By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 13:03 EST, 14 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:39 EST, 15 December 2012 . Officials in Carson City, Nevada have declared a California woman the rightful owner of $7.4 million in gold coins found in the home of her late cousin. City Clerk-Recorder Alan Glover said a month's worth of genealogical research determined Arlene Magdanz, a first cousin to the late Walter Samasko Jr., was the only living relative of the man, who died in May. Inheritance: Substitute teacher Arlene Magdanz has been officially declared the rightful owner of $7.4million in gold coins found in her first cousin's garage after he died . They managed to identify Arlene Magdanz, a substitute teacher living in San Rafael, California. Mail Online was unable to reach Magdanz by phone on Friday. Her attorney said that the first words . out of his client's mouth when she learned of the possible inheritance in September were: 'Oh my God, Oh my God.' Windfall: Walter Samasko Jr., who died with only $200 in his checking account, had at least $7million of coins in his Nevada home . Officials found the treasure at Glover's . Nevada home, along with his decaying body, one month later after . neighbours complained of a foul smell. He was 69 years old and he left behind just $200 in the bank. He hadn't worked since 1968 and was living off stock investments of $140,000 and $25,000. The gold coins were stowed away in boxes labeled 'books' in Samasko's garage. Glover had died from heart problems, a coroner found, at least one month before he was discovered. Leaving . no will, and with no known relatives, officials set about tracking down . a list of people who had attended Samasko's mother's funeral after she . died in 1992, the Las Vegas Sun reported. She had not spoken to her cousin for a year. The gold, including . coins from Mexico, England, Austria and South Africa dating to 1872, was . hauled from the garage using a wheelbarrow and truck, then deposited for . safekeeping. Carson City Clerk Recorder Alan Glover told MailOnline that only coins were found in Mr Samasko’s house. ‘There . were no bars at all. There were all sorts of coins, though – Mexican, . British sovereigns, Austrian ducats, (South African) krugerrands, most . of it was U.S. $20 gold pieces.’ The British sovereign coins, he said, had ‘both early and later Queen Victoria – from 1840s and the 1890s.’ Quiet life: The reclusive millionaire lived in this modest ranch home and kept his coins in his attached garage . Everything's golden: Among the coins Mr Samasko collected were Austrian ducats, left, and South African Krugerrands, right, many dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s . Stockpiling: Officials said that much of Mr Samanko's wealth was from $20 gold coins from the U.S. (stock photo) Royal find: He also had a collection of British sovereign coins that depicted Queen Victoria, in both her earlier and later years on the throne (stock photo) The county clerk’s office would sell the coins and give the proceeds to Magdanz, minus about $800,000 in inheritance taxes and other expenses. is in the process of recruiting Mr Howard Herz, a locally renowned jeweler, to appraise the coins for internal revenue. Mr Herz’s family has owned a jewellery store in the area for more than 130 years. ‘A lot of them were just bulk coins wrapped in aluminum foil,’ he said. Mr Glover said that Mr Samasko’s mother was the one who began collecting coins, a tradition that he continued after she died. ‘They were most likely taking money out of their stock accounts and buying gold with it,’ Mr Glover said. Other things . found in the 'anti-government' pensioner's home included a stash of . conspiracy theory books and several guns, Mr Glover . said. He rarely went out and never went to a doctor, Mr Glover said. Samasko . had lived in the house since the 1960s. Records show that he hadn't . held down a steady job since 1968. His mother also lived there until her . death in 1992. Cases like this are rare within Carson City. ‘I’ve never had a case like this, and not in this amount,’ Mr Glover said, adding thoughtfully: ‘(Mr Samasko) had some definite survival tendencies.’
Substitute teacher Arlene Magdanz officially declared rightful owner of gold coins .
Walter Samasko Jr died with only $200 in his bank account, but officials discovered windfall of gold coins in recluse's garage, valued at more than $7million .
Samasko hadn't held steady job since 1968 and used investment money to purchase coins .
