'Things that only happen in dreams': Man who found cache of valuable coins tells story

KENTUCKY (WKRC) - The anonymous man who found a trove of gold coins from the Civil War era has finally come forward with more details about his find.

In the summer of 2023, a Kentucky farmer found over 700 coins, many of which were extremely rare and valuable. The most notable were over a dozen 1863-P $20 Gold Liberty coins, a very rare date in the $20 Liberty series that often fetches a six-figure price.

"I initially found the 1856 Seated Liberty Half Dollar probably 20 to 30 feet from where the hoard was located," the farmer told "Kentucky Life". "I would have never believed what came next. Things that only happen in dreams. When I continued walking and saw the glint of gold -- a thick reeded edge. 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."

The lucky man who found the treasure has not revealed his identity, nor to location where he found the coins.

"I completely understand why he wants to remain anonymous," said Chip Polston, host and producer of "Kentucky Life", and long-time face of the Kentucky Lottery. "He doesn't want to open up his front blinds some Saturday morning and there be 70 people with shovels and metal detectors... What would happen to his farm? It could be a huge mess for him."

The farmer proceeded to sell the hoard on GovMint.com, an online rare coin shop, for an unknown total. Some experts estimated the overall haul was worth over $1 million while others believe it to even exceed $2 million.

Although the farmer has been resistant to a formal interview, he sent a three-page summary of his tale to Polston so he could recount it on "Kentucky Life".

"It's a remarkable story," Polston said. "He caught a glimpse of something gold and metallic."

The farmer also sent Polston a video he had taken on his phone after realizing how big the yield could be.

"He's digging through the ground and these gold coins are literally spilling out," Polston said about the footage.

Multiple theories of how the gold ended up in a Kentucky farm have circulated, though none have been confirmed. Some believe a wealthy landowner may have buried his money to keep it safe, others think it may have been stolen and stashed underground for a later retrieval that never came.