When did people stop burying money?

against the wind

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This year I recovered my first "Cache"
It was a makeup tin with 5 pennies in it.
Probably buried by some kids in the late sixties or early seventies.
The dates on the coins were all early sixties with the exception of one wheat.
It was buried at the base of a huge old tree.
I think I'm ready to find one of those old Mason Jars filed with lots of old silver coins.
Maybe someday I'll gather ALL my finds together, put them in a J & J band aid tin and bury it in Central Park
 

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Morbidlynx

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I think some people still bury their cash, however we may be less likely to locate it do to the transition to predominantly paper notes. I also believe that due to fear of ridicule and the fear your neighbor might just dig it up in the middle of the night, it's become considerly less common that people would mention it to anybody.

Also on further pondering, we live in the new fandangled age of water tight sealed plastic containers, which when combined with paper notes would be nearly impossible to find I imagine.
 

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ivan salis

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they didn't stop --its just a lot less common these days * --several factors lead to folks "hiding money" by burying it -- !st the depression --when the banks crashed in 1929 * wiping out many folks hard earned life savings ---many common folks lost faith in the banks , then just 4 short years later in 1933 when the fed govt ordered all gold coins and non jewelry investment type gold to be turned --for silver back "paper" money---- many folks also lost faith in the govt as well * these two events were "life changing" events for many folks in America -- this often caused them to become "hoarders" of food and money and many other things ..also folks that did illegal things back then ( growing and selling pot. making moonshine , running a gambling outfit could not deposit funds in the banks for fear of getting hit for "income tax evading charges" (since the bank kept records that the feds could use against you) ---modern day crooks often have "dirty" bankers and "front business's " to help launder their dirty money so that it looks legit so they can spend it -- but some thieves / dope dealer types are still old school enough to have a "buried " bug out stash of cash -- warning screwing with those often will get you killed if they find out it was you that snagged the cash ...
 

ivan salis

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ah the value of the American dollar ---back in 1980 when I first went to Japan it was worth 220 yen (think of it as Japanese cents) for 1 dollar US ===when my wife and I honeymooned in Canada in 1998 -=-it was 1.50 Canadian for 1 us dollar

today is .......yen and ------Canadian per US dollar
 

fistfulladirt

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The 1933 executive order allowed citizens to legally hold up to $100 face value in gold coins, and numismatic collections were exempt. I didn't know that.
 

OP
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neo

neo

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I think some people still bury their cash, however we may be less likely to locate it do to the transition to predominantly paper notes. I also believe that due to fear of ridicule and the fear your neighbor might just dig it up in the middle of the night, it's become considerly less common that people would mention it to anybody.

Also on further pondering, we live in the new fandangled age of water tight sealed plastic containers, which when combined with paper notes would be nearly impossible to find I imagine.


May have to go back to the old way of hunting before detectors I know karlvonm wrote about life before them. You had to probe the ground where you thought something might be, I can't imagine doing that to find something.
 

Charlie P. (NY)

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I prefer the tried and true old method of torturing hermits, monks and leprechauns until they told you where they had buried their treasure.
 

Frankn

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They haven't stopped! I personally know of a person who just buried emeralds, rubies, pearls, rare coins and some gold in a 1' section of 6" dia. PVC pipe. The total value being in excess of $20K. Yes, I am looking for it now.
 

Frankn

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Here's a thought. If the worlds money systems go belly up Money, gold and silver might just loose all it's value.
The world would turn into a barter system until some form of credit or currency could be established.
In that case, Guns, ammo, food, fuel and transportation would stand in for money. Maybe they are burying the wrong thing! Frank
 

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Jason in Enid

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There will always be those with an excess of something who are willing to part with it for gold or silver. It's been a valued item for thousands of years.
 

Charlie P. (NY)

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.22LR, 12 gauge shot shell and 9x19mm ammo will likely only appreciate in value. Centerfire rifle cartridges are regional and you may have the wrong caliber horded. Don't you hate it when that happens?

