A Trove of Rare Gold Coins Found In a Cornfield May Actually Be Worth More Than $2 Million

Have you ever dreamed of finding buried treasure? Well, that fantasy may not be as unrealistic as it sounds. Earlier this year, a man uncovered a cache of more than 700 Civil War-era gold coins in a cornfield in Kentucky that may be worth $2 million.

Now, the rare collection—aptly named the Great Kentucky Hoard—is currently available for purchase. The coins have a date range that spans between 1840 and 1863, according to a statement by GovMint.com. The trove includes $10 gold coins featuring Lady Liberty, $20 gold 1863 Liberty double eagles, and a handful of $1 gold coins.

The finder, who currently wishes to remain anonymous, took a video of the trove shortly following his discovery. "This is the most insane thing ever,” he says in the video. “Those are all $1 gold coins, $20 gold coins, $10 gold coins. And look—I’m still digging them out.”

The coins were sent to the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) for certification and grading, GovMint.com reports. Once the dirt was removed, the coins were mostly restored to their former glory, with the majority of the collection grading in Extremely Fine to Mint State condition. It's believed that the The Extremely Fine coins likely circulated lightly in commerce before being buried, or were picked up at a bank and never entered commerce.

While the history of the coins remains a mystery, it's possible the owner hid the trove as an insurance policy during the the Civil War. By the time the conflict ended in 1865, the owner may have died or forgotten where the cache was buried, GovMint.com speculates.