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A gold coin belonging to the $10 million Saddle Ridge Hoard. (Courtesy: Kagin’s)

TIBURON-

A California couple, identified only as John and Mary, found a stash of gold coins on their Gold Country property – possibly the biggest discovery of its kind in U.S. history.

“I saw an old can sticking out of the ground on a trail that we had walked almost every day for many, many years,” John told the numismatic firm Kagin’s. The firm posted their whole interview with the couple on its website.

John said that he and his wife, on their first hike, saw a rusty can that a tree had grown around.

“It wasn’t until we made the discovery that we realized it might have been a marker,” Mary said.

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Photo courtesy: Kagin’s

The couple said dealing with the media is something that interests them for now – neither is quitting their jobs.

“We’re self-employed,” John said. “The beautiful thing about self-employment is that you can go to your grave self-employed.”

The stash of more than 1,400 gold coins, dating back to between 1847 and 1894, is said to be worth about $10 million. John and Mary say they plan on keeping a small cross-section of their discovery and selling the rest online.

Read the couple’s whole interview here.