AFP via Getty Images: Over 700 historic gold coins have been found in corn fields in the US state of Kentucky
A treasure chest containing more than 700 Civil Warera gold coins found buried in a cornfield in the state of Kentucky is up for sale, and millions of dollars are expected to be paid for it.
The “Great Treasure of Kentucky” was discovered on a farm earlier this year, according to the company that classified and sold the coins. The exact location and identity of who found the coins has not been released.
According to GovMint.com, responsible for the sale, the hoard dates from between 1840 and 1863 and includes $1, $10 and $20 coins.
Among them are 18 gold $20 Liberty coins, minted in Philadelphia in 1863 and considered rare in the industry. According to the company, each copy reaches sixdigit values for collectors.
“The staggering figure of more than 700 gold coins represents a virtual time capsule of Civil Warera coins,” Jeff Garrett, a coin dealer contacted by the man who found the treasure, said in a statement.
During the 18611865 Civil War between the slaveholding South and North, Kentucky took a neutral position, but eventually became embroiled in the conflict.
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“The Great Treasure of Kentucky may have been a result of this conflict since the coins were lost for over 150 years,” said the Numismatic Guaranty Company, which confirmed the find’s authenticity.