PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Treasure hunters are spreading out across Philadelphia this week in search of hidden certificates that can be redeemed for rare coins, historic currency, and other collectibles as part of a nationwide scavenger hunt.
The event, organized by Stack’s Bowers Galleries and FindTheCashPHL, is one stop in Treasure Hunt 2026, a multi-city promotion offering prizes tied to daily clues posted on social media. Participants in Philadelphia have the chance to locate hidden certificates and redeem them for numismatic prizes or cash.
Leonard Johnson of South Philadelphia said he was drawn to the event because of his interest in collecting.
“I’m just really interested in coins. I love coins. I have a whole collection at home,” said Johnson.
According to organizers, winners can exchange their certificates for a variety of prizes.
“They can redeem it for a numismatic prize, which could be coins, currency, bullion, and they have the choice to keep it, or they can add it to an existing collection, start a new collection, or we’ll exchange it for cash,” said Kerry Loughran of Stack’s Bowers Galleries.
Organizers said the event is intended to be both entertaining and educational, while encouraging interest in rare coin collecting and investing.
Philadelphia was selected in part because of its connection to U.S. coinage history as the home of the first U.S. Mint.
“We have come to find out that a lot of really great early coinage has been passed down through the generations through Philadelphia families,” Mark Schimel of Stack’s Bowers said.
Clues are posted daily at 5:30 p.m. on the Stack’s Bowers Philadelphia Instagram page. On the hunt’s opening day, one clue appeared in the form of a video that participants used to try to identify the hiding location.
Officials said one certificate was found within minutes of the clue being released.
The Philadelphia hunt is part of a broader Treasure Hunt 2026 promotion that also includes stops in Miami, San Francisco, and Boston. The company said each city will award $10,000 worth of numismatic collectibles, with individual prizes ranging in value from about $300 to a grand prize worth approximately $3,500.
Organizers said Philadelphia has generated the strongest participation of the four host cities.
Mike Delporte of Fishtown said he plans to continue searching.
“I’ll definitely be looking for it tomorrow. I’ve been collecting coins since I was a little kid. As soon as it dropped, I hopped on the train and booked my way over here as quick as I could,” he said.
The Philadelphia portion of the scavenger hunt runs through Saturday.
Winners can redeem prizes or exchange them for cash at Stack’s Bowers Galleries in Center City on Market Street. Participants can follow the company’s Instagram account for daily clues and updates.
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