Fact Check: This story about a treasure trove in Kashmir, “Khaazana Mil Gaya”

New Delhi: A picture of a broken container lying in mud and filth but filled with gold coins is circulating on social media. The story along with the picture says the coins were discovered by a labourer while digging a canal near Wular lake in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sharing the picture, a Facebook user wrote, “#Khaazaana #Mil #Gaya As per reports One Labour from Baramulla area found Golden & silver coins while digging a canal near wular lake on Saturday,13 Feb, 2021. Around 30 Labourers were working for the project.”

India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that the picture is not from India but the Italian town of Como. It shows gold coins of the late Imperial era which were found by labourers during the renovation of an old theatre.

The claim is quite viral on Facebook. The archived version can be seen here.

Upon reverse-searching the viral image, we found it in a report published by “The Irish Sun” website on September 10, 2018.

As per this report, 1,500-year-old gold coins stuffed inside an urn were found by labourers during renovation of a theatre in Italy.

The Italian ministry of culture and tourism had also posted the same image on September 7, 2018, with a caption in Italian which translates to: Hundreds of gold coins from the late imperial era have been found in the centre of #Como, in a soapstone container with an unusual shape. “A discovery that fills me with pride,” said the minister @BonisoliAlberto.

Another report published by “Australian Broadcasting Corporation” on September 14, 2018, says that hundreds of Roman gold coins were found on the banks of the famous Como lake during excavation of the historic Cressoni Theatre.

We did not find any report which talks about gold coins being found near Wular lake in J&K. Thus, it is clear that an old picture of gold coins found near Como lake in Italy is being falsely shared as from Wular lake in J&K.(India Today)