How digging a sewage drain led to the discovery of 25 historic gold coins in Aligarh

Time of India

5 days ago

Twenty-five gold coins were discovered by labourers laying a drain in a newly developed settlement in Barheti village, under
Quarsi
police station limits in Aligarh, prompting authorities to halt construction and seal the site. The
Archaeological Survey of India
(ASI) was informed through an official letter sent on Wednesday, and the agency is currently examining the coins to determine their age and historical significance. ASI officials believe the coins may be of historical value.
Discovery draws crowd and raises speculation of more buried items
The coins were found on Thursday while residents were removing dry soil from an open plot to lay a new drainage pipeline. The discovery led to a large crowd gathering at the site, with speculation that additional coins might remain buried. Jameel Ahmed, a local resident, explained that the previous drain had been damaged by two women, resulting in wastewater from approximately 56 houses flooding the area.
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"We collected Rs 500–600 from the residents and began building a new drain. While digging, we noticed something shiny in the soil. They were yellow in colour with inscriptions that looked like Urdu. We found 11 coins at first, but someone in the locality was unwell and needed attention, so we couldn't continue," Ahmed said.
Lack of infrastructure and coin handover to local official
Ahmed also noted the area's lack of basic civic infrastructure. "There is no proper sewage or drainage here. I used to live in Gol Market, but I've now purchased a plot in this new area because land is more affordable," he said.
Later in the evening, the village pradhan's son, Satish Rajput, visited the site. "The pradhan said our names were being mentioned, and that we should hand over the coins to avoid any problems," Ahmed said. "I had placed them in a water container and gave them to his son. The police came afterward, but I had already handed them over."
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Rajput confirmed receiving the 11 coins and said he immediately informed the police. "During questioning later that night, 15 more coins were recovered," he said, adding that it was unclear whether they had come from the trench or the nearby field. "They said coins kept surfacing as they dug. There may still be more underground."
Police secure site and deposit coins with treasury
Aligarh Deputy Superintendent of Police Sarvam Singh stated that the coins, which feature inscriptions in Persian, were handed over to the district treasury. Police suspect a labourer may have struck a buried pouch. Videography of the site was carried out and further excavation has been suspended until ASI completes its examination.