Dig It Up

Amazing Treasures Accidently Unearthed

• In 2009 an Englishman was metal-detecting in a farmer's field and discovered the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver ever found. Known as the Staffordshire Hoard, it contained 4,600 items dating from the 7th and 8th centuries. At the time, it was worth $5.5 million.
• A California couple walking their dog found a rusted metal can sticking out of the ground on their property. It contained 1,427 gold coins, dating from 1847 to 1894, with a face value of $28,000. The appraised value? Over $10 million in 2013.
• In 1992 a English farmer lost his hammer and asked a friend to help him find it with a metal detector. Instead of finding the hammer, they uncovered a massive collection of Roman coins, jewelry and tableware dating from the 15th century. It was valued at $3.1 million at the time.
• The Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered in 1947 by a shepherd who was searching for a lost goat. He tossed a stone into a cave and heard pottery shattering. These ancient, mostly leather, biblical manuscripts were hidden there for nearly 2,000 years.
• Divers swimming for fun in 2015 spotted approximately 2,000 gold coins glittering on the Mediterranean seafloor. They came from a Roman ship that sank over 1,000 years ago.
• In 2007 a father and son testing a metal detector in England discovered a hoard of 10th century Viking coins. The hoard is unique for its diverse content, originating from across Europe and the Middle East.
• An English metal detectorist unearthed a ceramic pot packed with 52,000 Roman coins in 2010. The coins date from around 300 AD and were valued at $500,000 at the time.
• In 1990 construction workers in Java discovered a massive treasure trove of gold and silver artifacts from the 9th century. They were buried deep in the earth in terracotta jars and included 37 pounds of bowls, jewelry and coins.