Man Can’t Believe His Luck After Hidden Treasure Under Carpet at Grandparents’ Neglected Barn

This article appeared in Drivepedia and has been published here with permission.

Two decades after his grandparents passing, one Reddit user, who we shall call “Eric,” found out that he had inherited a farmhouse once owned by his late family members. Little did he know at the time that the property would lead him to an astounding discovery.

They Left Behind a Huge Secret

A Reddit user who we shall call “Eric” was sad to have lost his beloved grandparents and was eventually asked to clean out their farmhouse in Tennessee. As far as he was concerned, it was simply the right thing to do. However, a handful of clues led the young man to make a huge discovery, the likes of which he never saw coming. And it showed up in the most unexpected of places – under an old, tattered carpet…

They Left Behind a Huge Secret

Years of Neglect

It’s so easy for our homes to collect dust and appear to have been neglected after just a couple of days. So you can imagine how old and dusty Eric’s grandparents’ farmhouse appeared to be after having been abandoned for literally decades. The old home hadn’t been lived in since 1997, meaning that it had been over 20 years since anyone had touched it. As far as Eric was concerned, there was only one thing to do with the house…

Years of Neglect

Illness Made Them Leave Everything Behind

There is a very sad reason as to why Eric’s grandparents were forced to leave their Tennessee farmhouse in 1997. Apparently, his grandpa was diagnosed with lung cancer and as a result, they decided to pack their bags so that they could have easier access to medical care, as well as their family. After his grandfather passed away, neither his grandmother nor his father ever returned to the house. And that was just the start of it…

Illness Made Them Leave Everything Behind

More Family Tragedy

As the years passed, Eric’s family experienced even more tragedy. Not only did his grandmother pass away, but so did his father. According to Eric, he “passed in 2009” and with hardly any relatives with an emotional connection to the farmhouse, it was becoming something that Eric kept putting off. He knew he had to do something about this place. As far as Eric was concerned, there was only one thing to do with the house…

More Family Tragedy

He Wanted to Sell the Place

Seeing that it probably would have proven to be too expensive to keep the farmhouse and maintain it, Eric felt like he was left with no other choice but to sell the property. However, as he was walking through the dusty carcass that was once a home for the first time, Eric still knew he had a lot of work cut out for himself. He couldn’t even think about selling the place until it was up to a certain standard…

He Wanted to Sell the Place

Time to Clean

Eric knew deep down that no one was going to purchase his grandparents’ farmhouse if it was ridden with dust, cobwebs and mildew. The property looked like it was about to collapse and this meant only one thing: Eric needed to make some serious changes in order to make the home liveable once again. After just a couple of days, Eric was already doing a fine job with the place. Halfway through cleaning the home though, Eric remembered something about his grandparents…

Time to Clean

His Grandparents Loved Treasure…

While he was in the middle of cleaning the farmhouse, there was something about his grandparents that Eric had fond memories of. According to him, his grandfather was a sailor who at one point, was chased by pirates! His grandparents often read Treasure Island to him in that very house. It seemed like he always associated these two important people in his life with treasure. By that logic, Eric was convinced that they must’ve hidden some things around the farmhouse…

His Grandparents Loved Treasure…

First Stop? The Closet

Without haste, Eric started to search the half-clean house for anything that his grandparents might have left behind for someone like him to discover. The first place that Eric looked for any potential “treasure” was one of the closets. At first, when he opened the door to look inside, there didn’t seem to be anything of noteworthy importance. However, as he took a step back and looked down, things started to change very quickly for Eric…

First Stop? The Closet

Next Stop? The Carpet

After looking down and feeling slightly disappointed, Eric noticed that he was standing on a carpet. In order to restore the farmhouse to its former glory, Eric knew that he’d need to remove the carpet, especially since it didn’t smell so good. Lo and behold, as he began to tear it away from the surface, Eric noticed something strange lying beneath it. Naturally, the young man scratched his head and wondered what it could be. Then, it hit him…

Next Stop? The Carpet

There’s Something Underneath

Eric was sure that there was something hiding underneath the carpet and began to remove it from the surface of the floor. What had started as a pretty ordinary day of cleaning was beginning to turn into something very different indeed. Lo and behold, as he began to tear it away from the surface, Eric noticed something strange lying beneath it. Naturally, the young man scratched his head and wondered what it could be. Then, it hit him…

There’s Something Underneath

A Concrete Safe?

