The findings are of incalculable cultural and economic value – The coin, Stater of Ptolemy I of Egypt, is one of the 7 that exist in the world – A corresponding part of the coin was attempted to be sold at an auction in America for 20,000,000 dollars
Spiral of antiquarians that would sell a rare gold coin and a kuro, ELAS dislocated, as a policeman who managed to infiltrate their environment, pretending to be the buyer, trapped them.
The policeman scheduled an appointment with the antiquarians in order to buy the antiquities. The meeting point for the purchase and sale was set at a point on the Athens-Patras highway.
A triple operation followed in Megara, Pefki and Oinophyta during which the three members of the ring were arrested.
The Department of Cultural Heritage and Antiquities of the Sub-Directorate for the Protection of Property Rights, Cultural Heritage and Environment, continuing its actions for the protection of cultural heritage, in an operation that took place in the morning hours of 5-23-2024 in Megara, Pefki and Oinophyta identified 3 people who illegally possessed ancient movable monuments.
Against three citizens aged 54, 69 and 52 who were arrested in the context of the operation, a case file was filed – as the case may be – for establishing a criminal organization, violation of antiquities and weapons legislation.
From the physical and house searches carried out on the owners of the antiquities, the following were found and confiscated:
- The rare gold coin, Staters of Ptolemy I of Egypt of the 4th century BC. with a diameter of 18 millimeters and a weight of 8.5 grams,
- Kouros trunk measuring 50*34.5 cm,
- 33 cm high marble statuette of a woman in two pieces,
- Brass ring 7 cm in diameter,
- Two rings, one with a swastika on the sling and the other with entwined serpents engraved with the inscription “MYRTALE”,
- Danaki, with one side depicting an eight-pointed star and on the other side the inscription “WE THE HEAVENLY GENERATION MYRTALIS”,
- Icon depicting Saint Onufrios and Saint Spyridon dating after 1830,
- Book entitled “Greek points and their values” and
- Barrel, hunting rifle and revolver
The seized antiquities were shown to an archaeologist of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Western Attica and a numismatist regarding the rare ancient coin, who opined that they fall under the protective provisions of the legislation for the protection of antiquities and were subsequently handed over for safekeeping and final assessment to the Archaeological Museum of Megara and the Numismatic Museum Athens.
The cultural, historical and artistic value of the gold coin (Statira of Ptolemy I of Egypt) is remarkable, because it is a solid and not cast extremely rare coin, as there are only 7 of its kind in the world.
The kouro trunk is likewise a piece of an ancient statue of incalculable value.
Indicatively, it is mentioned that a corresponding part of the kouro had been attempted to be sold at an auction in America for a sum of 20,000,000 dollars.
The arrested persons were taken to the Criminal Prosecutor of Athens.
Source: Skai
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