The main character of our novel discovered he had inherited a farmhouse originally owned by his late family members two decades after his grandparents passed away. He had no idea at the time that the property would lead him to an incredible discovery. His world was turned upside down when he eventually went to clean the home up and put it up for sale.
In order to make the reading experience of this article more convenient, the article has been split up into multiple pages. At the end of each page, you will see a “next” button which will take you to the next page. Enjoy your reading!
They Kept a Big Secret from Us
After the death of his loving grandparents, a Reddit user named “Eric” was eventually requested to clear out their farmhouse in Tennessee. It was simply the correct thing to do, as far as he was concerned.
However, a series of hints lead the young man to make a huge discovery that he had not anticipated. And it appeared in the most unlikely of places: behind an old, frayed carpet…
Years of Ignorance
It’s all too easy for our homes to accumulate dust and appear neglected after just a few days. As a result, you can imagine how ancient and dusty Eric’s grandparents’ farmhouse looked after being abandoned for decades.
It had been over 20 years since anyone had touched the old house, which had not been inhabited since 1997. The cause for its neglect, on the other hand, gives an extra dimension of pathos to this story…
They had to leave everything behind due to illness
Eric’s grandparents were forced to leave their Tennessee farmhouse in 1997 for a very tragic cause.
His grandfather was apparently diagnosed with lung cancer, and as a result, they chose to pack their belongings and move so that they could be closer to medical care and their family. Neither his grandmother nor his father returned to the house after his grandfather died. And that was only the beginning…
Yet Another Death in the Family
Eric’s family suffered even more misfortune as the years passed. Not only did his grandma die, but his father did as well.
Eric “passed in 2009,” according to Eric, and with few relatives who had an emotional attachment to the farmhouse, it was becoming something Eric kept putting off. He understood he had to take action in this situation. There was only one thing Eric could think of to do with the house…
He desired to sell the house
Because keeping and maintaining the farmhouse would have been prohibitively expensive, Eric felt compelled to sell the property. However, Eric realized he had a lot of work ahead of him as he walked inside the dusty carcass that was once a home for the first time.
He couldn’t even consider selling the property until it met a specific quality…
It’s time to get the house in order
Eric understood that if his grandparents’ farmhouse was covered with dust, spiders, and mildew, no one would want to buy it. The house appeared to be on the verge of collapsing, which meant Eric would have to make some major alterations in order to make it habitable again.
Eric was already doing an excellent job with the home after only a few days. However, around halfway through cleaning the house, Eric recalled something about his grandparents…
Valuable metals were favorites of his grandparents…
While cleaning the home, Eric remembered something about his grandparents that brought him happy memories. His grandfather, according to him, was a sailor who was once pursued by pirates!
In that same house, his grandparents used to read him ‘’Treasure Island’’. He seems to always identify treasure with these two crucial persons in his life. Eric was persuaded that they must have hidden something around the farmhouse based on this rationale…
Where Should We Begin? the Closet
Eric rushed through the half-empty house, looking for anything his grandparents might have left behind for someone like him to find. One of the closets was the first place Eric checked for any prospective “prize.”
When he first opened the door to look inside, there didn’t appear to be anything significant. Things started to shift rapidly for Eric as he took a step back and looked down…
What’s next? The Area Rug
Eric realized he was standing on a carpet after looking down and feeling a little dissatisfied. Eric realized he’d have to remove the carpet in order to restore the farmhouse to its former splendor, especially since it didn’t smell all that great.
But it was the hardness of the surface that perplexed him the most. It couldn’t be the floorboards beneath the carpet, he knew. Something far tougher has been lurking beneath the surface of the material for a long time…
Something is Hiding Below
Eric was convinced that something was hidden beneath the carpet, so he began removing it from the floor’s surface. What had started off as a very routine day of cleaning was quickly morphing into something entirely different.
Eric spotted something strange lying beneath it as he began to pull it away from the surface. The young man rubbed his head, puzzled as to what it could be. Then it dawned on him…
Unusual Concrete Slab
This is the point in the story when Eric’s life began to take an unexpected turn. After a few minutes of staring at the strange-looking structure, he realized that whatever this object was had been hidden beneath the carpet so that no one would see it.
It was, however, encased in concrete and appeared to be difficult to open. Eric had a feeling that something encased in concrete was concealing a secret…
Is it secure?
Eric had no idea what this unusual slab of concrete beneath his grandparents’ carpet was at first. Furthermore, it was hidden away in a cupboard. Initially, he dismissed it as an afterthought to the farmhouse.
Then he started to wonder. What if this odd-looking square-shaped piece of concrete was actually a secret safe kept by his grandparents? After all, its face had a circular shape in the middle. He only wanted to know the truth…
What had they been keeping from him?
