Hunting Down Bank Robbers and Their Loot Stashes.

[AusTexDude]

After a bank robbery many robbers woiuld take their loot and go stash it somewhere and go hit another bank. Many of these robbers were cross country travelers so when they would go to a town they would try and hit several banks stashing their loot inbetween robberies.

Many of these bank robbers met their doom during a robbery, were caught, or betrayed by friends and their stashes never found, and life moved on.

They would pick a spot like a giant rock or tree that they could easily find somewhere in a place on the outskirts of the town.

It requires hours and hours of research, reading old newspapers and crime reports just to even get close to finding a lead.

Here in Texas there is a law that you can't take anything over 100 years old which basically eliminated most of those stashes. The stupid state of Texas would rather let that stuff rot in the ground than there be a "possibility" that they might lose $1 so I am forced to have to look to other states. It would REALLY suck to locate a stash of 1899 silver only to have Texas steal it from you, much as the robbers did with the bank.

I don't even know why I am writing this other than venting at the lame laws in Texas.

 

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[cooper1841]

Unless a drone flies over, and sees you, or you tell somebody, who knows what a person finds, clad, rings, silver ,gold, or robbers loot, its all out there.........................ssshhh don't tell anyone!!!

 

[AusTexDude]

The law passed in 1996 which means that EVERY SINGLE ARROW HEAD fround since 1996, and kept, makes that finder a felon. Before you know it we will all be felons for one reason or another if governments have their way.

 

[Sheperdess]

I agree it is a shame as we lovers of the history appreciate and take great care & pride in our finds. Officials pack findings away where no one can enjoy them. And it is then lost to us. Our finds wil be handed down for generations to come. At least mine will.

 

[AusTexDude]

If you find an Indian Head cent in Texas and keep it you're breaking the law, even if it's on your own property.

If that's not tyranny, I don't know what is.

 

[SusanMN]

Since money can stay in circulation for many, many, years, and since bank robbery loot is not likely to be marked with the date it was taken, how would the government or anyone except the person doing the research have a clue which hold up it came from. If you find it, god bless you and keep your mouth shut. Problem solved.

 

[AusTexDude]

Yea it just stinks that we have to tiptoe through the tulips like that. If anything it breeds mistrust in the historical industry and thwarts things from bneing discovered. It creates a black market for things that SHOULD be legal and forces good people to have to lie.

I promise you that since the law passed in 96 NOBODY has called the Texas Gov and said "Hey, come arrest me for the 500 silver dollars I found last month"... No, they sold the silver on Ebay and said it was their grandfathers.

With the stroke of a pen they created a black market just like with alcohol during prohibition and MJ now.

 

[doc-d]

And how is it they will find out……..shovel and shut up!

 

[AusTexDude]

And how is it they will find out……..shovel and shut up!

You're not getting the point. The law needs to be repealed. Yea let's all just bury our heads in the sand and be quiet. Great plan.

I can prove the law does more harm than good. That's a good start with getting rid of it.

 

[cooper1841]

The point is ..................The less attention you bring to yourself, weather its fighting City Hall, as a detectorst, or doing a number of other things, that bring attention to you, the better off you will be in the long run, as far as hunting spots

You're not getting the point. The law needs to be repealed. Yea let's all just bury our heads in the sand and be quiet. Great plan.

I can prove the law does more harm than good. That's a good start with getting rid of it.

 

[Bottlecapbill]

I remember reading the stats for finds reported in the UK since they changed their laws back in the late 80's. I won't use exact numbers since I don't have them but before the new laws they would get something like 300 reports a year....after the new system was put in place it went from an average of 300 reports to 1000, then 3000, then 8000 and it just keeps going up every year. Sure a part of that is that metal detecting is more popular but I think the numbers were pretty telling. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

 

[Produce Guy]

How is the state gonna know what you dug up & where?

 

[MT_Joe]

Shhhhhhh...nuff said.....

 

[Argentium]

No reason to agonize over stupid laws - go metal detecting and exercise common sense about every aspect of what you do , and
what you say !

 

[releventchair]

Yep, property of Texas on account of its age. Reckon I,ll not touch it.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Here in Mass. I was told by a state park ranger that if it was fifty years old I can't dig it up and take it home. Ridiculous !
Sometimes laws are so stupid they need to be ignored!

I do not ask a coin how old it is when I find it, I just put it in my pouch check it later.
They won't have to worry about the self destructing zincs being found fifty years later!