There’s Silver by Them Thar Tracks!

And freshly United States minted silver no less! Imagine walking alongside railroad tracks looking for firewood and instead sighting an interesting rectangular box. It’s green, sealed with two plastic bands and marked with symbols, saying "Treasury - United States Mint". Hmm…

You cut the two bands, open the box and 25 green plastic tubes stare you in the face. Finally, with heart beating, you open one of the tubes and find… 20 American Silver Eagles! Oh yea!

That’s pretty much what happened to Russell and Rennie Herron, as described by The Paris News in Texas. The Herrons are an honest family and turned the coins over to authorities. Their honestly paid off. Yesterday they were awarded the lot since no legal claims existed.

How much are the coins worth? The U.S. Mint sealed box contained 500 American Silver Eagles all dated 1996. Each coin contains one ounce of pure silver. Using the Silver Coin Valuator and yesterday’s silver closing price, that’s approximately $6,200 worth of silver alone. Interestingly, back in 1996, the 500 coins would have had a silver content value of only ~$2600. But that’s a side not…

It’s much better for the Herrons. The 1996 American Silver Eagle had low mintages compared to other years. That’s a huge plus, making them worth more. Each coin should actually be valued by its condition and each should be significantly more than its silver content. In today’s market, you can purchase an average uncirculated 1996 Silver Eagle for a bit over $70.

500 coins at just that rate sum up to a nice figure. Nice find!