14 Gold Coins Found in Belagav: A routine job scheme in Karnataka led to a surprise find when workers dug up old gold coins in Inchala village. The team was working in Savadatti taluk, Belagavi district. While digging as part of the VB-G RAM-G scheme, they uncovered 14 coins.
Workers found the coins on Friday, September 4. The work was near a BCM hostel. Right away, the workers did not keep the coins. They handed them to the Inchala Gram Panchayat. This was done in front of officials and police.
14 Gold Coins Found in Belagav
Savadatti tahsildar Mallikarjun Heggannavar said the 14 coins together weigh about 54.8 grams. Each coin weighs close to 3.92 grams.
He added that the coins look alike. One face shows an elephant. The other side has a design in an older style.
Officials said the exact source, ruling house, and time period will be confirmed only after experts check them.
At this stage, officials think the coins may be from about 800 to 1,000 years ago. A jewellery shop in Savadatti has reportedly tried an early price guess. It put the value for all 14 coins at around ₹8.20 lakh.
Savadatti Tahsildar Mallikarjuna Heggannavara confirmed the discovery to ETV Bharat and said all the coins were found together. “It is true that 14 gold coins were found in the form of a treasure. Each coin weighs an average of 3.92 grams, and their total weight is around 54.8 grams,” the official said.
“All these coins have a similar design. One side of it has image of an elephant, and the other side has an image dating back to ancient times. After the coins were discovered, the VB-G RAM G labourers displayed honesty and handed over the 14 gold coins to the Inchal Gram Panchayat office in presence of the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO), Deputy Tahsildar, and Murgod station police. PDO Mallappa Harugoppa handed them over to the taluka administration on Friday,” he said.
One Kannada report said the elephant design looks like marks seen on coins from the Western Ganga or Vijayanagara lines. It also pointed to Gajapati Varaha and similar coin styles. That claim is still not verified and waits on review by specialists.
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Coins Sent to Local Officials
Right after the find, staff carried out a panchnama at the Gram Panchayat office. Then the coins were given to the taluk administration. They were kept in treasury custody as senior officials instructed. “Experts from the Archaeological Department can provide more information about their age and historical background after examining the valuables,”
“The actual age, historical significance and official value of the coins will be clear only after the archaeological department’s inspection. I have informed the District Collector and Deputy Divisional Officer about the unearthed items over the phone. Following their instructions, the coins have been handed over to the treasury department,” said Heggannavara.
Authorities have informed senior district officials and are expected to seek an expert archaeological assessment to determine the coins’ age, origin, historical importance and official value.
Workers Praised for Honesty
The workers have been praised by the local administration for immediately reporting the discovery. Instead of treating the coins as personal property, they surrendered the entire find to officials.
Meanwhile, PDO Mallappa Harugoppa said, “VB-G RAM G labourers have shown honesty by handing over 14 gold coins. We congratulate them on behalf of the administration. We have handed over the coins to the taluk administration under the watch of the Tahsildar.”
The discovery has also generated curiosity about why such a gold hoard was buried at the site and whether it could be connected to an older settlement or historical period in the Belagavi region.
