Working During School Holidays to Pay Tuition, Junior High Student Finds Gold Worth Rp3.1 Billion
Fortune can arrive from the most unexpected directions. This was the experience of Seger, a junior high school student from Kediri, East Java, who suddenly discovered gold worth Rp3.1 billion at the age of 15.
The incident occurred in 1988, while Seger was enjoying his school holidays in preparation for the new academic year. Unintentionally, he stumbled upon a treasure consisting of gold with a value reaching billions of rupiah.
The story began during the transition between academic years. Seger felt both happy and anxious; while he enjoyed the holidays, he was worried about his inability to pay school fees once classes resumed. To cover the costs, Seger used his holiday time to work as a farm labourer. He decided to spend his break near his home in East Java while searching for paddy fields to cultivate. Although he had to work for money, he was pleased to be away from school.
“I worked as a labourer because I needed money to pay school fees that had been overdue for two months. My report card was even being held,” Seger told the Suara Karya daily (2 December 1989).
Since early June, he had been hoeing and filling paddy fields owned by others every day from dawn until dusk under the scorching sun. The work was not easy, but Seger had no choice.
Ultimately, fate intervened. On 21 June 1989, while hoeing the earth to a depth of half a metre, Seger’s hoe suddenly struck something hard. It was not a stone, but a strange metallic clink, like the sound of gold clashing.
Curious, Seger dug deeper. He was shocked to find a flat object coated in pure gold, adorned with gemstones and diamonds. He then called two of his friends, and together they took the mysterious object to the police station.
The discovery caused a sensation within the community. National media widely reported on Segerm and his unexpected story. The village boy, who initially used his holidays to work due to financial hardship, became famous for finding treasure.
Majapahit Treasure
After being inspected by the relevant authorities, the object found by Seger was measured at approximately 25x35 cm with a weight of 1.2 kilograms. The object was found to be made of pure gold and decorated with 48 gemstones and diamonds. In several parts, reliefs depicting the sun and the Garuda bird were visible.
According to reports from Kompas (2 December 1989), experts suspect this object dates back to the late Majapahit Kingdom period. This assumption is based on the ornaments carved on the gold surface, namely the sun relief representing the Majapahit Kingdom and the Garuda bird, known as the vehicle of Lord Vishnu in Hindu mythology.
In terms of material value, Seger’s find is extremely high. The 1.2 kilograms of gold alone is worth billions of rupiah, even before calculating the value of the gemstones, diamonds, and the accompanying historical significance. Using current gold prices as a reference, the value of the gold is at least equivalent to Rp3.1 billion. This figure could be much higher if artistic and archaeological values are considered.
However, Seger cannot enjoy the full value of the treasure. In accordance with regulations, the historical artefact was immediately handed over to the state and is now stored in the National Museum, Jakarta.
As a form of appreciation, President Soeharto at the time provided compensation of Rp19.4 million to Seger, as well as guaranteeing educational scholarships through to university level.
Although he failed to become a young billionaire, Seger has no regrets. For him, he gained a once-in-a-lifetime experience of finding treasure during a school holiday. Furthermore, through this treasure, his name became famous, and he was able to continue his education without worrying about costs.