San Francisco, long known for gold rushes and tech booms, has sparked a new craze as a Reddit thread claims a chest filled with $10,000 in one‑dollar coins lies a foot beneath the city. The 150‑pound cache, reportedly buried at the former U.S. Mint, has drawn teenagers, retirees, and curious onlookers into the streets today.

Participants must solve a poem that hints at landmarks like Angel Island and the Ferry Building, turning the hunt into a citywide scavenger. The event mirrors past contests such as the 1953 Emperor Norton Treasure Hunt and recent AI‑inspired challenges, underscoring San Francisco’s appetite for puzzles that blend history, technology, and outdoor adventure daily.

Last year’s version, hidden at Mt. Sutro, yielded a chest with money, gold nuggets, and baseball cards after just 11 hours of digging, proving that even the city’s most sophisticated AI firms can’t outpace human ingenuity. This year’s prize remains the same, but the mystery has grown more intricate today.

The organizers, a pair of West‑side friends who keep their identities hidden, claim they cannot afford to bury more money and rely on a wealthy benefactor to fund future hunts. Their strategy reflects a broader trend of low‑cost, high‑engagement marketing that leverages local culture to create buzz and community today.