According to Tandur Police, five tribals had found as many as 350 gold coins of one and three grams (weighing around 750-800 grams) kept in an earthen pot during excavation at Nagaram village of Tandur mandal in the district around two months ago, they said.
They distributed the gold coins among themselves and later sold off most of them, police said adding that they came to know about the matter when one local businessman informed that the five persons tried to sell some of the coins to him.
Police were trying to recover the remaining coins, which were sold off earlier.
"Five tribals and the businessman were picked up and were being questioned and it appears that the gold does not carry any antique value," he said.
Further investigations were on.