Pet ownership, exercise pay off for California couple

We've repeatedly used this space to tout the need for exercise, and even promoted the advantages of responsible pet ownership for one's physical and mental health.

Both paid off for a California couple, who made the discovery of a lifetime when they were getting some exercise by walking their dog.

The anonymous couple were out on their property when they noticed something that came to the surface after the dirt eroded away.

It was a rusty can, which they discovered to be full of gold coins once they dug it out.

Eventually, they found eight cans containing 1,400 gold coins, minted from 1847 to 1894. Most of them, $5, $10 and $20 denominations, were fresh from the San Francisco mint, with a face value of $27,000. To collectors, however, some of them are worth as much as a million dollars a piece, or $10 million or more, combined.

No one knows where they came from or who owned them. Someone's life savings? Loot from a robbery? Your guess is as good as anyone's.

Collectors can get a sneak peek at them at the American Numismatic Association's 2014 National Money Show in Atlanta, which opens Thursday.

Most of the coins will go up on Amazon.com's "collectibles" site, according to Don Kagin of Kagin's Inc., who is assisting the owners.

Walking your dog is unlikely to bring you millions of dollars in gold coins, but it is sure to pay off in improved physical and mental well-being.

But it doesn't hurt to dream.

Now where did we put that metal detector?