Couple Found $10 Million in Gold Coins Buried in Their Yard

In February 2013, a Northern California couple was walking their dog on their rural property when they noticed something unusual sticking out of the ground. What they unearthed became the greatest buried treasure discovery in American history: eight decaying metal cans containing 1,427 gold coins worth approximately $10 million.

The coins, dating from 1847 to 1894, were in remarkably pristine condition despite spending over a century underground. Many were mint-condition rarities that had never been circulated. The hoard included $20 "double eagle" gold pieces, $10 "eagle" coins, and $5 "half eagle" pieces—all preserved as if frozen in time.

A Discovery Hidden in Plain Sight

The couple, who chose to remain anonymous and went by the pseudonyms "John and Mary," had walked that same path on their Gold Country property countless times. On this particular day, they spotted the rusty rim of a can protruding from the ground near an old tree. When they started digging, they found container after container buried in the shadow of the same tree.

The cans were fragile and falling apart, but their contents were spectacular. Some coins were so rare that only a handful of examples were known to exist. One 1866-S No Motto Double Eagle, for instance, is valued at over $1 million by itself.

The Mystery Remains Unsolved

Who buried the coins? Nobody knows. The couple's property was in California's Gold Country, where fortunes were made and lost during the 1849 Gold Rush. Theories range from a mint employee stealing coins over decades, to a wealthy individual who distrusted banks, to stolen loot from a robbery that was never recovered.

What makes it stranger: the coins were buried in at least three different time periods. Some cans contained only coins from the 1840s and 50s, while others held pieces from the 1880s and 90s. Someone kept adding to this underground vault for nearly half a century.

One popular theory connected the hoard to a 1901 San Francisco Mint heist, but the dates didn't match—these coins were underground before that robbery occurred. The original owner's identity died with them, leaving one of numismatics' greatest mysteries.

From Dirt to Auction Block

The couple sold most of the coins through several auctions, and the collection exceeded expectations. Called the "Saddle Ridge Hoard" (named after a feature on their property), it attracted collectors worldwide. Individual coins sold for as much as $15,000, while the rarest specimens commanded six-figure prices.

After taxes and expenses, the couple netted several million dollars. They reportedly used some of the money to pay off bills and donated a portion to local charities. They also kept a few coins as souvenirs of the most extraordinary dog walk in history.