The fortune in the backyard

Kagins Coin Dealer

The best story in the U.S. today comes straight out of the “why can’t this ever happen to me?” file.

The San Francisco Chronicle reveals that a Nevada couple found $10 million worth of gold coins buried in their backyard. It’s the biggest haul of gold coins ever. They were walking their dog when they noticed the rusty tin popping out of the ground.

How it got there, of course, is a mystery but it doesn’t appear it came from a robbery, the article says.

What kind of fool would hide gold coins in the backyard? The story, unwittingly perhaps, has the answer:

“The first thing the family did after finding all the cans was rebury them in a cooler under their woodpile,” (numismatist David) McCarthy said. “They were terrified and had to think about what to do.”

“It was like finding a wonderful hot potato,” the woman said in an interview with the coin dealer who is now in charge of the haul.