A million-dollar treasure chest has been uncovered by an intrepid explorer, says the man who hid the thing in the first place, bringing one of the decade’s most famous booty hunts to a gold-encrusted conclusion.
Forrest Fenn, an antiquities dealer and art collector from Santa Fe, New Mexico, says an anonymous adventurer found the chest tucked away in the Rocky Mountains, ten years after Fenn first hid it in the region.
“The guy who found it does not want his name mentioned,” Fenn told the Santa Fe New Mexican.
“He’s from back East,” he added. Some descriptor, that is.
Fenn added that the alleged treasure-finder provided a photo to back up his claim, but didn’t make that piccie available to reporters.
The chest has been a source of intrigue since 2010, when Fenn claimed to have buried a heavy box stacked with gold, gems, and other pricey tidbits way off the beaten trail.
The only clues Fenn provided were in a poem included in his memoir. It now appears those cryptic clues read some guy right to the chest, which Fenn said was worth US$1 million (AU$1.4 million), but could be worth much more.
Fenn said he hid the treasure to inspire people to get out and about after the Global Financial Crisis. Pocketing an enormous stack of gold and gemstones would likely help in a financial crisis in more ways than one, I guess.
The quest for the treasure became an international obsession with Australia’s own Hamish Blake and Andy Lee dedicating an episode of their show Hamish and Andy’s “Perfect” Holiday to the search.
Here’s how Blake responded to the news:
“I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries,” Fenn said on his website.
“So the search is over. Look for more information and photos in the coming days.”
Congrats, anonymous man from back East. Enjoy your riches.
