“I am having trouble grasping why someone who made such a find would tell anyone”
That was the first thing that popped into my head, too.
My sister and her husband won a huge lottery, (after he quit smoking and used his smoke money to buy tickets instead).
They knew the ticket was the winner...never told anyone...they hired a single engine airplane pilot to fly them to ...... to claim their win with the Lotto... rather than risk anything happening along the way..and they even kept it quiet from all but family members for the longest time.
I’d do the same...fewer who know the better.