An unidentified man has found a cache of more than 800 U.S. Civil War-era coins in a monumental discovery billed as the “Great Kentucky Hoard.”
The man discovered the coins buried on a farm in Kentucky earlier this year, according to a release from GovMint, a U.S.-based coin dealer that will handle the sale of the coins to collectors.
The firm also shared a video of the man making the find, during which he stated: “This is the most insane thing ever. Those are all $1 gold coins, $20 gold coins, $10 gold coins. This is … unreal.”
He then contacted rare coin dealer Jeff Garrett, of Lexington, Ky., to organize the coins, which were authenticated by the Florida-based grading service Numismatic Guaranty Company.
“While I’m always excited when someone calls asking for advice about a rare coin discovery, the opportunity to handle the Great Kentucky Hoard is one of the highlights of my career,” Garrett said. “The importance of this discovery cannot be overstated, as the stunning number of over 700 gold dollars represents a virtual time capsule of Civil War-era coinage.”
The trove included coins from the rare Dahlonega Mint, a former branch of the U.S. Mint built in Georgia during the 1830s Georgia Gold Rush. The Mint operated from 1838-61.