‘Extremely rare’: Millions of dollars’ worth of gold coins found buried in cornfield

Millions in rare gold coins have been unearthed in a Kentucky cornfield. (Source: WAVE)
Published: Jul. 12, 2023 at 10:02 PM EDT
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - Coin-collecting experts are calling more than 700 rare U.S. gold coins recently found at a cornfield in Kentucky one of the greatest finds of the 21st century.

WAVE reports that the coins found are dated from 1840 to 1862 and are estimated to hold a value exceeding $2 million.

Labeled “The Great Kentucky Hoard,” experts described the find as “extremely rare,” especially finding the coins in such good condition.

“Underneath were these phenomenally beautiful, preserved coins,” Andrew Salzberg, with the Certified Collectibles Group, said. “And they were preserved so well because they weren’t exposed to air, they were buried in the ground.”

However, the mystery of how the coins came to be buried in a Kentucky cornfield remains unanswered. One scenario discussed is that a wealthy Kentuckian possibly buried his wealth to hide it from an advancing Confederate Army.

“If you had a lot of money, historically, you buried it,” Byrd Saylor, the president of the Louisville Numismatic Exchange, said. “Banks were good, but they robbed the banks. You had to find a place that was secure, and, most times, people buried money. It stays in the ground.”

But why the owner failed to return is unknown, and 160 years later questions remain.

How the coins were found or who located them has not been immediately disclosed.