaelC]

12:37 PM on 12/14/2011

Surely this is what Newt had in mind when he said poor kids should become janitors.

[Jmichael Isbell]

02:20 PM on 12/14/2011

That's a very simple--Lie. He never said, or implied, that for their life's work, they should become janitors, this is just another simple Simon attack, to twist the words of someone else--to look clever, but actually come off--as stupid.

[hypyrwyf]

02:55 PM on 12/14/2011

There they go, twisting people's words by quoting them exactly again.

[Elrancho2]

04:37 PM on 12/14/2011

You poor old thing. Zero sense of humor. I know it's tough and highly embarrassing being a Republican these days but try to see the funny side of it.

[belgarde1]

12:35 PM on 12/14/2011

I do hope they will give her a reward. She deserves one and not just a better job. She deserves that too. They suggested she will get a better job and she really deserves that. Who knows how long the box would have sat there unopened if it wasn't for her. For that reason she deserves a BIG reward. Great story.

[LynnFritz]

12:19 PM on 12/14/2011

Let's just hope the tax man doesn't come a knocking.

[Scallywag13]

11:49 AM on 12/14/2011

Shoot... Every time I look in my un-assuming belly button, all I find is lint.

[2008FedUP]

11:26 AM on 12/14/2011

Newt will spin this as why he said "poor children in poor neighborhoods could work as janitors". This is the point he was making I guess!!

[MichaelC]

12:38 PM on 12/14/2011

I redundantly made the same point before seeing you'd already been there. Congrats on your insight!

[DXM]

10:01 AM on 12/14/2011

Am I missing something? A janitor simply opens up a box to find it filled with valuable, old coins and she is described as a "brilliant historian, and a great detective" and then gets a promotion as a curator??? How does one go from opening a plain box out of curiosity to being a historian and detective? There's obviously a huge chunk of the story missing here because it makes little sense as is.

[Rinaldi Moscatiello]

11:30 AM on 12/14/2011

True, therefore she should just take the reward and shut up and be happy with it.

[Hawkster]

04:16 PM on 12/14/2011

Maybe the German Library should either;
a. Fire her for taking so long to find the box and therefore allowing library budgetary issues to last for so long while all this value just sat there, I mean Good Lord it was a jewelry box - what do you think is in it?, or,
b. Reward her for her honesty and loyalty by sending her back South, or,
c. Give her one free date night with Newt, or,
d. Return the valuables to the United States where they belong. I had forgotten about leaving it behind last time I was that way.

[ImAllCorporationey]

09:42 AM on 12/14/2011

They're promoting her to CLEAN to curating side of the museum.

[helburnr]

07:45 AM on 12/14/2011

Wait a minute,, they are discussing a suitable reward for her, that's assuming the coins are theirs,, but they admit they were not theirs,, just hidden there to avoid taxes,, why doesn't the janitor get to keep the coins,, she found them,,maybe she should be considering a suitable reward for the library holding the coins for her...

[Zaida Adams]

09:15 AM on 12/14/2011

totally agree

[ImAllCorporationey]

09:43 AM on 12/14/2011

She doesn't own the library, she just works there.

I dig up treasure on your property, it's yours.

[helburnr]

08:01 AM on 12/15/2011

I'm glad you feel that way,, but the point is the library says the treasure was not theirs,,if they really want to do the right thing why not look for the decendants of the original owners ?