This is the moment in the story when things really started to take an unexpected turn for Eric. As he gazed at the strange-looking structure for a couple of minutes, he came to the conclusion that it was some sort of safe that had been positioned underneath the carpet so that no one would find it. However, it was covered in concrete and seemingly impossible to open. Eric knew that something covered in concrete must be hiding something secret…

A Concrete Safe?

Is it a Safe?

At first, Eric had no idea what this strange slab of concrete was hiding under his grandparents’ carpet. Moreover, it was inside an inconspicuous cupboard. Initially, he thought it was just a throwaway addition to the farmhouse. Then, he began to wonder. What if this strange-looking square-shaped slab of concrete was actually a safe that his grandparents were keeping a secret? After all, there was a circular shape in the middle of its face. He simply needed to know the truth…

Is it a Safe?

What Were They Hiding from Him?

One thing was for sure, Eric was convinced that his grandparents were keeping something hidden from the world. As previously mentioned, he knew that they were the kind of people who had an affinity for “treasure.” Also, his grandmother was apparently a collector of artifacts. While his grandfather loved nothing more than collecting antique “arms.” But what exactly was hidden away in this concrete safe? And how exactly would Eric possibly open this thing?

What Were They Hiding from Him?

Mom Confirmed His Theory

Desperate to know for sure if this strange slab of concrete was a safe or not, he contacted his closest family members to see if they had any intel on the subject. Surely enough, his mother had the answers to all of his questions. “I spoke with my Mom, and she said that my grandparents had a safe in Florida,” he said. However, his mother also had some more useful information, specifically of how to open this mysterious safe…

Mom Confirmed His Theory

Dad’s Birthday Is the Combination!

Not only was Eric’s mother able to confirm that his grandparents had hidden a safe, but she also had an idea of how to open it. According to her, the combination of the safe was her husband’s date of birth. And in case that did not work, she recommended that Eric tried out his father’s social security number. Now that Eric’s theory was finally confirmed, all he had to do was open this mysterious safe…

Dad’s Birthday Is the Combination!

He Tried Opening It

As he tried out the combinations his mother had suggested, Eric was disappointed to find that none of them worked. At the very least, the safe wasn’t opening, regardless of whether or not they did. While trying to tug the handle, nothing would budge, no matter how hard he tried. It was just a matter of time before Eric realized that he would require some professional assistance if he was going to find out what was inside this safe…

He Tried Opening It

Time to Get a Locksmith

How exactly would Eric manage to crack this safe open? It didn’t appear to have a working lock or a way to crack the code. This required professional expertise, so Eric decided to contact a locksmith who might literally hold the keys to his problems. However, seeing that he had found the safe on Sunday, there was no one available that day. He was going to have to wait. Was this going to be an impossible task?

Time to Get a Locksmith

Mission Impossible?

Despite having to wait, Eric was determined to get that concrete safe open. When Monday came around, he contacted a locksmith who made his way to the farmhouse. According to Eric though, it took the locksmith half an hour before he exclaimed that this was some sort of impossible task. Apparently, the locksmith would have “referred the job to someone else” if he knew what he was getting himself into. Despite this though, their strenuous efforts eventually paid off…

Mission Impossible?

