US couple strikes gold uncovering $10m stash of coins in their garden

A California couple has discovered a stash of gold coins thought to be valued as highly as $10million.

16:21 26 February 2014

A couple from California has discovered 1,427 coins, which date from 1847 – 1894. According to numismatist David Hall, the coins, which are valued as much as $10million, were never circulated and are in mint condition.

The unnamed couple found them buried in rusting metal cans under a tree while on a walk in their garden last April.

David McCarthy of currency firm Kagin's, who is advising the couple, said: "We've seen shipwrecks in the past where thousands of gold coins were found in very high grade, but a buried treasure of this sort is unheard of.”

"I've never seen this face value in North America and you never see coins in the condition we have here."

The couple lives in Gold Country (named so after the gold rush era) and found the coins in an area of their land they called Saddle Ridge.

No information is available as to who buried the coins and why.