Man from Kentucky unearths 700 rare Civil War coins worth millions at his rural farm

Some of us fantasize about digging up gold or real treasure from our backyard, but one man lived this dream when he dug up some rare coins from a significant period of American history. A man residing in rural Kentucky unearthed over 700 coins from the Civil War era on his very own farm. The baffled coin collectors and media outlets around the world have aptly dubbed it "The Great Kentucky Hoard." An exclusive photograph of all the coins was displayed on the GovMint, website which is considered to be the best source for coins worldwide.

According to New York Post, the massive discovery of coins consists of a group of 1863 Double Eagles and hundreds of US gold dollars dated from 1850 to 1862. There are a bunch of silver coins as well, reported by Numismatic Guaranty Company that certified them. The YouTube channel of GovMint also shared footage of the unnamed man digging up the precious treasure from his land that was worth millions. "This is the most insane thing ever," the man said. "These are all $1 gold coins, $20 gold coins, $10 gold coins and look, I’m still diggin’ them out."

The exact location where the coins were discovered has not been disclosed yet. GovMint has detected that 95% of the coins are gold dollars and it includes around 20 $10 Liberty coins from 1840 to 1862 and about eight $20 Liberty coins from 1857 to 1862. One of the rarest coins that was unearthed happened to be 18 1863-P $20 Gold Liberty coins and it can apparently fetch a six-figure price in the market, according to GovMint. The outlet also reported that these coins are rare because it does not feature the phrase "In God We Trust." The famous motto was embedded in all gold and silver currency post-Civil War in 1866.

"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," a rare coin dealer Jeff Garrett told the outlet. "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, including coins from the elusive Dahlonega Mint. Finding one mint-condition 1863 Double Eagle would be an important numismatic event. Finding nearly a roll of superb examples is hard to comprehend," he added.

Kentucky was on the borders of both the Union and Confederate states during the Civil War era. The state legislature declared its neutrality in 1861 during the war but the area was mostly under the control of the Union till 1862, per the reports of Middle Creek National Battlefield. Experts who have examined the discovery of these gold coins have suggested that it could be a result of the familial conflicts going on in Kentucky during that time when these gold coins were buried and then lost. As the news was made public, netizens suggested that the lucky fellow from Kentucky "should have kept his mouth shut" about the discovery.

A conflict archaeologist from Georgia Southern University, Ryan McNutt, told Live Science that these coins were probably "buried in advance of Confederate John Hunt Morgan’s June to July 1863 raid." Currently, GovMint has put up these rare coins for purchase on their website.

"The coins, discovered in the ground and remarkably well preserved, possess an astonishing luster and a newfound freshness rarely observed in coins of this kind,” said Andy Salzberg, executive vice president of the Certified Collectibles Group. "NGC is incredibly delighted to have been selected as the preferred grading service for this extraordinary discovery, which can be deemed as a truly exceptional occurrence in a lifetime."