Gold is risky because how are you going to make change for small purchases? In which case silver coins make a lot of sense to hang on to.

Seeds may be the best of all. Or a good stand of hops vines and the smarts of how to produce beer. ;-)
 

T.C.

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"Gold is risky because how are you going to make change for small purchases?"

That's when you pull out your hatchet and quarter the gold piece, maybe even cut it into eighths depending upon what you are purchasing. I read somewhere, that is where the old sayings come from....two bits, four bits, six bits etc.etc.:headbang:
 

Jason in Enid

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"Gold is risky because how are you going to make change for small purchases?"

That's when you pull out your hatchet and quarter the gold piece, maybe even cut it into eighths depending upon what you are purchasing. I read somewhere, that is where the old sayings come from....two bits, four bits, six bits etc.etc.:headbang:

No, that phrase is from spanish 8 reales. If someone needed less, or change, it could be but in smaller portions and those portions would be equal to the smaller denominations of 1 reale, 2 reale, etc.
 

GA_Boy

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Here's a thought. If the worlds money systems go belly up Money, gold and silver might just loose all it's value.
The world would turn into a barter system until some form of credit or currency could be established.
In that case, Guns, ammo, food, fuel and transportation would stand in for money. Maybe they are burying the wrong thing! Frank
Gold and Silver will be the stabilizing/equalizing factor in your equation IMO. For instance if you have a box of 20 30 ought six bullets and want to trade for canned goods, then a price must be established for canned goods and bullets so that everyone is on the same page.
You may require $30.00 for your bullets and I might want $35.00 for the same. One guy has 6 cans of food for $30.. and another may have 5 cans for 30.00.
It may come to this someday, who knows--------just stay prepared.
Marvin
 

fistfulladirt

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I don't see gold and silver as a big medium of trade, as only one or two people out of one hundred even own it.
 

Jason in Enid

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I don't see gold and silver as a big medium of trade, as only one or two people out of one hundred even own it.

Before the world's govts moved to fiat currency, everybody traded gold and silver for goods. Just because it hasn't been in the last few decades, doesn't mean it's strange or unique. In an EOTWAWKI situation, of course bartering will be the primary medium for a time, but survivors will begin gathering together for safety and soon those will be come community and towns. It won't be long after that those begin making and trading gold and silver currencies.
 

uzd

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Since the horse and buggy days ...trips used to take days instead of hours. Hiwaymen were not uncommon on the rural route so travelers would bury valuables overnite. Survey says thats the source of most of the 'caches' found today. Folks didn't make it through the nite or left sober and poorer.
 

Frankn

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Since the horse and buggy days ...trips used to take days instead of hours. Hiwaymen were not uncommon on the rural route so travelers would bury valuables overnite. Survey says thats the source of most of the 'caches' found today. Folks didn't make it through the nite or left sober and poorer.

I think they missed me on that survey. I would estimate that 60% of the items I find are lost and 40% are long term cached items.
Overnight burial losses would not be where most are looking. Just my guess. Frank
 

Limitool

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Here's a thought. If the worlds money systems go belly up Money, gold and silver might just loose all it's value.
The world would turn into a barter system until some form of credit or currency could be established.
In that case, Guns, ammo, food, fuel and transportation would stand in for money. Maybe they are burying the wrong thing! Frank

Very true statement and/or thought Frankn. I've said for a long time if the power went off over a large area and stayed off for just 2+ weeks (probably less) all hell would break loose. No power means no gas, banking, ATM's, food stores and all frozen items in homes and stores would soon be destroyed if not used. This is common sense and leads to all the food within the store being looted. The point being (as you said) money will be secondary.... then AMMO, GUNS and barbering will take over. Back to the old west quickly.... present day car thieves will go to jail still and during the power outage horse thieves will again be shot and/or hung along with MANY other minor crimes.

Buried money won't matter quickly when society begins to break down.
 

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