Tank collector gets a pleasant surprise: $2.4 million in gold

Nick Mead is a tank collector and owner of Tanks Alot, a company that offers armored vehicles and tanks for driving lessons, private events and even appearances on television and film. The next tank he would come to own would give him a lot more than he expected.

The Iraqi Army Type 69 tank was for sale on eBay, Popular Mechanics reports. The tank's design was introduced in 1949 and is armed with a 12.7-millimeter machine gun and a 100-millimeter main gun. The Type 69 tank had been sold in large quantities to the Iraqi Army during the 1980s.

While opening the fuel tank, Mead and his mechanic Todd Chamberlain pulled out five 12-pound gold bars worth approximately $2.4 million.

Thought to be Kuwaiti in origin, the gold was likely looted by Iraqi forces after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Popular Mechanics says the value of the gold is more likely to be worth $1.2 million in today's economy.

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