10 unexpected treasures: very expensive finds that ordinary people discovered in their basements (11 photos)

It's nice to find a stash in a book or in the pocket of a jacket that you haven't worn for a long time. But what would you say if you found a real treasure right in your home? But for some people this is not a joke or a cherished dream, but just an accident.





Next time you're cleaning or walking the dog, be careful because you might discover an ancient burial place, medieval gold, or even a lost painting by a famous artist! We have collected 10 of the most interesting finds of recent years that meant a lot to the people who found them, or to the history of mankind in general.

Treasure of Poland



A walk with the dog turned into a great discovery. The largest treasure of the last 100 years in Poland (as of 2023) was discovered in a clay pot. A dog named Kaitus unearthed medieval bracteates from the first half of the 13th century with various images on thin metal: griffins, mermaids and angels, as well as architectural structures.

Secret safe





A 50-year-old woman from China purchased an apartment, and the first thing she decided to do was do a thorough cleaning. After removing the wallpaper, she discovered a hidden safe in the wall, which contained jewelry and five certificates of deposit. The total value of what was found was 400 thousand yuan. It turned out that the valuables belonged to an elderly couple who had previously lived in the house. Their relatives are being sought to pass on the inheritance.

Collection of gold coins



A Northern California couple was just walking their dog on their property when they came across jars sticking out of the ground containing a collection of gold coins valued at $25,000. The coins were minted between 1847 and 1894. It is unknown who their owner was. The couple gave most of the coins to the numismatic company Kagin’s, Inc. (90%), they spent the rest on paying bills and charity.

Hidden from Prohibition



Mary Shainsey of Minneapolis just wanted to adjust her air conditioning system when she found a stash of liquor that was over a century old. Some of the bottles had a liquor tax label on them from a couple of years before Prohibition. This drink now costs more than $1,000. Shansey sent most of the bottles to the Historical Museum.

Works of art



Andrei and Tamara Noskov bought an abandoned house in Detroit, in which they discovered at least 40 prints by the famous Eximos artist Kenojuak Ashevak, whose works have sold at auction for more than $200,000. Andrey and Tamara believe that the previous owners most likely had no idea what was in their garage, because the artist’s works were stored extremely carelessly.

Ancient burials



A resident of Beit Hanoun (Gaza Strip) discovered nine ancient graves in his backyard. First, one of them was washed away by a rainstorm, and then archaeologists came to the rescue. They believe that the burial site is about 2,000 years old, as it is located in territory that was previously part of the Roman Empire.

Bugatti in the garage



In 2009, the Carr family was sorting through the estate of a deceased relative, Dr. Harold Carr, in Newcastle, England, and discovered an extremely rare car that was simply collecting dust in the garage. This was a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, of which only 17 were made, making it incredibly valuable. It was sold in Paris for $4.4 million.

Legendary treasure from the Civil War (USA)



The find was called the “Great Kentucky Treasure,” and it was found by an ordinary man working in his corn field. More than 800 gold coins date from 1840 to 1863, some of which experts call very rare. An approximate estimate of the cost of the historical find reaches $1 million, and these are not final figures.

Treasure from the Viking Age



In April 2023, Greta Margot Sørum was cleaning out her parents' house, including the basement, and came across 32 iron ingots. Experts date the artifact to the Viking Age or Early Middle Ages, suggesting that it could have been used as money.

What are you hiding under the mattress?



One family found an original painting by Caravaggio, Judith and Holofernes, in the mattress of their home in Toulouse. It is the second version of the painter, the authorship of which has been confirmed by experts. It is assumed that an ancestor of the unnamed family, serving in Napoleon's army, brought this trophy home.