SAEDNEWS: The mystery of this treasure cannot be easily unraveled. Key details remain with U.S. authorities, who have yet to reveal the secret of the buried gold coins. Even the identity of the couple who discovered it remains unknown, leaving the largest treasure ever found in the United States shrouded in secrecy.
According to Saed News, citing Tabnak Bato, on a February morning in 2013, a couple from the state of California took their dog for a walk near their home. During the stroll, the wife—identified only as Mary—noticed something unusual by the side of the road: an old metal can partially hidden in the soil. The discovery caught the couple’s attention. Mary and her husband, John, began digging and soon unearthed the container. What they found inside would change their lives forever.
Buried beneath the ground were 1,411 gold coins worth an estimated $10 million. Evidence suggested the coins were remarkably old, dating from 1847 to 1894. Despite their age, the coins were exceptionally well preserved.
To this day, the find—known as the Saddle Ridge Hoard—is considered the largest buried treasure ever discovered in the history of the United States. The discovery drew intense interest from archaeologists and numismatists alike. Yet the true story behind the treasure remains a mystery. No one knows exactly how or why such a fortune ended up buried in rural California.
Experts estimate that the treasure was hidden in the late nineteenth century. Most of the coins were $20 gold pieces minted in the city of San Francisco around 1854, during the height of the California Gold Rush—a period when the discovery of gold in California’s rivers drew thousands of fortune seekers to the region.
One of the most striking features of the hoard, beyond its size, was the remarkable condition of the coins. They appeared to have remained in nearly mint condition, suggesting they had never entered circulation. This pristine state significantly increased their value.
Although the coins’ total face value amounted to $28,000—a substantial sum at the time—their rarity and outstanding condition have elevated their modern worth into the millions. This raises an enduring question: Why would someone bury such wealth and never return to claim it?
Several theories attempt to explain the mystery of the buried treasure. One suggests the coins were stolen from a bank in San Francisco in 1901. Historical records show that a thief once made off with $30,000 in gold coins—an amount comparable to the Saddle Ridge Hoard. However, authorities later dismissed this theory, stating that the stolen coins did not match those found in the hoard.
Another theory proposes that the treasure may have belonged to a gold miner who accumulated his savings during the Gold Rush and buried them for safekeeping. Yet this idea was also rejected, since many of the coins were minted after the Gold Rush had already subsided.
A different explanation suggests the coins belonged to a wealthy individual who distrusted banks. Perhaps the owner died unexpectedly before revealing the hiding place to anyone. As a result, the coins remained undisturbed underground for decades.
In truth, the enigma surrounding this treasure may never be fully solved. Detailed information about the hoard remains in the hands of American authorities, who have not publicly disclosed the complete story. Even the identities of the couple who discovered the treasure have been kept confidential. It seems that the secret of America’s greatest buried treasure may remain shrouded in mystery forever.
What story do these untouched gold coins hold? Who buried them beneath the earth without ever spending them?
