Interesting Qs

GoldBack

Jr. Member
Aug 19, 2010
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Interesting Q's

There's been a few stories lately that I have uncovered about individuals around 1870s-1890s that had "buried" gold and silver coins in large mason jars (or cans) on their property, and like all good stories, the jars had never been recovered.
Some of the people were said to have been either store owners, live stock owners or just old prospecters. But all had (according to the stories) families that they were responsible for... feeding, clothing, etc..

My big problem with such stories are that, in those times how can someone with a family (2-4 kids + 1 wife) can bury thousands of dollars of gold and silver coins on their property given that they have to support their family?

Q1 : Could they really had generated enough income to sufficiently support their family and still have that much money on hand to bury?
Q2 : A few stories said that the cans were 5-10 gallons.. did these type of cans exist then?
Q3 : How much did it cost to support a family this size back then?

I'm sure you all heard a story like this before... whats your thoughts?
 

Skywola

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Jul 5, 2009
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Phoenix, Arizona
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Re: Interesting Q's

5-10 gallons? I wouldn't buy that . . . that sounds unlikely. I have heard that there were quite a lot of people who no longer trusted the banks after the great depression and buried their cash. I would suspect though as you said, there really were not that many people with that much money, and I am sure a lot of them dug it up later. I would say you have a better chance of finding a few coins here and there that were accidently dropped. I wouldn't say it is impossible to find a stash, but I think it would take a lot of hunting and a great deal of luck.
 

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GoldBack

GoldBack

Jr. Member
Aug 19, 2010
91
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Re: Interesting Q's

Skywola said:
5-10 gallons? I wouldn't buy that . . . that sounds unlikely. I have heard that there were quite a lot of people who no longer trusted the banks after the great depression and buried their cash. I would suspect though as you said, there really were not that many people with that much money, and I am sure a lot of them dug it up later. I would say you have a better chance of finding a few coins here and there that were accidently dropped. I wouldn't say it is impossible to find a stash, but I think it would take a lot of hunting and a great deal of luck.

Thanks for the input Skywola... just what I was thinking too.
 

onfire

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Nov 30, 2004
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Re: Interesting Q's

Goldback, There is a local MD shop here a few years back that was hired to find a so called cache When they did find it it took a front end loader to get it out of the ground, there were milk cans full of silver, it made the cover of treasure mag. Guess it can happen.
 

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GoldBack

GoldBack

Jr. Member
Aug 19, 2010
91
7
Re: Interesting Q's

onfire said:
Goldback, There is a local MD shop here a few years back that was hired to find a so called cache When they did find it it took a front end loader to get it out of the ground, there were milk cans full of silver, it made the cover of treasure mag. Guess it can happen.

WOW, thats incrediable!
Do you know if there is an online article that I could read or what issue the story was in? I'D really like to take a look at that.
 

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GoldBack

GoldBack

Jr. Member
Aug 19, 2010
91
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Re: Interesting Q's

Kenosha Kid said:
I think any kettle, pot, etc. back then was measured by the quart. From the stories I've read or heard about, the containers were either mason jars or it wasn't said what type it was. For instance, this 1985 Tennessee cache :

http://coinstories.blogspot.com/2009/01/tennessee-jackson-hoard-of-19th-century.html


Just imagine all that is now lost, due to being paved over or built upon ...


Very interesting, if you know of any other stories like this please post away.
I'm trying to research as much as I possible can about caches that were buried in mason jars or other similar containers.
Thnx for the post.
 

Buck

Sr. Member
Jun 30, 2003
336
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arizona
Re: Interesting Q's

After reading this story. I was reminded of the late 50's.My grandpa had a small farm in ne.There was a small cabin(house) just across the road.The owner had passed. The house sat empty for a while Dont know long. As kids we played in side the cabin. In thecabin there was a old bunk bed stove and other stuff. My Granddad had chance to buy it for about $3000.00 He did not buy it. The state took it over.They went in found a cashe of silver coins.I do'nt know how much it came to.But if my granddad would has brought the cabin.Well he would has been bit better off. They found the silver in the rails of the bed coffee cans and other parts of the cabin. The state closed it off and turned it into a state maint yard.
.
 

onfire

Silver Member
Nov 30, 2004
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Wisconsin
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Re: Interesting Q's

GoldBack said:
onfire said:
Goldback, There is a local MD shop here a few years back that was hired to find a so called cache When they did find it it took a front end loader to get it out of the ground, there were milk cans full of silver, it made the cover of treasure mag. Guess it can happen.

WOW, thats incrediable!
Do you know if there is an online article that I could read or what issue the story was in? I'D really like to take a look at that.
Goldbk the article you want to look for was on the cover of western & eastern treasure mag. DECEMBER 2000 VOL.34 hope this helps these guys have found some heavey duty stuff. In fact the original owner moved to MESA named GARY. He opened the prospectors medal detecting store there. I knew him back in the 70's I started with a ww2 mine detector and moved up from ther.
 

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