In the mid fall of 2010, a couple of gardeners looking to turn over soil in a backyard in Hackney and in preparation for some planting discovered a large collection of 80 gold coins.
As uncovered treasures go, the finding of gold coins buried in the earth is not that surprising. Of course , stories of buried treasure hidden away deep in the earth to keep it from prying eyes are common. However , this surprising find definitely falls into the unusual range since the coins themselves were minted in the United States.
Oddly enough, the gold coins, known as ‘Double Eagle ‘ pieces, were minted on both the east and west coasts of the U. S.. The majority of the coins were minted in Philadelphia and San Francisco.
A Double Eagle is an American gold coin with a denomination of $20. The coins gold content is 0.9675 troy oz and a double Eagle was worth $20 utilizing the then official gold cost of $20.67/oz. Double Eagles are made of 90% gold (0.900 fine = 21.6 kt) and a 10% copper alloy.
The dates on this discovery of gold coins cover 1854 to 1913. The coins are in top condition and believed to be quite valuable, potentially reaching sales values of as much as 6 figures if they’re sold as one lot.
The surprising find was reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Gossip flew wildly as to the origins of the coins. Finally, Mr. Sulzbacher, a descendent of the actual owner of the gold coins, came forward in time to claim the find. The coins were awarded to Mr. Sulzbacher as a direct descendent of the 1st owner, a Mr. Martin Sulzbacher.
Strangely, several decades earlier in 1952, another similar find of 82 gold coins was found on the same property. Those gold coins were also traced back to their original owner, a Mr. Martin Sulzbacher. It is thought that he hid the coins for safety in the early 1940s. Mr Sulzbacher, being a man of Jewish origin, feared a German occupation would result in the confiscating of the gold coins if he kept them in his safe.
The Author Robert Irwin is an antiques collector and contributes his knowledge and experience to antique-marks.com. A passionate thirty years of collecting rare coins and good quality Royal Worcester porcelain has added a wealth of knowledge and a keen interest in the antiques market to his wide range of interests.
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