Photos: First Look at Forrest Fenn’s Treasure

Earlier this month, I wrote about how thegreatest treasure hunt of the modern era came to an end. Forrest Fenn announced that the trunk he hid in the Rocky Mountains more than a decade ago was discovered by an unnamed man. While Fenn has been light on details so far, he did post three pictures of the chest and its contents.

Inside Editionhad an antiquities appraiser look at the photos, who confirmed earlier guesses that the treasure is worth north of $1 million. From just the three images, she was able to identify coins dating back to 1857, a solid-gold Inca figure, and pre-Columbian artifacts. She estimates that the bronze chest alone is worth $15,000.

Fenn wrote onhis blogthat some of the trinkets show signs of weathering, including a silver bracelet that tarnished black. “It is darker than it was 10 years ago when I left it on the ground and walked away.”

Many have speculated that the entire thing was fabricated: a hoax created by Fenn to sell copies of his book. Fenn hasn’t done much to dispel those claims, besides posting these three images. On his blog, he said that he won’t provide more details until the finder of the treasure gives him the green light.

“The finder wants me to remain silent and I always said the finder gets to make those two calls. Who and where.”

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