The largest hoard of gold treasure thought to ever be found in North America is on exposition this weekend at a Nevada antique show, providing the public with an exceptional chance to see the nearly perfectly conserved coins in person before they are sold later this month. Called the Saddle Ridge hoard, the approximately 1,400 U.S. gold coins date from 1847 to 1894. They were unearthed in nearly mint condition inside eight rusty tins by a couple taking a walk on their estate in California’s gold country in February. The treasure has a face value of more than $28,000 but could sell for more than $10 million when put up for sale near the end of the month, according to Kagin’s Inc., the numistmatic firm that evaluated the find and is acting for the anonymous couple who found it. At least 13 of the coins are the finest known of their kind, according to the firm. Among them is an 1866 $20 coin printed without the “In God We Trust” motto, known as the 1866-S No Motto Double Eagle, said David Hall, cofounder of Professional Coin Grading Services in Irvine, who authenticated the coins.
Part of the Saddle Ridge hoard of gold coins found by a Northern California couple