It Was Almost Ready

Despite struggling for hours, both Eric and the locksmith were extremely determined to crack it open and discover its contents. As the locksmith chipped away at the concrete, the opening of the safe started to look more and more like a lock. Specifically, it was looking increasingly likely that Eric would eventually manage to open it. However, it would take another few hours of hard work and patience before they finally found the opening they were looking for…

It Was Almost Ready

He Cracked the Code!

After many hours of chipping away and patience, Eric and the locksmith managed to find the lock that they were looking for. It’s unclear whether or not the locksmith stayed to see what was inside. At any rate, though, Eric managed to insert the correct code to the lock and voila, it opened. Now, the moment of truth had finally arrived. Was Eric on the verge of something truly special? Or was he on the verge of a whole lot of nothing?

He Cracked the Code!

Are Those Books or Boxes?

Upon first glance, Eric was sure that what he could see was a big pile of books. Or maybe they were boxes. Or, maybe they were neither! It was unclear, to begin with, and Eric wasn’t ruling out any possibility. Were they the antique “arms” that Eric grandfather had been raving about? Or were they the artifacts his grandmother held so close to her heart? As he dug deep into the safe, everything became a whole lot clearer…

Are Those Books or Boxes?

He Was Unimpressed…At First

As he tried to unearth what was inside that old, concrete safe, Eric’s expectations started to dip and what was once excitement soon became a hollow sense of disappointment. He was sure that the contents were nothing more than some mundane books, empty boxes and a handful of coins. However, as he took a closer look at each object, Eric soon had plenty of reasons to get excited once again and this wasn’t the only place in the house where he’d find something special…

He Was Unimpressed…At First

This Book Survived a Flood

The very first item that Eric cleaned up and had a good look at was this book. As you can see based on the photo, the book in question was pretty damp after years of neglect. This is due to the fact that just a couple of years prior, the farmhouse had fallen victim to a terrible flood. Thankfully though, the contents of the safe weren’t completely damaged. Make no mistake about it though – Eric was about to get excited again…

This Book Survived a Flood

Extremely Rare Coins

Although Eric was upset to find some wet dollar bills that had been damaged by the floor there was still plenty of reason for excitement. As he opened up the book, Eric found tons of coins that had been well-preserved. Moreover, it turns out that they are extremely rare and his grandparents did the right thing by locking them up in a safe. However, that was only scratching the surface of Eric’s discoveries that day. There was so much more…

Extremely Rare Coins

More Money, Less Problems

It turns out that there were plenty more dollar bills stacked away inside that safe and while they too were pretty damp, Eric believed that they stood more chance of being salvaged than the other bills he previously found. All he would have to do was separate them and dry them out with some professional assistance. Then, as he dug deeper into the safe, Eric made his biggest discovery yet. Things seemed to be getting better and better…

More Money, Less Problems

Thousands of Dollars!

Towards the bottom of the safe, Eric was excited to find what he believed was a few hundred dollars worth of coins. As he looked closer though, he started to realize that there were in fact, more like thousands of dollars worth of rare coins! Eric started to believe that he was sitting on some sort of goldmine. However, he couldn’t figure this out all by himself and knew that he needed some second opinions from as many people as possible…

Thousands of Dollars!

What Are These Silver Bars?

Another fascinating set of items that Eric discovered were these rare silver bars. Unsure what they were at first, Eric learned that they were rare and special because they had been inscribed with the dates that Connecticut and two other American states were founded on. Seeing that their historical significance was unquestionable, it was clear that they would manage to sell for a high price. It seemed like every time Eric dipped his hand into the safe, he found another stunning piece of treasure…

What Are These Silver Bars?

