You hit a lot of truth right there, Dan. There are two kinds of hidden wealth: Stashes and Caches. Much, if not most, of the loot people like your relations hide is not buried deeply in holes. Rather, it is "squirreled away," where it can be retrieved added to and taken away from easily. People want to touch and see their treasures, not bury them away from sight. In other words, this is what we're talking about when we say "stash."
The burying of troves normally involves bigger sums of loot and is often reserved for those hoards someone wants to sequester away until a time when they come back to retrieve it ALL at once. I think of moonshiners caches in this context, which were often buried, although not usually more than a forearms depth. This is rightly what we think of as a cache. While the word cache is loosley used to encompass the whole range of possibilites for once-hidden money, I think it's key to understanding the Ways of Hiding if we make this distinction.
Finally, keep in mind that most buried money isn't forgotten - contrary to popular belief. The person who hid it, didn't do so just so they could forget about it. This is not lost money, nor is it the subject of absent-mindedness (unless the hider goes mad somewhere along the line). It is most often where we can luck up on it because some sort of catastrophe precedes it's being left behind. That is a distinction that many overlook in their pursuit of such things. So, be thorough in your search, assume very little and especially take nothing for granted.
I was just wondering if the 250 COULD find a cache if it tripped over it and if the larger coil increases the probability of finding one. If not, I'll assume I may find some coins and maybe some lost trinkets.
For the sort of folks were talking about here, I wouldn't be immediately looking for a deeply buried stash in the first place. In other conversations we've shared with you , it was obvious that these weren't eccentric, miserly hermits or pirates, people who were reputed to have piles of money. Rather, they were simply like most people of their time - they kept a "stash" of coins and a few bills, safely put aside.
I'd be more interested in learning to hunt for such things INSIDE the old houses you say are there. All the places you can reach to, high and low are likely spots. An exception is that men tended to hide their stashes in the wood or tool sheds or other outbuildings, as momma rarely went out to there. Chicken coops were not uncommon places either, often for women, since it was their job to tend the barnyard flock. These are the LIKLIEST place to start your search, in my estimation.
Will the large coil on your ace 250 find a buried cache? Probably, but it wont look like money. It will, on the other hand, look like a large piece of iron or tin. Think small metal box, mason jar lid, etc. Some of the common places to put a stash below ground is under or at the foot of steps/stairs, at the corner footing pillars of houses, near wells or old trees, around kitchen gardens, behind sheds or outbuildings and under fence posts. Think someplace where scrabbling in the dirt could be done quickly without attracting undue attention.
In fact, do your best to think like these people. And be patient.
Isn't this a fun adventure??
? Good luck
