A couple who just bought a house found coins in a drawer worth $25,000, but instead of keeping the money, they returned the coins to the previous homeowner.
James Munford was looking at the built-in drawers in his closet in October when he found two cases worth of 46 gold Liberty $5 coins and 18 Morgan silver dollars dating back to the 1800s.
Munford and his wife, Clarrisa, both retired out of the Army and closed on the Columbia, South Carolina, home in mid-October.
He texted pictures of the coins to the house’s former occupant and made arrangements to return the money.
“I was just thinking, you know, they’re not mine. They’re probably a family heirloom, so I’m gonna go ahead and make sure he gets them back,” Munford told CNN.
The home’s former owner, who asked to be unidentified, estimated that the coins were worth approximately $25,000.
The unidentified owner said he placed the containers filled with coins in the back of his sock drawer several months ago for safekeeping, and in his haste in packing up the house, did not see the coins.
The rest of his coin collection was locked in a safe.
The owner did not realize the coins were missing until the Munfords contacted him and said he would have never known if they decided to keep the coins for themselves or sell them for money.
“He just thanked me because he said there’s not too many honest people out there” who would have decided to give the coins back, Munford said.
The Munfords are still in the process of unpacking, and their furniture arrived last week, so they have not had a chance to see if there are any other surprises in store for them.
According to Realtor.com, most of the time after a house is closed on, the house’s previous owner no longer has the right to anything in the house unless both parties agree to it.
Some other strange things people who have recently moved into their residences have found include milk doors under the cabinets and a trap door to a hidden basement.
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