ONE of the largest collections of golden coins in the world will move from Košice to Bratislava while the building in which it is currently housed, Východoslovenské Múzeum (the Eastern-Slovak Museum) undergoes reconstruction. The Košice Golden Treasure, as it is called, will be exhibited for the next 15 months in Bratislava, the Sme daily wrote.
The building where the treasure has been housed since 1970 is 105 years old and needs reconstruction. Since its administrator, the Košice Region, has been unable to secure the Sk290 million needed for the reconstruction all at once, the reconstruction will be divided into phases.
In the first phase, worth Sk58 million, workers will renovate the roof, adapt the so-far unused loft into a new exhibition and storage facility and add a barrier-free access entry and a lift. The museum will close on August 7.
The first phase of the reconstruction will last 15 months. The Košice Region will finance it with a Sk50 million loan from the European Development Bank and its own resources.
The vault currently used to protect the gold was reconstructed only three years ago, but the museum did not want to keep the treasure in Košice because of security concerns.
During the next 15 months the treasure trove can be seen in the Luginsland Bastian at Bratislava Castle.
“I think that it is good that Bratislavans and their visitors can see the unique collection with their own eyes,” Róbert Pollák, the director of the Východoslovenské Múzeum told the daily. “Certainly this will contribute to the promotion of Košice and our region.”
The golden treasure was discovered on August 24, 1935 when workers constructing a house at Hlavná Street found a copper box with 2,920 ducats mostly dating from the 15th to 17th centuries, as well as three medals and a 2.14-metre long renaissance golden chain weighing 0.59 kg.
It has been exhibited in Východoslovenské Múzeum since 1970 and until recently had never left the building.
