Kentuckian unearths Civil War treasure trove worth at least $1 million
What's hiding in your own backyard might surprise you — and that's exactly what happened to one Kentuckian who unearthed an estimated $1,000,000 worth of gold coins.
Around 700 coins "minted before and during the Civil War" were found in an undisclosed cornfield last month, according to a report from Insider. The Great Kentucky Hoard, a nickname for the collection, contains genuine $1, $10 and $20 gold coins, several of which are individually worth six figures, though the total worth is still unknown.
Although the finder is keeping their identity and location of the hoard anonymous, even they know that "this is the most insane thing ever," as they said in a video showing the discovery.
Why were the coins buried?
The details of the coins' burial are still unclear, but some sources have their own theories.
Ryan McNutt, a conflict archeologist, told LiveScience it was possible the coins were "buried in advance of Confederate John Hunt Morgan's June to July 1863 raid."Wealthy Kentuckians may have buried "huge sums of money" to prevent their cash from being taken by the Confederacy, Nutt said.
Another possibility came from govmint.com, which speculated someone may have hidden the treasure as an "insurance policy." By the time the Civil War was over, perhaps the owner may have forgotten the whereabouts of their trove or might have died.
This also isn't the first account of legends surrounding hidden treasure troves. James Langstaff was purported to have left a letter saying he left $20,000 on his Paducah property, McNutt said. William Pettit reportedly buried nearly $80,000 in coins near Lexington, and some quarantined Confederate soldiers may have stolen payroll money and hid it in a cave in the Cumberland Gap. None of the treasure has ever been found, he added.
What kinds of coins are in The Great Kentucky Hoard?
Gold dollars minted between the years 1854 and 1862 make up the majority of the hoard, according to govmint.com. However, some of the coins date back to 1840, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.
Among the rarest coins in the collection were $20 Gold Liberty coins from 1863-P, many of which were in mint condition. A gold Liberty double-eagles coin from 1863 could be worth close to $400,000 at auction, Insider said.
One source estimated the entire hoard could be worth closer to $2 million than $1 million, the Smithsonian said.
Today's weather: Thunderstorms, flash flooding possible Thursday in Louisville and Western Kentucky
Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentuckian shocked to find Civil War treasure buried in a cornfield