By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 13:03 EST, 14 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:39 EST, 15 December 2012 . Officials in Carson City, Nevada have declared a California woman the rightful owner of $7.4 million in gold coins found in the home of her late cousin. City Clerk-Recorder Alan Glover said a month's worth of genealogical research determined Arlene Magdanz, a first cousin to the late Walter Samasko Jr., was the only living relative of the man, who died in May. Inheritance: Substitute teacher Arlene Magdanz has been officially declared the rightful owner of $7.4million in gold coins found in her first cousin's garage after he died . They managed to identify Arlene Magdanz, a substitute teacher living in San Rafael, California. Mail Online was unable to reach Magdanz by phone on Friday. Her attorney said that the first words . out of his client's mouth when she learned of the possible inheritance in September were: 'Oh my God, Oh my God.' Windfall: Walter Samasko Jr., who died with only $200 in his checking account, had at least $7million of coins in his Nevada home . Officials found the treasure at Glover's . Nevada home, along with his decaying body, one month later after . neighbours complained of a foul smell. He was 69 years old and he left behind just $200 in the bank. He hadn't worked since 1968 and was living off stock investments of $140,000 and $25,000. The gold coins were stowed away in boxes labeled 'books' in Samasko's garage. Glover had died from heart problems, a coroner found, at least one month before he was discovered. Leaving . no will, and with no known relatives, officials set about tracking down . a list of people who had attended Samasko's mother's funeral after she . died in 1992, the Las Vegas Sun reported. She had not spoken to her cousin for a year. The gold, including . coins from Mexico, England, Austria and South Africa dating to 1872, was . hauled from the garage using a wheelbarrow and truck, then deposited for . safekeeping. Carson City Clerk Recorder Alan Glover told MailOnline that only coins were found in Mr Samasko’s house. ‘There . were no bars at all. There were all sorts of coins, though – Mexican, . British sovereigns, Austrian ducats, (South African) krugerrands, most . of it was U.S. $20 gold pieces.’ The British sovereign coins, he said, had ‘both early and later Queen Victoria – from 1840s and the 1890s.’ Quiet life: The reclusive millionaire lived in this modest ranch home and kept his coins in his attached garage . Everything's golden: Among the coins Mr Samasko collected were Austrian ducats, left, and South African Krugerrands, right, many dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s . Stockpiling: Officials said that much of Mr Samanko's wealth was from $20 gold coins from the U.S. (stock photo) Royal find: He also had a collection of British sovereign coins that depicted Queen Victoria, in both her earlier and later years on the throne (stock photo) The county clerk’s office would sell the coins and give the proceeds to Magdanz, minus about $800,000 in inheritance taxes and other expenses. is in the process of recruiting Mr Howard Herz, a locally renowned jeweler, to appraise the coins for internal revenue. Mr Herz’s family has owned a jewellery store in the area for more than 130 years. ‘A lot of them were just bulk coins wrapped in aluminum foil,’ he said. Mr Glover said that Mr Samasko’s mother was the one who began collecting coins, a tradition that he continued after she died. ‘They were most likely taking money out of their stock accounts and buying gold with it,’ Mr Glover said. Other things . found in the 'anti-government' pensioner's home included a stash of . conspiracy theory books and several guns, Mr Glover . said. He rarely went out and never went to a doctor, Mr Glover said. Samasko . had lived in the house since the 1960s. Records show that he hadn't . held down a steady job since 1968. His mother also lived there until her . death in 1992. Cases like this are rare within Carson City. ‘I’ve never had a case like this, and not in this amount,’ Mr Glover said, adding thoughtfully: ‘(Mr Samasko) had some definite survival tendencies.’
owner of $7.4 million in gold coins found in the Inheritance: Substitute teacher Arlene Magdanz has been officially declared the rightful owner God.' Windfall: Walter Samasko Jr., who died with only $200 in his checking account, had at least the bank. He hadn't worked since 1968 and was kept his coins in his attached garage . show that he hadn't . held down a steady job