One man in the United Kingdom had no idea that when he would make this purchase on eBay his life would be forever changed. He got a lot more than he paid for when he found this old tank online.

Nick Mead is a tank enthusiast who gained incredible notoriety and success basically overnight. The history buff was a collector of tanks and had no idea how his hobby would lead him to a life changing adventure.

Nick was online searching for a new tank to add to his collection and came across a beauty that he just had to get his hands on. 

Nick had a great appreciation for ex-army tanks and the Russian was so unique it inspired the business idea. He explained to the Daily Mail how it would work.

Nick Mead’s company was unique in that he got to combine his passion with a business that is necessary. Most of us probably have not given much thought to where the equipment we see in movies come from.

In addition to renting out the tanks for major movies and television shows, Mead managed to make tanks accessible to all kinds of people who are interested in the vehicles.

The Russian T-54 is a model of tank that was used in the years right after the Second World War by the Soviet Union. They’ve been used in more than one armed conflict, making their own mark on history.

The T-54 tank was used on the front lines of many of these historically significant battles. When the Soviet Union halted production to create new tanks, this model was still used by various other countries.

Nick Mead is the lucky man who came to own the tank, but a 23-year-old man named Joe Hewes is the man who listed the tank for sale. Poor Joe couldn’t have known he was selling so much more than an old tank when he listed the vehicle on eBay.

Both men were happy with the trade. Joe saw the value in the 2 tanks that he had received from Mead and Mead was ecstatic to get his hands on one of the T-54s as he didn’t have one himself.

Since mead was an avid collector, he knew the incredible value that can come with a tank. Not only do these vehicles have historical significance, but they were often used for more than just conflict.

The specific tank that Mead purchased on eBay had its own interesting history. It has Soviet origins but it was actually manufactured in China. Not to mention, it had been used by the Iraqi army under the command of Saddam Hussain.

So, the tank has a long and sorted history that has crossed country boundaries and seen many conflicts. But, it was the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait that really made a mark on this vehicle.

When Mead received the tank, he and his team quickly got to work repairing the vehicle to be used for Tanks-Alot. Since the tank dated back to World War II, there was naturally a lot of wear and tear.

Part of this process was to search the entire vehicle. They wanted to make sure that every nook and cranny was searched and inspected so that the tank could be fully operational for Tanks-Alot.

As Mead and his diligent team searched the vehicle for broken parts they found something that was out of place and very suspicious. One of the tank’s fuel canisters was not working.

The team could tell that something really strange was wrong with the canister. In fact, there was something hidden inside that had caused it to malfunction. They could tell that the weight of the canister was wrong.

The team carefully removed the item gingerly. They knew that with such an old vehicle, it was possible that the item had the potential to put them all in danger.

After the first finding, the team knew the tank had the capacity to hide a secret so they continued to explore the vehicle. What other hidden treasures might be hidden in there?

As the team began to disconnect the canister, as they had with the previous one, they grew suspicious that whatever was inside was entirely different from the ammunition they found in the first one.

The canister was far heavier than the last one so it took two men with crowbars to wedge it out. One of Mead’s team members reached inside and struggled to pull out an item that was very heavy.

The team couldn’t believe what they had discovered! The discovery was the kind of loot that pirates dream of. Mead and his tema felt incredibly lucky to have come across the bounty.

After the excitement from the discovery had died down, the question on everyone’s mind was, “Could they keep the treasure?” They had no idea who the gold had belonged to or how old the discovery was.

Mead turned over the gold bars to the police. The officers left him with nothing but a receipt and returned to the station. The gold bars were locked away in the station for safe keeping.

It is theorized that the gold was stolen from Kuwait during the invasion in 1990. Throughout this invasion, Iraqi soldiers took billions of dollars worth of valuables and these gold bars were likely part of this siege.

After all was said and done, the gold was estimated to be worth about $2.4 million! While it might have been tempting for Mead and his team to hold on to that enormous chunk of change, they did the right thing in turning it over to the authorities.

Today, Mead has over 150 tanks in his impressive collection. He did not stop with the Russian tank, although the gold was certainly the most exciting find he has discovered in one of his purchases.

Mead’s interesting hobby has gained him notoriety across the internet. He’s well known in his own community for his collection and he shares the excitement and thrill of driving powerful vehicles with anyone who wishes to visit the farm.

Mead is well known in town for taking his tanks on the road. Apparently, the giant vehicles are actually street legal! He explained, “People often do a double take. They can’t believe it, and when they see the tax disc which verifies it’s road legal, they’re even more gobsmacked”.

Obviously, Mead holds onto hope that the gold will be eventually turned back over to him, but it is uncertain if it will be returned to him or not. More likely, he will receive some kind of finder’s fee.