Why this many 8 Reales in KY?

DMSDAK

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Guys I have a question, but first I'll give a little background on what happened.

Back around 1996 or so I was like 12 years old and was really interested in treasure and such, I remembered one of my Dads friends telling a story about a local man finding many small powder kegs full of silver coins. This laid on my mind for many years and I read all I could on treasure in Kentucky, but never really came up with an answer.
Fast forward to 2009 and I finally read an article online that mentions part of the mans name who found such a find. I researched the name and finally came up with a phone number and address. He lived just over a mile from me this whole time. I called him up and he welcomed me to his home and told me all about how he came to find such a find, and much of the history as he took it to be. We became friends and he called me often and I was able to meet him a few more times, I was also able to acquire one of his coins, and he showed me much of his find and pictures. Sadly he passed away earlier this year. So many secrets, adventures, and wondrous tales are now gone.
From what I can gather in or around the late 1960's or early 1970's, while exploring a very long cave, he sat down to rest and jobbed his rock pick down in the soft floor of the cave beside him when it made a clang. He started digging and found that his pick had hit a silver coin. Upon further inspection, he found many now rotten kegs of silver coins. He returned to the site and brought out 110lbs or almost 1850 of the silver 8 reales coins, with dates varying from late 1730's to late 1760's. The one he got me is dated 1738. All are Mexico City mint marked and are in various states of condition, from very good to just bent pieces. He told me there are still many of them left in the cave,(like 3 or 4 kegs) but when I asked him why he hadn't gone back to get the rest he said that an Indian man had warned him to never go back to the place. And that if he wouldn't go back then he was entitled to several gold bars in Georgia.

My question is why would there be such a load of powder kegs full of 8 reales in southeastern Kentucky? Why would they be so far back in a cave? (unless there is another entrance) Its approximately 9 miles from the entrance the old man went in to where the coins are. Anyone have any clues? Are there any stories on the Spanish loosing such a load of Silver around this time? And what do the Indians have to do with it?

Thanks,
Seth
 

Mackaydon

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14 caves in Kentucky have a length of 12km or more.
Sounds like 'your' cave is on that list--which can be obtained through this group: The National Speleological Society
That might be a place to start your search (with you metal detector and many batteries for your flashlight) once you find the cave you refer to.
As to hauling any substantial weight (of coins) nine miles deep into a cave just to bury them does seem a little far fetched.
Have you contacted his next of kin to follow up on this story?
Don.......
 

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DMSDAK

DMSDAK

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I know where this cave is, however someone has collapsed the main entrance trying to make it bigger, and the upper entrance takes you back to a water sump that's now impassable. I have talked with his daughter, wife, son-in-law, and many many of his friends, they all corroborate his story. He had no reason to lie, he was a deacon in the local church, and I have seen with my own two eyes many of the coins and own one as well.
 

Gold Maven

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9 miles....wow. Most caves are slow going, that would be a 2 day trip min.

great story, gl.
 

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DMSDAK

DMSDAK

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Yeah he was just estimating approx. 9 miles. He said it took a day and a half to get to the silver and a day and a half to get back out. Said he used multiple mining lights to do this. I don't think the technology to go that far in to a cave to hide this stuff existed in the late 1700's, so I'm thinking there is a shorter route nearby.
 

Jason in Enid

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Assuming his story is true (which you are) it's very likely that there was another entrance to the cave that was much closer to the coins, and probably was collapsed after burying the coins. Why they were hidden there in the first place is anyone's guess. Possibly to hide them for safe keeping during war or indian raids, or bandits.
 

BVI Hunter

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cool story!!
 

vor

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I'd like to know about those gold bars. Did he ever get them?
V
 

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