Eric was concerned that his grandparents were concealing something from the rest of the world. He knew they were the type of individuals who liked “treasure,” as he had previously stated.
His grandma was also an artifact collector, according to reports. His grandfather, on the other hand, was obsessed with acquiring ancient “arms.” But what exactly was kept safe in this concrete vault? And how was Eric going to get this thing open?
Mom Affirmed His Theory
He phoned his closest family members to check if they had any information on the matter, as he was desperate to discover if this weird slab of concrete was safe or not. His mother, without a doubt, knew the answers to all of his questions.
His theory was confirmed by his mother.
He explained, “I spoke with my Mom, and she claimed that my grandparents have a safe in Florida.” His mother, on the other hand, had some more relevant information, namely how to open this weird safe…
The Combination Is Dad’s Birthday!
Eric’s mother was not only able to confirm that his grandparents had hidden a safe, but she also knew how to access it. According to her, the safe’s combination was her husband’s birth date.
And, if that didn’t work, she suggested Eric try using his father’s social security number. Eric only had to open this odd safe now that his theory had been validated…
He attempted to unlock it
Eric was upset when he tried out the combinations his mother had suggested and discovered that none of them worked. Regardless of whether they opened it or not, the safe was not opening.
No matter how hard he attempted to pull on the handle, nothing would budge. It was just a matter of time until Eric recognized that if he wanted to find out what was inside this safe, he’d need some professional help…
It’s time to call a locksmith
Eric had no idea how he was going to unlock this safe. There didn’t appear to be a working lock or a mechanism to decode the code. This need professional assistance, so Eric contacted a locksmith who might be able to solve his concerns.
However, because he discovered the safe on Sunday, no one was accessible that day. He’d have to wait for a while. Was this going to be an insurmountable challenge?
Is this mission beyond the bounds of possibility?
Despite the fact that he had to wait, Eric was determined to unlock the concrete safe. When Monday rolled around, he called a locksmith, who arrived at the farmhouse. However, according to Eric, the locksmith took half an hour before declaring that this was a difficult undertaking.
If the locksmith had known what he was getting himself into, he would have “directed the task to someone else.” Despite this, their tireless efforts were eventually rewarded…
It was nearly complete
Despite hours of struggle, Eric and the locksmith were equally adamant about cracking it open and discovering its contents. The opening of the safe began to seem more and more like a lock as the locksmith chipped away at the concrete.
In particular, it was becoming increasingly plausible that Eric would be able to unlock it. However, it would take a few more hours of hard labor and patience until they found the right opportunity…
He Discovered the Code!
Eric and the locksmith found the lock they were looking for after several hours of chipping away and patience. It’s unclear whether the locksmith stayed to inspect the contents.
In any case, Eric was able to enter the right code into the lock, and it opened. The time had finally come for the truth to be revealed. Was Eric on the verge of doing something genuinely extraordinary? Or was he on the point of doing nothing at all?
Is that a stack of books or a stack of boxes?
Eric assumed that what he saw was a large stack of books at first sight. Alternatively, they could have been boxes. Maybe they weren’t both! To begin with, it was unclear, and Eric wasn’t ruling out any possibilities.
Were these the antique “weapons” Eric’s grandfather had mentioned? Or were they the mementos his grandmother treasured so much? Everything got a lot clearer as he dug farther inside the safe…
Initially, he had no interest and impression
Eric’s expectations began to dwindle as he attempted to uncover what was hidden inside that ancient, concrete safe, and what had begun as enthusiasm quickly turned into a hollow sensation of disappointment. He was certain that the contents consisted of nothing more than a few ordinary books, empty cartons, and a few pennies.
Eric quickly had plenty of reasons to get thrilled again as he examined each object more closely, and this wasn’t the only location in the house where he’d find something wonderful…
This Book Survived a Natural Disaster
This book was the first thing Eric cleaned up and took a serious look at. After years of neglect, the book in question was rather moist, as you can see from the photo. This is due to the fact that the farmhouse had been devastated by a devastating flood only a few years previously.
Thankfully, the safe’s contents were not completely destroyed. But make no mistake: Eric was about to get enthralled once more…
Coins That Are Exceptionally Rare
Even though Eric was disappointed to discover some damp dollar bills that had been ruined by the floor, there was still much to be excited about. When Eric opened the book, he discovered a plethora of well-preserved coins.
Furthermore, they are incredibly uncommon, and his grandparents did the proper thing by storing them in a safe. Eric’s discoveries that day, however, were simply the tip of the iceberg. There was a lot more…
Fewer problems with more money
There were lots more dollar bills stacked within that safe, and while these were damp as well, Eric believed they had a better chance of being rescued than the other ones he had discovered.
