California

California couple discovers cache of gold coins

Some of 1,427 Gold Rush-era U.S. gold coins found buried in the Salinas Valley are displayed at Professional Coin Grading Service in Santa Ana.

Some of 1,427 Gold Rush-era U.S. gold coins found buried in the Salinas Valley are displayed at Professional Coin Grading Service in Santa Ana.   (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

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A cache of 19th century gold coins uncovered by a California couple on their daily walk could end up selling for more than $10 million, making it the most valuable buried treasure ever unearthed in the United States, experts said.

Gold coin discovery

One of the six decaying metal canisters filled with 1800s-era U.S. gold coins unearthed by a couple on their property in California’s gold country.  (Kagin’s Inc. / Associated Press)

Gold coin discovery

David Hall of Professional Coin Grading Service in Santa Ana shows one of the 1,427 U.S. gold coins found buried in Northern California. Nearly all of the coins, dating from 1847 to 1894, are in uncirculated, mint condition, said Hall.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Gold coin discovery

The face value of the gold pieces found by a couple on their property in California’s gold country adds up to about $28,000, but some of the coins could fetch nearly $1 million apiece, experts say.   (Reed Saxon / Associated Press)

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