buried mason jars...UPDATED!!!!!

[j.dean]

Hey guys,

I have an old farm site that I have found 1930's silver quarters at, but I am puzzled by the fact that I have found several mason jars buried, with the lids on them, about 2-3 feet down. They are empty, and I just don't understand why they are there. They are always upright, and were buried in different areas. The first one(and second, third.etc) I found excited me to no end, until I found it was empty. I know that this was a depression era farm, and that most likely the farmers didn't trust the banks, so I figured that they may have buried some coin here... But why do I keep finding empty jars? Someone told me that they used to bury moonshine to preserve it, but I wanted to see if you guys had any thoughts. thanks

James

 

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[scott jacobs]

Re: buried mason jars

Hey guys,

I have an old farm site that I have found 1930's silver quarters at, but I am puzzled by the fact that I have found several mason jars buried, with the lids on them, about 2-3 feet down. They are empty, and I just don't understand why they are there. They are always upright, and were buried in different areas. The first one(and second, third.etc) I found excited me to no end, until I found it was empty. I know that this was a depression era farm, and that most likely the farmers didn't trust the banks, so I figured that they may have buried some coin here... But why do I keep finding empty jars? Someone told me that they used to bury moonshine to preserve it, but I wanted to see if you guys had any thoughts. thanks
maybe you found there bank, spots?
James

 

[scott jacobs]

Re: buried mason jars

maybe you found there bank,spots,check around the fence posts.

 

[j.dean]

Re: buried mason jars

thanks Scott

I thought the same thing, but these things are buried all over the property. The only coins I have found were under and around the front porch. (like it fell out of their pockets) but the last time I was there was 2 years ago, because other issues caused me to leave the hobby, and the ground was VERY hard due to lack of rain. I hope to start back there in the spring, and I'm gonna mark off a 10ft x 10ft square and dig it until nothing beeps, then move an do it again. I will spend most of next season at this one spot. luckily family owns this old farm and the house is just an abandoned wreck now.

Another great find is that they used newspaper to insulate the walls, and some are dated to 1919! but they are "glued" and just fall apart if you try to remove them so I'll just have to take pictures of these.

 

[oldcoon]

Re: buried mason jars

I myself have buried tainted fox bait for trapping purposes in Mason jars under the conditions you have described to preserve it from further deterioration. I am sure at my old home some buried jars still exist. I do not know after 20-30 years what condition the "bait" would be in, it could be entirely rotted away leaving empty jars.

As far as burying coins on a depression era farm, I do not think any farmer would have need of more than one jar, and a rather small one at that.

 

[The Silver Pirate]

Re: buried mason jars

Maybe they were decoys?? To fool other would be robbers, and the real cache is still there somewhere?

 

[j.dean]

Re: buried mason jars

I hope that's the case. The jars im fimding are perfectly clean inside, the never held a solid. Maybe a liquid that evaporated over tim, but no solids. I've been puzzled by this for forever. Can't wait to get back there in the spring.

 

[mope540]

Re: buried mason jars

....The jars im fimding are perfectly clean inside, the never held a solid. Maybe a liquid that evaporated over tim, but no solids.....

that could be too...maybe they were hiding moonshine?? it's Tennessee, you know.

 

[d2]

Re: buried mason jars

While digging a well here at the house we dug up a gallon of whiskey that was made and buried in the teens, it had a metal screw on lid on it and it was all there. Tasted like it had been made the week before. The stuff dont age in glass. Anyway I bet there is one there somewhere that has something in it and I bet(hope) it's silver dollars...d2

 

[sqwaby]

Re: buried mason jars

I with silverpirate. Either that or the farmer figured he would screw with some metal detectorist some day, just in case someone invented such a machine in the future.

 

[Smudge]

Re: buried mason jars

JDean,

I have heard that folks sometimes buried preserves to keep them cool, but for the life of me I can't figure out why they buried empty ones.

Maybe they replaced full jars with empty ones as they needed them to keep the hole intact until next years canning?

 

[XL-PRO PRO]

Re: buried mason jars

I've heard tales of a local bootlegger who buried quart jars of whiskey in his garden to avoid the lawmen.I know where he lived,but have'nt detected there yet,but I'd bet there's still some buried there(and maybe one with cash in it).

 

[Arizona Bob]

Re: buried mason jars

...but I am puzzled by the fact that I have found several mason jars buried, with the lids on them, about 2-3 feet down...

They might be decoys to discourage further digging. I would continue to dig the area under a couple of the jars just to see what's there. I might mark the places I found the jars (with golf tees/flags/whatever) and try to map the marked area. Maybe it forms a circle/star/triangle/etc. Stand on the porch, and look towards the marked area. Try bisecting the angles and dig there just for grins. YMMV

 

[CWnut]

couple of questions, if you don't mind

what detector you using? what county you in? I'm in campbell county.

 

[j.dean]

Re: buried mason jars

Im in Greene County. And I was using a DFX and then a V3. These were found over months, but the ground was so hard then that I couldn't dig some of the deep targets. The farm is owned by my family so it wasn't a big deal to wait for better conditions, and springtime should be great as we have had a ton of rain. Im gonna mark off sections and dig every target until im sure nothing is there, I still have to decide on a new detector too, probably gonna get either another V3 or an etrac. But Im gonna make this spot my main focus this year because I know it will produce. I've already found 1930's silver and a bunch of old cast iron toy cars and such, so I think it will be worth it.

 

[j.dean]

OK GUYS......WOW!!! So after I posted this it has been eating at me!!! so I borrowed my friends ace 250, because I have no detector right now...(come on SANTA!) and hit the farm... I didn't get any hits on mason jars, which kinda bummed me out, BUT as I was leaving I thought about a post I read about checking UNDER the front porch... AND BANG!!!!! MY FIRST SILVER HALF!!!!! I had to crawl my big 270 pound but under the dang porch, but after the signal, I had to see what it was!!! now I have found a 1935 washington quarter (two years ago) and this beauty today on this farm!!! There has to be silver in some of these dang jars, if I can find more!!!

Im on cloud 9!!!

 

[j.dean]

here is the 35 washington I found a couple years ago when I first started tectin here

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

If you were in New England, I would say that they were buried because of an old ritual.

Back in the day, there was a "spell" to take away "curses" (curses back then could be a deformity, a mental issue, a sick child, or witchcraft). They would bury the "spirit" of the evil spell. They would trap it in a glass jar, and bury it.

It was known to happen even as far southwest into Pennsylvania.

However, I don't know about where you live.

Interesting, though.


Beth

 

[The Silver Pirate]

Niiiiccce!!!

Yup, always check under the porch. Coins fall between the boards and underneath. Nobody crawled under there to retrieve. Glad you had a good day.

 

[Mzjavert]

Beautiful half you have.