Interesting that both the articles have same date/time on them. But the stories are somewhat different.
The writer MAY have used some "literary embellishment" but it is hard to tell. It is however very evident that he did indeed find at least a handful of each.
He may have indeed found a "chest" of coins and was trying to "backtrack" his previous statements in order to avoid those pesky tax people.
Would be interesting though to see if indeed he changed his lifestyle or spending habits during that time.