Million-dollar finds
It’s awful to lose something you value and when that thing is expensive and quite rare you can usually kiss it goodbye. But actor Nicolas Cage was able to uncover a valuable comic book stolen more than 11 years ago. Check out these ordinary folks who made extraordinary finds.
Three-year-old boy finds rare pendantA young boy was using a metal detector in this country for the first time with his father when the beeping uncovered something quite ancient, religious, rare and valuable.
Huge Stash of Rare Roman Coins FoundLeft buried in a large pot near the finder’s home, these extremely rare coins bear the image of a self-proclaimed emperor. Their impressive value came as a shock to the hospital chef who unearthed them.
Boy finds medieval treasure troveLooking for cannonballs on the site of an ancient bloody battle outside of their home town, 9-year-old Alexander Granhof and his grandfather discovered a hoard from the 13th century worth a small fortune.
Novice finds 2,000-year-old treasureOn his first time out with a metal detector, not far from his home, David Booth uncovered four ancient gold necklaces from a bygone era. He hasn’t quit his day job, but says he plans to keep looking for treasure.
Hobbyist finds hoardUnemployed and on welfare, this hobbyist hit the payload near his home when he uncovered ancient gold and silver artifacts with a metal detector. His cut of the ancient treasure will be divided equally with the landowner. He may even memorize the Latin phrase found in the hoard.
Farmer sells found treasureA turnip farmer found a million-dollar gold stash near his home and had a friend sell it on the cheap.
Company finds deep-sea booty The company specializes in old shipwrecks and hit the jackpot with the uncovering of gold and artifacts, apparently at an undisclosed location far from their headquarters. The company is also involved in another significant shipwreck search that may yield more booty.
Valuable painting found behind sofaA family in Buffalo, N.Y. had a gold mine in their living room, wrapped up and stored behind the sofa. It’s worth an astounding amount, and is similar to the artist’s other studies on the subject.
Diver finds gold chaliceIn just 18 feet of water, diver Mike DeMar made quite a discovery when he uncovered an ornate chalice in 2008. He and a team were in this area near a Spanish shipwreck when the item was found. In Spanish, the piece is called a
bernegalRare found car sells for millions. Found covered in dust in a barn by a British family, this 1937 Bugatti is one of the rarest automobiles in the world. Only 17 of the model were built.
Crusoe’s treasure found?Bestselling books have been written about this legend. In 2005, a robot apparently found the $10 billion dollar treasure, but its company renounced its claims when the government refused to share the loot. Meanwhile, an American millionaire went on his fifth expedition to try and find the treasure.
Show marks million-dollar findFor the first time since this popular antiquing show debuted, arts appraisers appraised a collection for $1 million last year. The owner inherited a collection of Chinese jade from her father.
Garage sale photos worth millionsIt’s the garage sale hunter’s dream. Rick Norsigian, a commercial painter from a California town, bought two boxes of glass negatives in 2000. The small price he paid hardly compare to the estimated worth of the photos. They turned out to be long lost works of a celebrated photographer.
Stolen masterpiece foundElizabeth Gibson was out for her morning coffee in 2003 when she spotted the canvas between two garbage bags. It wasn’t until a few years later that she discovered the piece had been stolen from a TV show. She received a modest reward, and the painting was auctioned.
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