This Pristine Coin

While some of the more fragile objects in his grandparents’ safe had been damaged over time, other sturdier objects had stood the test of time. Take this large coin, for example, which had remained in remarkably top condition over the years. Of course, the fact that it was in a protective case had a huge part to play in its longevity. Sure, some weathering has occurred, but that’s understandable. Despite this though, the discoveries kept on coming for Eric…

This Pristine Coin

Strange Box

At the very bottom of the safe, there was a box that for one reason or another, Eric struggled to open up and see what was inside. We speculated that maybe it was just a toolbox that he didn’t feel was noteworthy enough. At any rate, he had finally reached the bottom of the safe. Then, after a lot of hard work and persistence, Eric managed to open up the box and found some items that truly pulled at the heartstrings…

Strange Box

His Grandma’s Jewlery

While many of the valuables that Eric discovered had a lot of historical significance and value, there is no denying that the following discovery had plenty of sentimental value. As he opened up one of those mysterious boxes, it was clear to Eric that he had found some of his grandmother’s jewelry. Naturally, he got very emotional holding the very same jewelry that his late grandmother had worn many decades ago. While this would have been enough, there was still one more thing…

His Grandma’s Jewlery

Mysterious Coffee Table

After finally retrieving all of the valuables out of the hidden safe, Eric knew that he needed to search the entire house to ensure that he left no stone unturned. Surely enough, after looking at every nook and carry in the farmhouse, he noticed an unsuspecting-looking coffee table. At first, he was certain that it was nothing more than an old piece of furniture that was rotting away. Then, as he opened one of the drawers, he found something else…

Mysterious Coffee Table

Another Safe!

Eric couldn’t believe that inside this perfectly normal-looking coffee table, there was yet another safe waiting to be opened. It was proving to be one of the most serendipitous weeks of his life! Not only did his grandparents keep some incredible treasures locked away, but they also had some hiding in plain sight! While they were kicking back, watching TV, there was another safe just inches away. This begs the question though: what exactly had they kept inside this second safe?

Another Safe!

“Dangerous” Antiques

It turns out that the second safe contained a couple of things that had been hinted at earlier on in the article. While we won’t spell it out for you, put it this way: you wouldn’t want to pull the trigger on these if they were loaded. As previously mentioned, Eric’s grandfather was a fan of these, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that he found a couple of these. And that wasn’t even the most exciting discovery from this list…

“Dangerous” Antiques

Barr Notes = Jackpot!

After finding those valuable coins in the first safe, Eric was taken aback once again when he came across these dollar bills that had Joseph Barr’s signature on them. Barr was the Secretary of the Treasury for just a month in 1968, which meant that not many of these notes were ever produced. As a result of this incredible find, this means that whatever Eric’s discoveries were originally worth, this was about to increase considerably. All he needed to do now was get some answers…

Barr Notes = Jackpot!

Sharing His Story With the World

Eric was now at a point where he felt like he was on to something huge. At this stage in the story, he was ready to share his findings with the outside world. Proud of his discoveries, he took photos of everything and posted them on popular online forum Reddit. Not only did he proudly show off his grandparents’ valuables, but he also asked if anyone knew what they were and more importantly, what they were worth…

Sharing His Story With the World

Reddit to the Rescue

Ultimately, Eric wasn’t able to get too much information from the online community about his recently found valuables. Although people weren’t able to identify what the book and the coins were exactly, one person did mention that in some cases, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing would be able to replace damaged bills. He would simply have to go there in order to find out what he could get replaced.

Reddit to the Rescue

How Much Was it All Worth?

It made perfect sense that Eric would be curious to find out how much the contents of his grandparents’ safe would be worth. He knew that he was standing over some sort of goldmine. At the end of the day though, he needed an exact figure. Although it took a while to find out its exact value, Eric suspected that it was tens of thousands of bucks. “Anything from 1964 or older is 90% silver worth about 20 times face value of the coin,” he said.

How Much Was it All Worth?

“Collector Value”

One commenter on Reddit was determined to help Eric work out exactly how much his coins were worth. According to the person in question, who also happens to collect coins, there is something important that distinguishes coins found in safes from those that are not. Safe coins apparently have collector value, which is just as important as face value, when it comes to numismatics. “Notes are often collectible as well, check everything, even if damaged they can still have great value,” they wrote.

“Collector Value”