Who wouldn’t wish to become rich overnight by discovering a treasure buried underground or receiving a huge inheritance from a long-lost relative? Stories like this are extremely appealing because the thought of becoming instantly rich is so appealing.
However, most of these are just stories and legends. We can all dream, but how often does it actually happen? Can a person actually go out and find lost treasure?
Extraordinary coincidences happen to ordinary people. Mysterious events really scare people. One incredible story is about the Saddle Ridge Hoard, a vault containing millions of dollars worth of gold coins!
This discovery is truly a story of lost treasure that will inspire even the most skeptical to keep an eye on the ground on their next trip. It makes those who find it an instant millionaire!
Exploration
The Saddle Ridge treasure was discovered in February 2013, when the couple who owned the property was walking their dog in the morning. They discovered what looked like a rusted part of a can and decided to excavate it. The can was unusually badly rusted and deformed as if it were filled with iron or lead. It is very unusual and needs further examination.
The can was so heavy that when brought home, the lid cracked open and revealed sparkling gold coins! Not something you stumble across on a normal day!
After that first can, the pair returned to the site to dig in the dirt to find more cans filled with coins. They ended up unearthing a total of eight cans from underground on their property in Saddle Ridge.
The couple have (wisely) since chosen to remain anonymous, along with the exact location of their assets. This is intended to prevent potential illegal metal detecting treasure hunters from combing through their property to find more lost treasure.
However, we do know that the property is located somewhere in rural California and that the treasure appears to have been hidden underground somewhere between 1847 and 1894.
The value of hoardingA few rusty old cans hold the treasure of a lifetime! The Saddle Ridge Hoard contains more than 1000 coins with a total estimated value of more than $10 million.
What makes the Saddle Ridge Hoard so great is the sheer size and value of the hoard. The hoard has a total of 1,411 gold coins with a total face value of 27,980 USD. The hoard has $20 coins worth $27,460 and only $10 and $5 coins worth $500 and $20. Doesn’t sound impressive, does it?
Remember that those numbers are just the face value… which is actually just a small portion of the total value of these rare gold coins. The actual value of the hoard is estimated to be a whopping $10 million. Now that’s an impressive number! Imagine you’re walking around and find $10 million in your backyard.
Even if you’re just looking at melt value, we’re talking about British pounds and pounds of gold here. But the amazing thing about the coins in the Saddle Ridge Hoard is that many of them are still in mint condition and quite a few of them are extremely rare.
Numismatists have evaluated the collection and claim that some individual coins are so rare that they could be worth more than $1 million each!
Most of the coins were minted after 1854 in San Francisco and these coins coincide with the Gold Rush period. However, some of the coins are older and minted in Georgia, making the treasure’s origin even more mysterious.
Theories about the origin of the Saddle Ridge Hoard
There are many theories surrounding the origin of the Saddle Ridge Hoard. In addition to random individuals making baseless claims that the treasure belongs to their long-lost relatives, several theories attempt to explain the treasure’s origins. Here are just a few of these:
The 1901 robbery of the San Francisco mint
Because the coins in the hoard were in perfect condition, many coins did not even show signs of being in circulation, which led many to associate them with the 1901 San Francisco Mint robbery. The robbery was carried out by mint employee Walter Dimmick, who stole an estimated $30,000 worth of coins. The value appears to be close to the amount found in the hoard and would explain the excellent condition of the coins.
Many people concluded that this was the most likely hypothesis, but after thorough investigation and research, it was concluded that there was no connection between the money stolen by Dimmick and the money Found in the hoard.
This means that the treasure is not the property of the US government and rightfully belongs to those who discovered it.
Outlaw’s hidden bounty
Some believe the treasure is an outlaw’s stolen gold. Jesse James and Black Bart, two very famous speedway racers, were considered the main suspects. Both were famous for stealing from wealthy people and both had quite prosperous careers.
This is certainly possible, but it’s also an “easy” guess without much evidence behind it. Yes, these were famous outlaws who actually stole and robbed throughout the Old West. However, a direct link to a specific robbery and these specific coins has yet to be found.
Wealthy individual but deeply distrustful of banks
The most plausible so far seems to be that a wealthy person hid the coins under their possessions for safekeeping. They apparently didn’t trust the back and instead chose to bury the coins underground. This is certainly not unprecedented during this time. People did not trust banks and many buried their valuable assets.
Eventually, the treasure is forgotten or the owner dies without telling anyone where it is buried. This is a very good theory and in my judgment the most likely to be correct.
