Two years after it was finally found, the famous Forrest Fenn Treasure is now up for auction. The treasure was officially discovered in Wyoming in June 2020 by Michigan native Jack Stuef, high up in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of over 5,000 feet. According to Stuef's blog, he figured out Fenn's clues and then spent 25 days searching for the treasure before finally finding it. Fenn died not long after Stuef found the treasure, on Sept. 7 at the age of 90.
According to Heritage Auctions, Stuef kept the original chest, a dragon bracelet and some other items. The rest of the treasure he sold to Tesouro Sagrado Holdings LLC in September. This is now one of the first chances the public has gotten to get a close look at the exact contents of the treasure. The pieces are being auctioned off individually, and the online bidding is to run until Dec. 12.
The treasure was originally hidden in the Rocky Mountains back in 2010 by Fenn, who was a New Mexico art dealer. At the time it was hidden, Fenn said the collective treasures were estimated to be worth at least $1 million. After hiding the chest, Fenn announced it to the world and made international headlines. The only clues to the treasure's whereabouts were a poem included in his autobiography, "The Thrill of the Hunt." Fenn repeatedly told reporters he'd hidden the treasure in the spot he wished to die at after he received a terminal cancer diagnosis back in 1988. But Fenn recovered and told reporters he hid the treasure as his way of getting people to go outside into nature.
Among the items in the treasure are gold nuggets, including one from Alaska that is 549 grams. The price was up to $25,000 for that nugget alone as of this writing. Fenn also included hundreds of coins including a $20 1928 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold piece that's already drawn over $1,000 in bidding. Also included were Indian Eagle gold pieces and Liberty Half Eagles. Each of the coins has been graded and placed in holders that clearly identify them as having been part of Fenn's treasure.
Also included in the collection are ornate pieces of ancient jewelry including gold beads from 500-1000 A.D. Colombia; a golden frog pendant dating from 700-1000 A.D. Costa Rica; and a Tairona necklace of gold and stone dating back to 500-1000 A.D. Colombia.
Fenn also sealed a 20,000-word autobiography of himself in a glass jar, which is also up for auction. The bid on that was $19,000 at the time of this writing. Heritage Auctions noted this was included in the treasure because of Fenn's desire to add something personal of his own.
Just before he died, Fenn met with Stuef and verified the contents were indeed the treasure he had hidden in 2010. It is believed that nearly 300,000 people tried searching for the treasure. At least five people died attempting to find it, which prompted some public officials to ask for Fenn to call off the hunt. There were also several arrests of people for unlawful activities on public land in the search. One man got prison time after digging up a historic cemetery in Yellowstone National Park while looking for the treasure. There were even lawsuits against Fenn accusing him of fraud, none of which came to fruition.
For now, this might be the last piece of news we'll likely hear about the Forrest Fenn treasure. You can view the collection on the Heritage Auctions website.
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