8 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Rare 832 copper coins from the Portuguese era unearthed in Goa, India

In Sattari, Nanoda, in the state of Goa on the west coast of India, 832 copper coins that are believed to be from the 16th or 17th-century Portuguese era were found at a cashew farm.

Vishnu Shridhar Joshi, a farmer in Nanoda Bamber village, was clearing weeds at his cashew plantation a fortnight ago when he noticed a pot buried in the soil. After a little digging, Joshi discovered a vessel containing coins from a bygone era.

He handed over the coins to a team of state archaeologists. The Goa archaeology department, headed by Minister Subhash Phal Dessai, is preparing to carbon-date the coins to determine their exact age and historical context.

“A treasure has been discovered,” said director of archaeology Nilesh Fal Desai. “The coins are connected to the history of Goa’s erstwhile kingdoms and the people of the time. Prima facie, the coins are from the 16th or 17th century.”

Joshi had unknowingly discovered a “treasure” from centuries ago — 832 copper coins believed to have been minted in Goa around the 16th or 17th century when it was under Portuguese rule.

Goa was a Portuguese colony from 1510 to 1961. The small coastal area was conquered by Afonso de Albuquerque (c. 1453-1515) and became an important trade hub for the Eastern spice trade. For 450 years, Goa was the capital of the entire Portuguese Empire east of the Cape of Good Hope.

The Archaeology department says the coins likely from the 16th or 17th Century, could offer insights into trade ties at that time. Photo: Indian Express

The rare discovery is now part of a study that will be undertaken by the state’s Department of Archaeology, which could offer insights into trade relations, commerce, and the economic history of Goa during the early years of Portuguese rule.

Officials said the “buried treasure” could offer insights into Goa’s numismatic history.

“Prima facie, from the alphabets and symbols, it appears that the coins were issued in the 16th-17th Century during the early years of Portuguese rule. On some coins, one side has a cross and an alphabet, which could be interpreted as the initials of a king, under whose kingdom the coins may have been circulated,” said Dr Nilesh Fal Dessai.

Joshi said the earthen pot was found at Haddiche Bharad situated on a hillock about 1km from the Kalasa nullah site.

The coins are expected to offer historical riches because they were found on the Ghat pathway connecting British India with Portuguese India.

Under Indian law, a treasure trove (buried treasure that has been lost or forgotten) is considered the government’s property. The law requires anyone who discovers such treasure to report to the authorities.

Related Articles

Sumatran fishing crews may have found the legendary Gold Island in the Mud of the Indonesian River

24 October 2021

24 October 2021

The site of the Srivijaya kingdom, known in ancient times as the Island of Gold, may have been found by...

7500-year-old idol of Goddess Asherah located in Israel

22 May 2022

22 May 2022

Archaeologists excavating an ancient cemetery in Israel have discovered an idol they believe belongs to the goddess Ashera at a...

3 mummified skeletons were found in Iznik, western Turkey

8 October 2021

8 October 2021

Archaeologists discovered mummified skeletons dating from the 2nd century A.D. within two sarcophagi at the Hisardere Necropolis in Bursa’s Iznik...

Archaeologists Discover a New Pyramid from the Caral Culture, Known as South America’s Oldest Civilization

4 February 2025

4 February 2025

The team from the Caral Archaeological Zone has discovered a new pyramidal structure in the “Sector F” of the Chupacigarro...

A large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar has been unearthed in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud

26 June 2023

26 June 2023

Archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, working with an Iraqi excavation team, have unearthed a...

Evidence of the oldest hunter-gatherer basketry in southern Europe discovered in Spanish Cave

29 September 2023

29 September 2023

A team of scientists has discovered and analyzed the first direct evidence of basketry among hunter-gatherer societies and early farmers...

Smoke archeology finds evidence Humans visited Nerja Cave for 40,000 Years

26 April 2023

26 April 2023

A new study by a team from the University of Córdoba reveals that Nerja is the European cave with the...

Turkey Adds New Sites to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

30 April 2021

30 April 2021

Two additional cultural objects have been added to Turkey’s World Heritage Tentative List, bringing the total number of cultural assets...

Archaeologists identified the first known tomb of a Warrior Woman with weapons in Hungary

5 January 2025

5 January 2025

A team of archaeologists led by Balázs Tihanyi of the Department of Biological Anthropology and the Department of Archaeology at...

The ancient necropolis area in Turkey’s Antalya becomes a museum

22 July 2023

22 July 2023

The East Garage Necropolis Area, which was once a public market in the southern province of Antalya and where archaeological...

Young Metal Detectorist Discovers Huge Viking Treasure Hoard in Denmark

23 April 2023

23 April 2023

A group of hobby metal detectorists has discovered two Viking treasures buried a few meters apart near the ruins of...

The 8,000-year-old Aslantepe in Turkey has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List

26 July 2021

26 July 2021

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Monday that a rich, 30-meter-high archaeological mound going back 8,000 years in southern Turkey has...

Christians Supplied Medieval Pagans with Horses for Sacrifice for Funeral Rituals

20 May 2024

20 May 2024

In the late medieval period, pagans in the Baltic region of northern Europe imported horses from neighboring Christian nations for...

Artvin Demirkapı/Arılı rock paintings give information about Anatolian Bronze Age Nomadic

14 December 2021

14 December 2021

Rock paintings are material cultural assets that provide us with unique information about the socio-cultural structure, religious beliefs, and rituals,...

Urartian graves in eastern Turkey pointing out novel burial traditions

21 September 2021

21 September 2021

The excavations in Cavuştepe castle continue with the excavations in the necropolis this year. Two new tombs from the Urartian...