Posted on 10/06/2024 7:12:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A military enthusiast bought a tank on eBay recently and discovered $2.5 million of gold bars hidden inside, in one of the most unexpected and intriguing places where gold has ever been found.
Nick Mead discovered the five gold bars stashed inside the diesel tank of the ex-Iraqi Army Type 69, a Chinese copy of the Soviet T-55, back in 2017.
It’s believed the bullion was looted by plundering Iraqi soldiers during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait but forgotten about inside the 36.7-ton tank.
Man regrets handing in the gold found in the tank from eBay
Stunned by the discovery, Mead handed in the gold to the authorities. Now, seven years later, he has admitted he wishes he had kept the hidden booty.
The 62-year-old, who runs Tanks-a-Lot on his farm in England, told the Daily Mail: “I regret handing it in. I should have at least got a finders’ fee for it but I got absolutely nothing.”
Grecian Delight supports Greece “When we found the gold bars we didn’t know what to do with them. It’s not like you can take five gold bars down to the pawn shop. So we called the police.
“Gold has a fingerprint. They know where it’s been mined. It was definitely stolen from Kuwait. At the time there were all these wonderful conspiracy theories claiming we had kept it. But I haven’t got any money for it, sadly.”
Mead told the Daily Mail he isn’t sure what has happened to the gold and believed the authorities were still trying to track down the bullion’s owners.
The exact history of the tank is unknown but an inspection revealed it is a Chinese copy of the Russian T-55 design and manufactured under the designation Type 69.
It was built in the early 1980s and has just 1,507 miles on the clock. The vehicle was first bought by a self-taught mechanic, who has been restoring military vehicles for seven years, and resold on eBay.
Unexpected places where gold bars have been found
Throughout history, gold bars have been discovered in some unexpected and intriguing places, adding to the allure and mystique of this precious metal.
In 2012, a plumber in the Netherlands stumbled upon a trove of gold bars while working on a toilet in a private home. The toilet had been installed in the 1980s, and the homeowner did not know of the hidden treasure.
The plumber’s find consisted of 19 gold bars, weighing a total of approximately 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and valued at over $1 million.
In 2015, a man working at a recycling plant in Canada made an astonishing discovery while sorting through discarded items. He unearthed a metal box containing 18 gold bars, weighing approximately 16 kilograms (35 pounds) and worth over $1.8 million.
The bars had been concealed inside the box for decades, hidden in plain sight among ordinary household waste.
Most recently a couple from the United Kingdom discovered an unexpected cache of rare gold coins while renovating their home.
The couple found an unusual cup under the kitchen floor, hidden between old floorboards. Initially thought to be a trivial find, it turned out to be a pot of unimaginable value.
The hoard consisted of about 260 gold coins dating from 1610 to 1727, with an estimated value of more than $800,000.
Is in the bank tank in the middle of Beverly Hills
In somebody else's name.
Sure they are.
Oh, good. He found my gold. I was looking for it. Obviously I forgot I put it in that tank.
You people can return my gold to me any day now, thanks in advance.
Maybe they forgot because they are no longer alive.
Great movie. Forgot the name though.
Bob Menendez’s old tank?
“When we found the gold bars we didn’t know what to do with them. It’s not like you can take five gold bars down to the pawn shop. So we called the police."
Sucker. I'm quite sure I'd have found a work-around.
I was waiting
Not if you melt it. Handing it over to the authorities means you trust the goobers in government. Lately that trust has eroded greatly. It's no longer the most honest entity around.
Stupid to turn it in.
Melt it down to small quantities and trade it off over a period of time.
NEVER tell a soul.
It’s kinda like the “shoot, shovel and shut up” thingy.
For someone to mention that movie?
yes - it was the most logical choice
I was thinking of that one, but I didn’t know if anyone would agree with me.
I can still see Marlon Brando
Always with the negative waves eh Dinwiddie?
“Stunned by the discovery, Mead handed in the gold to the authorities. Now, seven years later, he has admitted he wishes he had kept the hidden booty.”
Stupid...
LOL...now that is the absolutely PERFECT photo of Oddball. Eyeroll toward heaven. “Freaking idiot...what were you thinking?”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.