Workers have discovered a treasure trove dating back more than 400 years inside the leg of a church statue.
Four bags filled with coins were found at St Andreas Church in Eisleben, a town in Germany famed for being the hometown of Martin Luther, a leading figure of the Protestant Reformation.
Reports suggest the hoard was hidden from Swedish soldiers plundering the region during the Thirty Years’ War.
The 816 coins were actually uncovered in 2022, but the announcement of the discovery was only made recently after experts completed their detailed examinations.
Gold coins, ducats, silver coins and hundreds of pennies had been stowed in a cavity inside the leg of the statue, according to the history publication All That’s Interesting.
Ulf Dräger, who curates the State Coin Cabinet for the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, told Live Science: “This is an incredibly story.”
He added: “It is nothing short of a miracle the treasure did not come to light sooner.”
Mr Dräger said the hoard’s value is as yet unknown, adding: “I can only say that it is a huge fortune. Much more than a craftsman could earn in a year.”
The treasure was discovered in the same church where Luther preached and began writing his Ninety-Five Theses, which accused the then-dominant Catholic Church of corruption.
Reports have cited experts suggesting the hoard was hidden inside the statue during the Thirty Years’ War, which raged across Europe from 1618 to 1648.
Mercenaries and soldiers moving across territories inflicted heavy burdens on locals, snatching supplies and helping to spread diseases as they moved back and forth.
Eisleben locals had to feed and house Swedish soldiers in addition to giving them money, which led experts to suggest they could be the reason behind the hidden hoard.
Experts also suggest the money could have formed a church fund intended for pensions and medicines for ailing clergy members.
The statue where the coins were found is part of an epitaph for a count and countess. After researchers closely examine each coin, they will present the findings at the church.
