An empty house was found stuffed with gold coins in every drawer and even a sugar bowl - and have now sold for £80,000 at auction.
The home which had been uninhabited for months was carefully cleared from top to bottom following the initial discovery of a number of gold coins in a safe.
But a far larger number of coins was found in random locations throughout the property in Stroud,Glos., including in kitchen drawers, cupboards and beneath furniture.
One sovereign was even found loose in a sugar bowl.
The collection was sold at Wotton Auction Rooms for a total of £80,000.
Managing director Philip Taubenheim said: "I have rarely encountered hoarding on this scale in my working career.
"We cleared the property forensically, with coins being found in the most unlikely of locations.
"One sovereign was found amongst the loose sugar in the bowl on the kitchen table."
Mr Taubenheim said the auction house was instructed by the estate solicitors to deal with the situation, following the death of the occupier some months earlier.
"The coins formed part of the overall clearance of the dwelling," he said.
"We have no knowledge of the beneficiaries - however as far as we are aware no-one was present at the auction."
Wotton Auction Rooms sold the collection of coins last week.
It was offered in 120 lots, without reserve, and attracted considerable interest from around the country and abroad, with buyers bidding in person and also over the internet.
The highest single price of £8,000 was taken for a 1937 gold specimen set comprising a £5 coin, a double sovereign, a full sovereign and a half sovereign.
Numerous other sets made between £3,500 and £1,000 per lot.
Every lot offered was sold.
