In 2023, a Kentucky farmer found an 1856 silver half dollar in his field; within an hour, he uncovered 800+ coins, including 18 rare 1863 Double Eagles, later sold for more than $3 million
A Kentucky farmer working in his field has uncovered an extraordinary collection of Civil War-era coins. He found more than 800 gold and silver coins, which later sold for more than $3 million (£2.36 million) through private sales. The discovery, now known to coin experts as the “Great Kentucky Hoard”, began when the farmer found a single 1856 Seated Liberty silver half dollar in the dirt. “I initially found the 1856 Seated Liberty Half Dollar probably 20 to 30 feet from where the hoard was located,” the farmer later said in an interview with the public television programme Kentucky Life. “I would have never believed what came next. Things that only happen in dreams.” As he continued walking across his property, he noticed something shiny in the soil. “When I continued walking and saw the glint of gold, a thick reeded edge,” he told the broadcaster. “When I pulled the coin from the ground, I was astonished when I realized I was holding a $20 Double Eagle from the 1860s. After I flipped the first clump of dirt over the next 45 minutes to an hour, the coins kept coming. I knew it was hundreds.” Within about an hour of digging, he had recovered more than 700 gold coins and several dozen silver pieces. The discovery revealed a collection that had been buried for more than 160 years.
Rarest American gold pieces found intact
After finding the coins, the farmer sought professional help to identify and protect them. He also took steps to keep his name and the exact location of his farm private to prevent people from trespassing on the property. The collection was sent to the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) for authentication, cleaning and grading. According to information published by NGC, most of the discovery consisted of $1 US gold dollars made between 1850 and 1862. The hoard also contained smaller numbers of $10 Liberty gold coins and $20 Liberty Double Eagles. One of the most important parts of the discovery was a group of 18 1863-P $20 Gold Liberty Double Eagles. Collectors highly value this particular type because the US Treasury produced only 3,607 of the coins for circulation during the Civil War year. Finding even one 1863 Double Eagle in uncirculated condition is considered a major event for coin collectors. Finding 18 well-preserved examples in one place was extremely unusual. Jeff Garrett, a coin expert with Mid-America Rare Coin Galleries who examined the collection, described the discovery as an important moment in his career during his appearance on Kentucky Life. “The importance of this discovery cannot be overstated,” Garrett said in NGC’s official report on the hoard. “Finding one Mint condition 1863 Double Eagle would be an important numismatic event. Finding nearly a roll of superb examples is hard to comprehend.” Individual 1863 $20 Double Eagles from the hoard were later valued at more than $100,000 each because of their excellent condition.
Civil War conflict may explain buried coins
Historical information from the Smithsonian Institution suggests that the coins were buried around 1863, during one of the most dangerous periods of the American Civil War. Kentucky officially declared itself neutral when the war began in 1861, but the state soon became an important battleground between Union and Confederate supporters. In the summer of 1863, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan led a series of cavalry raids, known as Morgan’s Raid, through Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Historians from the Smithsonian Institution say wealthy landowners and farmers often buried paper money, silver and gold coins in fields to protect their savings from soldiers and armed groups. Some people who buried their wealth were later killed, forced to leave their homes or captured during the war. As a result, many buried collections remained underground for generations. The coin dealer GovMint later handled the commercial sale of the certified coins. Individual pieces were offered to private collectors with special labels identifying them as genuine coins from the Great Kentucky Hoard. Private buyers and investors eventually purchased the collection, generating more than $3 million (£2.36 million) for the anonymous finder.
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