A Northern California couple was walking their dog on their property one day when they spotted something unusual on the ground. They decided to stop and investigate, and soon made a discovery that would change their lives. The couple had been walking this same path for many years and had never found anything unusual. But on this particular day, the woman spotted a rusty old tin can sticking up out of the ground. Many people wouldn't have given it a second look, but she's certainly glad she did...
As it turned out, that old tin can was filled with rare, solid gold coins that dated back to California's Gold Rush days in the 1800s. And that was just the first discovery. They soon learned that there were seven more cans just like it. Needless to say, the couple was absolutely stunned by their findings.
In total, the cans contained more than 1,400 gold coins dated between 1847 and 1894. All were in pristine condition and the total estimated value of this lucky find was an astonishing $10 million. According to CBS News, Don Kagin, a veteran numismatist who represented the couple, said, ". . . you don't get an opportunity to handle this kind of material, a treasure like this, ever. It's like they found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."
The couple, who wanted to remain anonymous to protect their privacy, put the coins on the market, leading to sales figures most people could only dream about. It was estimated that the most valuable of the coins could be worth as much as $1 million, just by itself.
