Smithsonian Magazine: Rare-Coin Scavenger Hunt in San Francisco Chance to Relive the CA Gold Rush
Goldbully
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Got to hand it to Seth Chandler.....he's one hell of a marketer.
This Rare-Coin Scavenger Hunt in San Francisco Offers Participants the Chance to Relive the California Gold Rush
A local coin dealer will hide historic currency worth a total of $50,000 in its third annual citywide challenge on April 25
Sonja Anderson - Daily Correspondent
April 22, 2026 2:42 p.m.
The 1851 $50 gold slug was one of the first coins minted in San Francisco. Seth Chandler / Witter Coin
This weekend, people in San Francisco will have the rare opportunity to find such a coin—worth about $25,000—during Witter Coin’s annual scavenger hunt. The local numismatic dealer will hide 10 coins across the city, valued together at more than $50,000.
The hunt is a nod to San Francisco’s prospecting legacy. The city’s history is inextricably tied to the California Gold Rush, the mining craze that followed the 1848 discovery of gold in the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains.
“This city was built around the pursuit of gold,” Seth Chandler, owner and CEO of Witter Coin, says in a statement. “We wanted to create something that brings that spirit back. Something real, tangible and rooted in San Francisco’s history. These aren't replicas. These are genuine, high-value coins.”
Continues in link.............
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I'd be all over this if it didn't require an Instagram account to participate.
...or lived in San Francisco.
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The first place I'd look to find a hidden coin would be the barrel of cannons that might be on display in one or more of the city's parks. Do the research. Bring a flashlight to the hunt.
Einstein’s view of God was non-traditional and pantheistic, focusing on the harmony, order, and intelligibility of the cosmos rather than a personal deity. His quotes reveal a profound respect for the universe’s mysteries, a belief in rational laws, and a moral philosophy grounded in compassion and understanding, bridging science and spirituality.
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Reminds me of the annual hunt for Emperor Norton’s treasure in SF many years ago. Clues were printed in the Chronicle as I recall. Made quite a mess of public areas - I did some digging myself as a teen.
It be nice to have something done like that here in the northeast, just a thought
That’s an oddly specific theory
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Wouldn't it be a kick in the ass if someone found the "slug" under a park bench?
Whether you think you can or, think you can't, you're right.
@SethChandler Please understand that your enthusiasm for the hobby does not go unnoticed!
When the treasure hunt is over I hope that the results are posted here on the forum (or elsewhere so that hobbyists can read them).
I wonder if all of the hidden coins will be found; and if the location where the ten coins were hidden will be disclosed. It would be interesting to hear someone from Witter Coin explain the thinking behind the selection of the possible and actual hiding places.
It would also be interesting to have the person(s) who successfully found any of the hidden coins tell their story about looking for and finding the coins.
If any of the ten coins were not found during the treasure hunt, are they going to be retrieved, or will they just be left where they are (until they are, if ever, found again)
I can think of multiple places in San Francisco where the ten coins can be hidden; and I can think of some places where I would hope that the ten coins were not hidden.
Obviously they would hide them where they could retrieve them. The most rare coin I'm sure was "staked out" or put near a video surveillance camera so that they can find the finder.
I haven't heard anything about anyone finding one yet. Have you? I'm thinking of calling them (Witter coin) to get the news. If I were them I'd hide counterfeit versions and keep the real ones in a safe. If someone finds the counterfeit they would need to come in to the shop to collect their prizes.
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Have there been any reports of the outcome of the Treasure Hunt?
I wonder if any of the ten hidden coins have been found?
If so, as Paul Harvey used to say back in the day, we need to hear "the rest of the story".
This