Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Gold Worth $2.5 Million Found Hidden in Tank Bought on eBay
Greek Reporter ^ | October 6, 2024 | Tasos Kokkinidis

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.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: ebay; gold; goldbars; iraq; kuwait; nickmead; saddamhussein; tank
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-77 last
To: nickcarraway
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.

Dumazzes never learn. If he was in the USA, he'd probably vote for the hoe and the twinkie.

61 posted on 10/07/2024 2:20:55 AM PDT by meadsjn (, )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Why do people insist upon running their mouths?

If I found a five dollar bill the only person that would know would be me, never mind gold bars.

Stupid.


62 posted on 10/07/2024 2:49:45 AM PDT by turfmann
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 21twelve

ROTFLOL!


63 posted on 10/07/2024 3:29:07 AM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: madison10

It wouldn’t even be in the first 100 thoughts I’d have.
Never.


64 posted on 10/07/2024 4:49:45 AM PDT by Fireone ("and dumb & silent we may be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter." G. Washington 1783)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: SaveFerris

Thanks! That’s pretty dang good right there! Another reason to like this classic.


65 posted on 10/07/2024 5:26:13 AM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Repeal the Patriot Act; Abolish the DHS; reform FBI top to bottom!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: lgjhn23

exactly.

smelt it down.

sell it by the ounce, cheaply for cash.


66 posted on 10/07/2024 5:35:56 AM PDT by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world or something )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Angelino97

Too bad this happened in England. In this country, a person could take up handloading with cast bullets. A melting pot and some bullet molds wouldn’t cost much, and there’d be no need to mention gold at all.


67 posted on 10/07/2024 6:17:20 AM PDT by HartleyMBaldwin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I regret handing it in

The price of not thinking


68 posted on 10/07/2024 6:31:10 AM PDT by Vaduz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I don’t agree with keeping it all.

That said, I don’t agree with no “finder’s fee” either.

I think he’d have been justified in keeping a bar as a “finder’s fee”. Melt it down into small nuggets, use over time.


69 posted on 10/07/2024 6:38:29 AM PDT by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing of poor moral choices among everybody)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
Gold is a precious metal that comes from the Planet. Therefore, it belongs to everyone, and I want mine in the form of a Karl Marx figurine. /s
70 posted on 10/07/2024 6:53:02 AM PDT by equaviator (There's nothing like the universe to bring you down to earth!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: webheart
The police that he called probably kept it and sold it themselves.

Look for the very nice policeman-owned boat named "Crime Pays".

Another movie on this theme is "Three Kings".

71 posted on 10/07/2024 8:16:22 AM PDT by MikelTackNailer (Fortunately despite aging I've eluded the snares of aquired wisdom.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: kiryandil

How do you post a picture? I just know copy and paste from Word that works for emails.


72 posted on 10/07/2024 8:23:45 AM PDT by Retain Mike ( Sat Cong)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Alas Babylon!

It’s definitely funny

Fooled me the first time I saw Kelley’s Heroes

I had always thought it was him LOL 😅 after that


73 posted on 10/07/2024 9:36:34 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: lgjhn23
Melt it down to small quantities and trade it off over a period of time.

One has to get a license to melt gold.

74 posted on 10/07/2024 10:17:35 AM PDT by aimhigh (1 John 3:23 "And THIS is His commandment . . . . ")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: aimhigh

“...One has to get a license to melt gold.....”

People in these parts regularly melt lead to cast bullets....
“Gold??? What gold you talkin’ bout, boy????? Them there are .45 slugs.”


75 posted on 10/07/2024 10:38:28 AM PDT by lgjhn23 ("On the 8th day, Satan created the progressive liberal to destroy all the good that God created..." )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: catnipman

I like your thinking.


76 posted on 10/07/2024 2:28:47 PM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino
"I like your thinking."

reminds me of this:


77 posted on 10/07/2024 2:40:55 PM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-77 last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson