Nick Mead had no idea what he would find when he reached into the old fuel canister. But then he felt something cold and smooth. Startled, he yanked his hand out. Who knew what was lurking inside the tank after what he had just discovered in the other canister. Mead wasn’t sure what he had stumbled on, but he knew all he wanted was the tank. He just never imagined he would wind up an instant millionaire.
Mead was an average guy living in Northampton, England. But one thing about this mild-mannered Englishman stood out like a sore thumb. Nick had a thing for tanks. In fact, he collected old armored vehicles just for fun. But eventually, this turned into something more. Then it went from a passion into something far worse.
Mead was obsessed with his hobby. So, in less than no time, he acquired tons of collectible vehicles. But this wasn’t exactly inexpensive. Wartime vehicles and tanks weren’t known for being affordable. Eventually, his collection started burning a hole through his finances. And since his collectibles did nothing but stand there, they didn’t earn him any money either. But then, Mead came up with an idea, and it was so insane, he was afraid it would actually work.
Mead realized he needed earn some money to continue paying for his collectibles. But opening up a war museum would have been dull. Then, he came up with an idea. What if he gave people a first-hand experience? He loved the concept. And before long, Tanks A Lot came into existence. Eventually, folks got the chance to ride in veteran war vehicles. This attracted thrill seekers and war enthusiasts from all over the area. But then, Mead noticed something that was life-altering.
One day, Mead stumbled on a rare find while browsing through e-Bay. It was an old Soviet T-54, which he simply had to add to his collection. So, he decided to bid for it before anyone else got their hands on it. But the seller was particularly picky. He didn’t just want money either. And when he learned what Mead did for a living, he decided that in lieu of money, he wanted to trade. At that point, Mead had to make a decision, and it wouldn’t be an easy one.
Mead thought about the seller’s terms and ultimately agreed to it. So, in exchange for the T-54, he gave the seller two of his most treasured vehicles. But Mead was aware of something that the seller wasn’t. Tanks were used to transport valuable items during wartime. And this particular T-54 was commonly used during the Gulf War in the 1990s. But despite this bit of war trivia, Mead wasn’t exactly expecting to make the interesting discovery he made when he inspected the fuel canisters.
Mead and his team had developed a routine after getting a new vehicle. They would inspect the tank thoroughly and look for hidden items or faulty parts. And it turns out that the T-54 was full of items. This became obvious when his crew took the tank’s fuel canisters apart. One of them was out of place. So, when he removed it, the first thing Mead noticed was how much the canister weighed. But when he opened it, he was even more surprised.
Tons of old bullets rained down from the old canister. Mead was shocked by the number of arsenals. He was also very careful too. After all, old bullets were considered war memorabilia and had to be handled with care. If they were mishandled in any way, they could go off and harm someone. So, he went to the cops to declare his discovery. But at least, Mead knew the tank had been used to hide tons of special keepsakes.
Mead was eager to see if there were other hidden items. So, both he and his team searched every inch of the vehicle. He certainly didn’t want to risk leaving any bit of old arsenal inside the tank. If a civilian was injured by a bullet found inside the vehicle, he would have had to answer for it. It’s why he searched everywhere thoroughly. But Mead was unprepared for the next item he found hidden in the tank.
Mead assumed that it would be difficult to find other hidden treasure. But it turns out that it was easy after his team found a faulty fuel canister. Two team members had to use crowbars to release the canister from its holding bracket, but it worked. However, the canister was quite heavy. So, Mead made a hole at the bottom of the fuel tank to try to reach inside. He hoped he would find a weapon that went along with the bullets he found before. But what this tank had hidden was far more valuable.
Mead was beyond thrilled as he latched on to what felt like some kind of bar and pulled it out of the fuel canister. It took him a moment, but then he took a look at what he was holding and was absolutely speechless. Mead had a gold bullion in his hand. He was awestruck by his discovery and decided to show it off to his team. With renewed enthusiasm, the team took the canister out to see what else they could find. And that’s when things got interesting.
One of Mead’s teammates dug into the fuel tank, and every time his hand came out, another gold bullion appeared. It turns out that the tank had five gold bars! Mead was stunned by this incredible find that was worth an estimated $2.4 million. But now his conscience started messing with his brain. What was he going to do with this amazing discovery?
Mead knew his business and family would be at risk if he kept the gold bullions. But aside from that, there was a moral dilemma. He couldn’t keep something that didn’t belong to him. Besides, if he left all that gold lying around the house, he could become a target if anyone learned he had them. So, he called the cops. But he wasn’t sure what would happen with the gold.
Cops gave Mead a receipt after they took the gold bars from him. The authorities assured him they would look for the owner of the gold bullions. But what if no one stepped up and claimed them? He wasn’t sure, but decided to play it safe by sticking the bar’s receipts in a bank vault. Then, the cops got back to him, and they had an interesting theory about the previous owners.
Mead wasn’t prepared for what the cops told him. They believed the gold was probably owned by Saddam Hussein! This particular tank was one of the former Iraqi president’s favorites during the Iraq-Iran War in 1990. In fact, his troops were famous for pillaging the Persian Gulf. But to this day, no one has claimed the gold bullions, so for now, their ownership remains a mystery.