UMERKOT/KARACHI, Nov 2: While three robbers took away around 100 replicas of centuries-old coins from the archaeology museum in Umerkot after overpowering the museum staff on Friday morning, it seemed they had no knowledge of antiques as they spared the antique silver jewellery on display in the same museum, said a culture department official.

These coins were actually made from plaster and were electroplated to give them the look of gold and the thieves probably took them for gold coins as they did not touch the real antique silver jewellery kept next to these coins, said Sindh Archaeology Director Qasim Ali Qasim while speaking to Dawn.

The real coins were kept at the National Museum in Karachi, he added.

According to an employee of the museum, Gul Hassan, the robbers posing as visitors earlier bought tickets to visit the galleries.

He said that a senior official, deputy director Mazhar Mirani, had been sent to Umerkot to lodge the case with the police. He said there were no police guards at the museum, which was protected only by its four attendants and staffers. A clerk had been injured while resisting the robbery, he said.

In reply to a question as to why the department was putting fake material on display, Mr Qasim said that it was feared that such an incident might occur keeping in view the law and order situation across the province.

“The department’s foresight proved helpful in averting a major loss,” he remarked.