World's oldest time capsule discovered in Polish cathedral

A time capsule discovered in a cathedral in southwestern Poland has been confirmed as the oldest of its kind ever found, surpassing all previously known examples worldwide, the city of Legnica announced.

On Wednesday on Instagram, owned by US social media company Meta, the city explained that during conservation work on the tower of the Cathedral of St. Apostles Peter and Paul in Legnica, restorers uncovered a copper tube containing four documents and 35 coins.

Analysis revealed that the capsule had been enriched three times over the centuries, with its earliest deposit dating back to 1650. That parchment document and coins were placed after the tower was rebuilt following a devastating fire in 1648, during the final years of Duke George Rudolf's rule. Among the artifacts are a 1621 ducat and a 1607 thaler bearing his name, according to the post.

In 1775, two more documents and 23 coins were added, most from the reign of Frederick II of Prussia, along with four silver coins of Polish King Augustus III. Later, in 1823, the capsule was expanded again with another document and 10 coins from the reign of King Frederick William III of Prussia.

In total, the find includes five gold coins, 26 silver coins, and four copper coins.

Experts noted, according to the city, the 1650 deposit makes the Legnica capsule 375 years old, predating the oldest previously known examples, such as Niedzwiedzica (1704), Wawel (1716), Wschowa (1726), and Boston's Faneuil Hall (1761).

The treasure is now being examined at the Copper Museum in Legnica and will be displayed publicly on Sept. 19 in the cathedral where it was discovered.