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Jeff Garrett is shown with the coins after grading. NGC Coin

‘Most insane thing ever': A man found more than 700 Civil War-era gold coins in a cornfield — dubbed 'The Great Kentucky Hoard' — and it's likely worth millions. How to build your own stash

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A man in Kentucky has struck gold after finding a treasure trove of Civil War-era gold coins in a cornfield.

Dubbed “The Great Kentucky Hoard”, the lucky man, whose name and location have not been revealed, unearthed more than 700 gold coins earlier this year — including 18 $20 Gold Liberty coins from 1863, which have collected more than $100,000 for a single coin at past auctions.

In a short video clip of the once-in-a-lifetime find, a man can be heard exclaiming “this is the most insane thing ever” while pointing out the cache of coins in the dirt.

The rare coins are now being sold off by GovMint. It’s unknown yet how much the coins will net together, however, Andrew Salzberg, executive vice president of Certified Collectibles Group, of which NGC is a part, told Spectrum News 1 the haul was valued in excess of $2 million.

Sadly, not everyone has the luck of stumbling across such golden fortune in our backyards — but there are other ways to build a stash of gold.

A golden retirement option

The U.S. dollar saw an 8% decline in its share of global reserves in 2022 — causing some to question whether the dollar’s days of dominance are over.

If you’re worried about how economic volatility, high inflation and stock market uncertainty could be impacting your own dollars — especially your retirement fund — you might want to consider opening a gold IRA.

With a gold IRA, you have the opportunity to both diversify your portfolio and stabilize your finances — all while receiving some enticing tax advantages that can help you hold onto more of your money in the long run.

If you want to open a gold IRA, American Hartford Gold will let you roll over your current 401(k) or IRA into this new account, subject to certain qualifications.

All you need to do to get started is answer a few questions and Birch Gold will send you a free information kit with everything you need to know about opening up your own gold IRA.

Get a free info kit

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Invest in gold stocks and ETFs

You can invest in gold without ever touching a flake of it by purchasing shares of gold mining companies on the stock market.

The advantage is that if the price of gold suddenly plummets, you may not lose your shirt because the mining company could decide to focus on another metal.

Investors might also buy into gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) — some of the most popular options are GLD, GDX and GDXJ — to diversify their portfolio and avoid the uncertainty that comes with investing in a particular company.

With Robinhood— a commission-free investing app — you can invest in both stocks and ETFs from companies around the world.

They offer a range of account types with no account minimums, making it easy for anyone to start investing in gold.

Sign up

Buy physical gold

The most direct way to invest in gold is to buy physical gold in the form of bars, coins or jewelry.

Gold is often tipped as a great alternative asset to invest in because, unlike the U.S. dollar, which has lost 98% of its purchasing power since 1971, gold’s purchasing power remains more stable over time.

In 2023, central banks worldwide have been ditching their dollar reserves in favor of gold — proof that this strategy is not just for the individual investor.

In the first quarter of this year, central banks added 228.4 tons of gold — a new quarterly record — to their reserves, according to the World Gold Council.

The price of gold does fluctuate. Historically, when interest rates have fallen, the price of gold has risen, based on the theory that paper money may lose value, leaving gold with a stronger purchasing power. That past performance can be used as an indicator, though not a guarantee, for what’s to come.

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