Agra: An investigation has been launched after a cache of rare ancient coins, which were unearthed during renovation work at a temple in UP’s Firozabad district, went missing under mysterious circumstances.The case pertains to Vankhandeshwar Mahadev Temple, located under Narkhi police station, where workers discovered two earthen pots containing an estimated 40–45 kg of coins in May last year during excavation work linked to a tourism development project.Temple trust chairman Shailendra Pratap informed the Agra unit of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), following which a team visited the site on May 22, 2025. Preliminary examination identified the coins as high-grade copper pieces from the Kushan period. Officials collected a few samples but left the remaining coins in a sack at the temple premises under the trust’s custody.However, when officials returned to take possession of the remaining coins, the entire sack had vanished. An FIR has been filed by police official Jaichandra Babu Sharma against an unidentified person under section 305 (theft) of BNS.The complaint stated that a preliminary inquiry, including questioning of temple trust representatives and archaeological department personnel, confirmed that the historically significant coins had been stolen.DSP Firozabad Arvind Kumar Chaurasia told TOI, “An investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and efforts are being made to trace the missing artefacts.”