CARSON CITY, Nev. - Even though he lived in the same quiet neighborhood for decades, no one seemed to know Walter Samaszko Jr. He was so unknown that weeks passed before authorities discovered he had died in his modest Carson City home.
When cleanup crews arrived, they made another startling discovery: The 69-year-old man who had lived so simply had a vast collection of thousands of gold coins worth millions of dollars stashed in old ammunition boxes in his garage.
About half of the collection's value will be auctioned off Tuesday in a Carson City courtroom to satisfy some $800,000 in government estate taxes and fees.
Auction selling gold coins left by Nev. recluse who lived modest life with millions in garage | StarTribune.com