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A Kentucky farmer struck gold after he unearthed hundreds of rare Civil
War-era gold and silver coins on his property back in June.

The treasure is potentially worth millions of dollars.

"The coins, discovered in the ground and remarkably well preserved,
possess an astonishing luster and a newfound freshness rarely observed in
coins of this kind," said Andy Salzberg, executive vice president of the Certified Collectibles Group.

RELATED: Family finds 1 million pennies while cleaning out LA home

A total of 700 gold coins were buried on the farm and the hoard included a group of 1983 Double Eagles and hundreds of gold dollar coins dated
between 1850 and 1862, according to the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC).

Some of the rarest coins in the bunch are the 1863-P $20 gold Liberty
coins, according to GovMint. There were a total of 18 of these ultra-rare coins.

Kentucky-Hoard1.jpg
One of the ultra rare 1863-P $20 gold Liberty coins. (NGC)

These coins are rare because, apart from being 90% gold and the date, they
do not have "In God We Trust" inscribed on them, according to LiveScience.

These especially rare finds could each command a six figure price tag, according to GovMint.

The treasure has been dubbed the "Great Kentucky Hoard" and all of the
coins were certified by NGC, a third-party grading service for coins,
tokens and medals.

Kentucky-Hoard4.jpg
A 1862 gold dollar. (NGC)

"While I’m always excited when someone calls asking for advice about a
rare coin discovery, the opportunity to handle the Great Kentucky Hoard is
one of the highlights of my career," said Jeff Garrett, a leading expert
in U.S. coinage and a rare coin dealer.

Garrett has been contracted by NGC to specifically certify the
authenticity of the Great Kentucky Hoard.

"The importance of this discovery cannot be overstated, as the stunning
number of over 700 gold dollars represents a virtual time capsule of Civil War-era coinage, including coins from the elusive Dahlonega Mint. Finding
one Mint condition 1863 Double Eagle would be an important numismatic
event. Finding nearly a roll of superb examples is hard to comprehend,"
Garrett added.

The location of where the coins were discovered, as well as the farmer,
have not been disclosed.

The GovMint, which is one of the largest rare coin retailers in the United States, has been tapped to sell the coins to collectors, according to NGC.

"We are deeply honored and tremendously excited to have been chosen as the exclusive provider for the public sale of the remarkable coins that are
part of the Great Kentucky Hoard. This extraordinary opportunity allows us
to share these historic coins with collectors and enthusiasts, ensuring
their preservation and appreciation for generations to come," said Bill
Gale, GovMint founder and president.

This story was reported from Los Angeles.

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/hundreds-of-rare-civil-war-era-coins- unearthed-by-kentucky-farmer

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