Will Paper Money Decay in the Ground

[Curtis]

Just a note on this: The paper/cloth money is very attractive to insects too....especially termites...they love it. I know of a guy who had ten grand hidden in the basement in a cigar box, termites riddled it and he didn't have enough of each bill to receive replacement from the Treasury department something like 1 grand was all he was able to get replaced.

 

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[GrayCloud]

Ouch...

 

[Connecticut Sam]

Nothing is not much worst then found a bunch of rotten paper money in the dirt.

 

[RW]

If you wait long enough, and with a little luck, maybe it will petrify...

 

[DFX DAVE in M.D.]

A D.B. Cooper web link story to Paper Money found in the ground, it was in the decay found.


http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/scams/DB_Cooper/8.html

 

[Treasure finder]

I know of 3 paper money stashes found by the same dowser. One was in a leather
briefcase, one in a paper bag and the other in a plastic bag. The plastic bag had some
useable money, the other two were not even good enough for the bank to trade in.
You may be sceptical about dowsing, but I saw two of those finds. Good for him!
He thinks they were part of drug deals due to where they were found.
Rich

 

[richm]

Here's one of D.B. Coopers bills. Granted it wasn't quite buried but you get the idea.

 

[Frankn]

In wet or damp soil it will [ rot] mildue. In dry soil it could get to the point where it will dry up and crumble up into dust, but post #4 is correct. The treasury will replace every bill that has 51% left sorry that D.B. Cooper bill didn't make it but then it is worth more as is.

​

 

[colorado14ers]

yes eventualy it will. Ever heard of D.B. Cooper? He jumped out the back of a plane with 200,000$ in stolen cash. No one ever found any money until a 8 year old boy playing in the mud of a river bank found around 8,000 dollars in a bank bag. They called the police and then the FBI matched the serial# on the found cash and it was a match to the money that was stolen by D.B Cooper! Here is a photo of one of the bills. That is after about ten years in a river bank. So money deteriorates quickly. Hope I helped you with your question

 

[Treasure finder]

Did the 8 year old get to keep any of the money?
First rule of treasure hunting. FINDERS KEEPERS.
Rich

 

[colorado14ers]

Did the 8 year old get to keep any of the money?
First rule of treasure hunting. FINDERS KEEPERS.
Rich

yes he did im not sure how much but if i can remeber it was around 2500 dollars.

 

[Treasure finder]

Well I am glad he got something, I guess he doesn't have to pay or file taxes
as he is below the limit. Wish he could have gotten it all.
Rich

 

[Connecticut Sam]

If the money is in containers, there should be no problems. Best of luck to all of you.

 

[maipenrai]

For the bank to replace damaged bills, you need to have at least one whole serial number, and part of the other, but dont remember how much. I had this problem with the bank, now I have about $500 of bills, that im not sure what to do with. I dont want to send them to the Fed bank, seems like a lot of trouble, but that is what the bank suggested.

Yes, money does rot!!

 

[GoldBack]

Will paper money decay in the ground ?

Yes! It will

 

[zerojinx]

How about a saddle bag full of paper money in an arid environment, hidden among some rocks, so it has some protection from the elements? Hypothetically, how long until this money is gone to dust? I'm just throwing out a what if, and yes i'm serious.

 

[Jason in Enid]

30 minutes after the first packrat finds it.

 

[Quark]

For the bank to replace damaged bills, you need to have at least one whole serial number, and part of the other, but don't remember how much. I had this problem with the bank, now I have about $500 of bills, that I'm not sure what to do with. I don't want to send them to the Fed bank, seems like a lot of trouble, but that is what the bank suggested.

Yes, money does rot!!

Here's more info on the Federal government's damaged currency specialists if you didn't already have it. They'll analyze the money and will give you a fair value for it. Good luck.

http://www.moneyfactory.gov/damagedcurrencyclaim.html

 

[EagleDown]

I feel the need to jump in here. Here's my 2 cents.

I've read all of the posts here and most are pretty much on the money, (no pun intended,) but too much depends on possible containers and soil conditions to make any kind of firm decision.

In the summer of 1989, I had to dig some 18" deep trenches for water lines at the county dump.When this dump first opened, it was just about 200 ft. from hiway 49. As it was filled, it was covered and compacted, with the clay they dug out to make more room for fill. By the time I went in to dig the trenches, the dump had moved about 300 foot further. So, I was digging pretty close to the original fill. As I dug, (with a back-hoe,) I was digging up news papers that were perfectly dry and readable. These papers were dated as far back as 1962. They were not rotted, or even slightly damp. Of course, in my prospecting, I have found claim papers in tobacco tins and metal top glass containers that you couldn't handle with-out them disintegrating while trying to unfold them. So, I would say, there are too many variables on this subject to make a flat statement on the life span of paper money. Actually, I'm sure that if a bundle of money had been buried along with these news papers, it would have been in excellent condition, even after about 29 years in the ground.

Eagle

 

[Connecticut Sam]

Yes, to the question. I am sure that other people want to know.