Will Paper Money Decay in the Ground

hollowpointred

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Mar 12, 2005
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if its not in an air tight container, yes.
 

Saturna

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May 24, 2008
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It might have a chance in permanently bone dry sand, like those tombs in Egypt, otherwise water will have it's way with it.







Jay
 

txkickergirl

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Jan 4, 2007
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yep but the good news is if there is a certain percent of the bill left you can trade it back to the bank for good bills
 

ClonedSIM

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Jul 28, 2005
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T Hunter said:
No i just fiqured i ask it for the hell of it . Yes it is :wink:
Well, it's paper, granted a high quality paper, but it's still paper. Unless it's sealed somehow in a water and air-tight container or buried in some very special soil, then of course it's going to decay and fall apart. Between exposure to moisture, bugs, heat, cold, and any number of other elements, any paper would fall apart when it's buried.
 

S

stefen

Guest
When someone asks a DAQ, they should qualify the parameters...that separates the serious questions from the not-so-serious...

Since you said 'In The Ground' that means without a container...in bare dirt.

All paper and paper by-products, whether on the surface or buried, are biodegradeable.
 

OP
OP
T

T Hunter

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Oct 26, 2006
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Thanks for the great answers Guys, Oh and im sorry im not quite as smart as some are . Good Hunting DAQ :thumbsup:
 

mastereagle22

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May 15, 2007
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Paper money is actually printed on a 75% cotten and 25% linen material more closely related to a cloth than paper. which is why you can get "paper" money wet and it won't fall apart. Ever washed any money in the washing machine?
 

ClonedSIM

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mastereagle22 said:
Paper money is actually printed on a 75% cotten and 25% linen material more closely related to a cloth than paper. which is why you can get "paper" money wet and it won't fall apart. Ever washed any money in the washing machine?
Sure, they make it like this so it'll survive being circulated, but even this won't prevent it from rotting when buried.
 

mastereagle22

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I was NOT saying it woudln't rot, let me check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .nope nothing about not rotting in my post. ::) :wink: :D ;D

I was simply saying that a little moisture wouldn't destroy money.

Now going back to the actual main question of the post, I agree with the rest of you, however; (and there's always a however) I have seen OLD money that was wrapped tight in a roll. The inside money looked almost brand new while the outer most layers were worthless.
 

ClonedSIM

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mastereagle22 said:
I was NOT saying it woudln't rot, let me check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .nope nothing about not rotting in my post. ::) :wink: :D ;D

I was simply saying that a little moisture wouldn't destroy money.

Now going back to the actual main question of the post, I agree with the rest of you, however; (and there's always a however) I have seen OLD money that was wrapped tight in a roll. The inside money looked almost brand new while the outer most layers were worthless.
I was NOT saying it woudln't rot, let me check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .nope nothing about not rotting in my post. ::) :wink: :D ;D
Yeah, I saw that you didn't talk about rotting specifically, but it was the first question on this post, so I figured you were referencing it in some way. :wink:

I have seen OLD money that was wrapped tight in a roll. The inside money looked almost brand new while the outer most layers were worthless.
I didn't think about this, but I could see how it would work out well for those inside bills.
 

mastereagle22

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May 15, 2007
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Hey af I'm slightly on the brain damaged side today :tard: I posted the first thing about the money being more like a cloth and THOUGHT I had added something about it rotting. But when I went back, nope it's not there. :tard: :tongue3:

Yeah a person that lived near me was a drunk and kept money hidden under the house. Had a board he could pull loose and get the money in and out of the space. After he passed his son found several bundles of money. The outer money was in bad shape. The inner money was almost as good as new! :thumbsup:
 

OP
OP
T

T Hunter

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Oct 26, 2006
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Thanks mastereagle22 great answer. I have a friend that swears he knows of an old mizers hidding place and he supposedly hid money in the ground around his house but it was in the late 1800s. That's why i asked the DAQ Thanks again
 

Marty-Graw

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Feb 8, 2006
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if this guy made a habit of burying money then theres a good possibility that he put the bills (or coins for that matter) in jars or jugs.....trouble is....the lids may have been zinc lids and they deteriorate pretty badly and the bills would have gotten wet and rotted....and if the used GLASS lids you have nothing for the metal detector to "see"......BUT if there are coins in the mix you may have a chance....good luck and hope you find a fortune
 

Mat in MA

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[size=14pt]Marty G is correct. The zinc lids will rot out in the ground. However the glass jars and glass lids won't and they should be easy to find with a detector. I have air tested it with my detectors and it does sound off about the same as a piece of wire.

Even though the lid and jar is glass, the clamp that hold the lid on is metal. There are two sections to it, the upper clamp that holds the lid on and the bottom or lever portion that keeps it tight.

There is also a rubber gasket that goes between the lid and jar to keep it air tight. The outer portions of the rubber may have rotted away, but anything between the glass may still be there.

Most older farm homes will have this older style mason jar. The newer jars use the zinc lids which are two pieces, the lid and the band. The bands can be used many times where as the lids only once during the canning process. The lids have a thin coating of rubber on them that will seal a jar only once because of the heat process.

The first photo below shows the glass lid on the jar in the locked postion. This is how it may look if you find it. The second jar shows it open with the glass lid removed and the wire clamp in the open position. I hope this helps you. Happy Hunting!!!

jar1.jpg

jar2.jpg
 

Connecticut Sam

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Sep 28, 2007
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Best of luck in finding paper money in the ground. Merry Christmas to all.
 

jeff of pa

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Missed this Post Havn't read all answers But
the Answer is Yes & No.

If the money is U.S. Money at least
& Packed Tight in Bundles
It will Turn to Mush & sort of Petrify.

There was a Story on this Last year I Think
where U.S. money was Being Dug in Mexico
& Brought to Banks in the U.S.
then Shipped to the Mint for
replacement. He got in troube
Simply because of the Amounts
being Shipped in Regularly.

Within the story it said This
RE: It will Turn to Mush & sort of Petrify
 

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