Life

$10,000 Treasure Buried in San Francisco Has Been Found: What to Know

About a month after the buried treasure was announced, it has been uncovered.

Wooden treasure chest - stock photo.
Sharondipity Photography/Getty

A $10,000 treasure chest buried somewhere in San Francisco has been found.

The existence of the 150-pound treasure chest was initially shared on a website titled “Buried Treasure, San Francisco” before getting posted on the r/sanfrancisco subreddit on April 29.

“One year ago we announced here that we buried a $10,000 treasure chest. Many hunters went searching and it was found in just 11 hours,” the Reddit post reads. "We did it again.”

An update was posted on Tuesday (May 19), revealing the treasure chest has been found. “We received photographic proof from the exact location,” the post states. “The finder(s) will hopefully share some information.”

The alleged discovery brings an end to a weeks-long search that has left behind a trail of holes in several city parks.

KGO-TV reported last week that San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department officials are assessing the damage from people digging in search of the buried treasure.

What is inside the treasure chest?

According to the “Buried Treasure, San Francisco” website, the treasure chest weighed more than 150 pounds, and consisted of “gleaming ingots, currency and San Francisco artifacts,” with half of the value in gold.

What was known about its location?

The treasure chest was located “within 7 miles of San Francisco’s city hall,” and buried one foot deep.

What other clues were provided?

Clues were given in the form of a poem that read:

“Minute steps climb, and beyond fingers rise,

onward on pins where the treasure lies

deem heavenly island towers, over derelict ward;

stern wood haven north and powell, off back-ward

under stone this mint rests buried in keep,

but intermiss briefly, please-do take a seat

spare a moment between us, you who shall reap;

only we know this plane, this sanctum, this peep

let's celebrate our land, the city, this jaunt,

the clamber, the sights, our sole hunt for this haunt

truly framed in full, cast stage-left at your feet;

dig just one foot down and-finally-heft the prize that you seek"

A breakdown of the meaning behind details provided in the poem, along with photos of the exact spot and the organizers burying the chest, can be seen here.

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