In a story straight out of a Hollywood script, a Northern California couple stumbled upon one of the greatest buried treasure discoveries in U.S. history – $10 million worth of rare gold coins hidden beneath an old tree on their property.
💰 The Discovery
- While walking their dog on their rural Gold Country property, the couple spotted the edge of a rusted metal can protruding from the ground
- Digging further, they uncovered eight decaying metal cans filled with 1,427 pristine gold coins minted between 1847-1894
- The coins’ face value totaled about 27,000,ʙuттheir∗∗collectorvalueexceeded10 million**
🏆 What Made the Treasure Special
- Included extremely rare $20 gold pieces that hadn’t been circulated
- Many were pristine uncirculated condition coins from the San Francisco Mint
- Several were unique specimens that numismatists had never documented before
❓ The Mystery Deepens
No one knows who buried the coins, but experts speculate:
- They may represent a miner’s lifetime savings during the Gold Rush
- Could be stolen bank reserves hidden after the 1850s
- Possibly a wealthy family’s emergency fund during the Great Depression
🏦 The Aftermath
- The couple (who chose to remain anonymous) worked with Kagin’s Inc. numismatic firm to authenticate and sell the collection
- Most coins sold to private collectors through Amazon (yes, really!)
- After taxes, their windfall was estimated at $5-7 million
Talk about beginner’s luck! This incredible find proves there may still be undiscovered treasures waiting beneath our feet. Who knows what you might find in your own backyard?