All he had to do was separate them and dry them out with the help of a professional. Eric discovered his largest discovery yet as he ventured deeper inside the safe. Things seemed to be improving all the time…
Hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Eric was ecstatic when he discovered a few hundred dollars’ worths of coins in the bottom of the safe. However, as he got closer, he realized that there were hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rare coins! Eric began to believe he was on the verge of discovering a goldmine.
However, he couldn’t figure it out on his own and realized that he needed as many second opinions as possible…
What Are These Silver Bars and What Do They Mean?
Eric also uncovered some unusual silver bars, which were a remarkable group of goods. Eric, who had no idea what they were at first, discovered that they were uncommon and special since they were etched with the dates of the founding of Connecticut and two other American states.
Because of their undeniable historical significance, it was evident that they would be able to sell for a premium price. Every time Eric slipped his hand into the safe, he discovered another magnificent piece of jewelry…
A coin in its original condition
While some of the more delicate items in his grandparents’ safe had been damaged over time, other, more durable items had survived. Take, for example, this huge coin, which has maintained exceptionally good condition throughout the years.
The fact that it was in a protected case, of course, played a significant role in its longevity. Sure, there’s been some weathering, but that’s to be expected. Despite this, Eric’s discoveries continued to pile up…
Unusual Box
There was a box at the very bottom of the safe that Eric fought to unlock for various reasons in order to discover what was within. Maybe it was just a toolbox that he didn’t think was noteworthy enough, we speculated.
In any case, he’d made it to the bottom of the safe. Then, after a lot of effort and perseverance, Eric was able to open the package and discover certain objects that tugged at his emotions…
Jewels of his grandmother
While many of the valuables Eric uncovered were historically significant and valuable, there was no disputing that the next find was sentimental in nature. Eric realized he had discovered some of his grandmother’s jewelry when he opened one of those strange boxes.
Naturally, he became choked up while clutching the identical jewelry that his late grandma wore decades before. While this might have sufficed, there was one more thing…
Weird Coffee Table
After eventually removing all of the treasures from the secret safe, Eric realized he wanted to inspect the entire house to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. After inspecting every nook and cranny of the property, he came across an unassuming-looking coffee table.
He was convinced at first that it was just an old piece of rotting furniture. Then he discovered something else as he opened one of the drawers…
One more safe has been found!
Eric couldn’t believe there was another safe waiting to be opened inside this perfectly normal-looking coffee table. It turned out to be one of the luckiest weeks of his life!
His grandparents not only had some wonderful things hidden away, but they also had some in plain sight! There was another safe just inches away while they were kicking back and watching TV. But this raises the question of what they had kept inside the second safe.
Antiques that are “risky”
The second safe turned out to contain a couple of items that had been hinted to previously in the essay. While we won’t go into detail, put it this way: if these were loaded, you wouldn’t want to pull the trigger.
As previously said, Eric’s grandfather was a lover of these, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he discovered a couple. And that wasn’t even the most interesting find on this list…
Barr Notes = Huge Win!
After discovering those gold coins in the first safe, Eric was taken aback when he saw these dollar bills bearing Joseph Barr’s signature. Barr only served as Secretary of the Treasury for a month in 1968, hence few of these notes were ever printed.
As a result of this great discovery, whatever Eric’s discoveries were worth before was about to increase significantly. Now all he had to do was acquire some answers…
Telling the World about His Story
Eric had reached a point when he believed he was on to something significant. He was ready to share his findings with the rest of the world at this point in the story. He took images of everything and uploaded them on the renowned internet forum Reddit, proud of his finds.
He not only proudly displayed his grandparents’ possessions, but he also inquired as to whether anyone understood what they were and, more crucially, how much they were worth…
To the Rescue: Reddit
Finally, Eric was unable to obtain much information about his lately discovered goods from the online community. Although no one could say for sure what the book and the coins were, one person did say that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing could replace damaged bills in specific situations.
He’d simply have to go there to find out what he could have substituted.
What was the total cost of it all?
Eric had every right to be interested in learning how much the contents of his grandparents’ safe were worth. He was well aware that he was standing on top of a gold mine. But, at the end of the day, he required a precise figure.
Eric knew it was worth tens of thousands of dollars, but it took a time to figure out just how much it was worth. “Anything from 1964 or earlier is 90% silver and worth around 20 times the face value,” he claimed.
“Worth of the Collection”
One Reddit member was determined to assist Eric in determining the value of his coins. According to the individual in question, who also happens to be a coin collector, there is a significant difference between coins found in safes and those that are not.
When it comes to numismatics, safe coins appear to have collector value, which is just as important as face value. “Notes are frequently collected as well,” they added. “Check everything, even if they are damaged, they can still have tremendous worth.”
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