Man can't believe his luck after finding small fortune buried underneath farm
A man has quite literally struck gold after digging in his field within his farm.
Poppy Bilderbeck
A man has quite literally struck gold after digging in his field within his farm.
The gold coins were discovered on a farm in Kentucky, US and are from 1840-1863 - thought to be part of the Great Kentucky Hoard.
But how many coins did the man find and how much might they be worth?
Advert
Well, the unnamed man from Kentucky filmed part of his discovery in a video provided to GovMint.
In the recording posted to YouTube, the man videos piles of coins covered in mud and dirt all clumped together, noting he's only just started digging too.
He says: "This is the most insane thing ever. Those are all $1 dollar (77p) gold coins, $20 (£15) gold coins, $10 (£8) gold coins.
"[...] And look [...] there's one, two, three, four, five, six gold coins. This is unf**king real."
A total of eight $20 Liberty coins were found in the hoard, 20 $10 Liberty coins and 95 percent were dollar coins. Even a few extremely rare 1863 Gold Liberty Double Eagles were uncovered too.
The coins' authenticity was certified by Numismatic Guaranty Co. (NGC) who graded the coins as being in 'Extremely Fine to Mint State condition'.
NGC said in a release on its website: "Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) was honored to recently certify an incredible cache of rare Civil War-era coins found in the Bluegrass State."
Georgia Southern University conflict archaeologist, Ryan McNutt, saw news of the hoard arise online and believes the hoard may have been 'buried in advance of Confederate John Hunt Morgan's June to July 1863 raid'.
He told Live Science he believes the hoard could've been buried as a way of 'hiding goods and valuables' from a Confederate raiding party as a result of the relationship which developed between Kentuckians and the federal government because of the Civil War.
McNutt is 'frustrated' he wasn't able to see the hoard collection first-hand - the hoard handled by leading expert coin dealer, Jeff Garrett, instead.
However, Garrett agreed with McNutt on how the 'importance of this discovery cannot be overstated'.
"The stunning number of over 700 gold dollars represents a virtual time capsule of Civil War-era coinage, including coins from the elusive Dahlonega Mint. Finding one Mint condition 1863 Double Eagle would be an important numismatic event," Garrett notes. "Finding nearly a roll of superb examples is hard to comprehend."
The hoard is now being sold at auction to collectors by rare coin retailer GovMint - the rarest 1863-P $20 one-ounce gold Liberty coin, of which there were 18 discovered in the hoard, have known to sell for a whopping six-figures.
Founder and President of GovMint, Bill Gale, reflected: "We are deeply honored and tremendously excited to have been chosen as the exclusive provider for the public sale of the remarkable coins that are part of the Great Kentucky Hoard.
"This extraordinary opportunity allows us to share these historic coins with collectors and enthusiasts, ensuring their preservation and appreciation for generations to come."
Executive Vice President of the Certified Collectibles Group® (CCG®), of which NGC is part, Andy Salzberg, reviewed the finding as 'a truly exceptional occurrence in a lifetime'.