Ancient artifacts to be returned to bankrupt antique dealer

Nebraska State Treasurer Shane Osborn has seen a lot of odd unclaimed property.

But this year the surprise was ancient artifacts, and they’ve set a precedent, Osborn said. A Pharaoh mask from 2,500 B.C., ancient Roman clay jars, daggers from Phonecia, pottery from Greece and hunting spears from Africa comprise the true treasure trove this year.

The collection was turned in to the state by a Lincoln bank.

The box belonged to a former Nebraska collector and antique dealer who is now living in a hotel and on food stamps, Osborn said.

Conservative estimates put the collection’s value at $200,000.

The owner wished to remain anonymous. He said his antique dealership went bankrupt a few years ago.

KETV

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Tags: antiquities

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 4:51 pm and is filed under Fun/Odd. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.