The hidden world could hold more riches than the world around us. And every once a while, when there's contact between what’s hidden and curious humans, we get headlines such as these — ‘Farmer with metal detector stumbles upon lost treasure’. These stories, just like the treasures, are rare. But here are the five most stunning discoveries made by the luckiest of us:
Teri Horton and her $100 mn Pollock
In 1992, American Teri Pollock paid a visit to a local thrift store in the hopes of finding “something interesting” for a depressed friend. She soon picked up a large 66”x 47” painting because, you know, it cost her just $5 and its “ugliness” was downright interesting, according to Horton. The friends however, turned down the gift and Horton was stuck with it — until a local art teacher suggested it could be a Pollock. Horton’s now famous response was, “Who the **** is Pollock?”. Horton then tried her best to get the painting validated but due to a lack of proper ownership history (called Provenance), the painting’s authenticity is under dispute — this is despite a forensice expert claiming he found a fingerprint matching Pollock’s. And estimated value of the work if it’s a proven Pollock, stands at $100 million.
The Arkansas diamond mines
In Murfreesboro, Arkansas, is the Crater of Diamonds State Park. The park is situated on top of an ancient volcanic pipe and is the world’s only diamond site that is open to the public, with just one rule — you find it, you keep it... it doesn’t matter how valuable the find is. On an average, two large diamonds are found every single day at the park. In 1964, a diamond now known as ‘The Star of Murfreesboro’ was found at the site. The 34.25 carats diamond,is currently valued at $100,000. Now, that’s quite the bargain.
The S.S. Garisoppa cargo — $200 million
The S.S. Garisoppa trip was cut short abruptly by a German U-boat in 1941— during World War 2. But here’s what’s interesting about her cargo. In 2012, a salvaging firm called Odyssey Marine Exploration found her on the seabed and uncovered what’s now the “biggest known metal cargo ever found at sea” — the ship was carrying 7 million ounces of silver. The salvaging company also got to keep 80 per cent of the cargo’s value.
Painting worth $15.4 mn in a wall
One day, the Trachte brothers decided to go through the house in which their father used to live with a fine toothcomb. The man had just died and it was rumoured he had kept some of his wealth from the wife who had wanted it all during a divorce. During the search, the brothers stumbled upon a false wall and hidden inside was a Norman Rockwell painting. The work, called “Breaking Home Ties”, received $15.4 million later at Sotheby’s Auction House.
The Hoxne Hoard — Worth £1.75 million
On a cold November morning of 1992, Eric Lawes and his metal detector were summoned by a local farmer after the latter’s hammer went missing. The rest is history. As the duo searched for the tool, they stumbled upon 24 bronze coins, 565 gold coins, 14,191 silver coins along with hundreds of gold and silver spoons, jewellery, and statues — dating back to the Roman Empire. The British government declared the find a national treasure and the discovery was later named, the ‘Hoxne Hoard’. Also, according to British law, the government is supposed to pay “fair market value” for treasure found in its lands which meant, Lawes and the farmer got to split a massive £1.75 million.
