A man uncovered a 100-year-old time capsule in his back garden moments after unboxing his first-ever metal detector. He explained how he wanted to start metal detecting in the hope of unearthing lost treasures - but never expected to come across a time capsule on his first try.
Sharing his discovery on Reddit, he said: "I decided to metal detect my yard and I heard a lot of beeping underneath a tree. I thought it was a pipe so when I was digging I accidentally stabbed a hole through the tin. When I dug it out I was really excited but it was full of dirt. I waited a night so I could shake the dirt out with some friends, which took tremendous self-control, and when we were shaking it out, we found these items."
Inside the metal tin, which reads "Kkovah Salts. For The Stomach, Liver & Blood", he found three coins dated 1826, 1866 and 1906, a photograph of four men, a Christmas card and what is thought to be a children's toy.
The tin alone is valued between about £25 to £60, while a coin dated 1826 can be bought online for anywhere between £60 to £400, depending on its markings and condition.
The man, who lives in Washington, America, added: "I have been spending a lot of time searching on many websites for the original owners of the house.
"So far I haven't found anything relevant, but I'm not giving up. I plan on going to my local library to search through home records."
Through his research, he also hopes to track down the living relatives of the men photographed in the black-and-white picture.
On the back of the photograph, which is dated 1920, it reads: "Papa and his friends".
While most users shared their amazement over his find, others shared their intension to create and bury their own time capsules.
One user said: "What a fascinating thing to find. This inspires me to go bury one now."
In response, the man said: "My goal by posting this was to get people inspired to bury a time capsule so someone might find it in 100 years. I really hope you do, I'm going to bury a few around my town."
Another user added: "Well that’s pretty cool! I hope your'e able to track down the owner, or at least someone connected.
"I bought a 1969 VW type 3 fastback years ago and tracked down the original owner, very satisfying."
A third user said: "I remember burying some coins in a jar back in 1975, but unfortunately that empty lot now has a chiropractor's office, so I'm sure my time capsule was destroyed or removed."
Have you ever found a time capsule? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
