There is a small place adjacent to mine. Supposedly had 50 grand in silver buried. The owner and I went out and did some detecting with my metal detector. We actually found a quart jar buried in the corner of the small "barn". 3/4 Full of silver dollars IIRC there were 41 in the jar 1880s to about 1910 or so Think of it...2 months pay at the time the coins were made. If not now...a great treasure at that time. I thought it was a great find. He gave me some and sold the rest. Regular run of the mill circulated dollars...probably worth a maybe a grand. I still have the 10 he gave me. still worth 2-300 dollars Coin detecting is when done right just like any other WORK. He since sold the place...may have found more..don't know. I've been over there doing some searching and as far as coins found pocket change we all have a tendency to lose. I found a 2 1/2 dollar gold coin near the site of the original house on our property. Made the metal detector gulp and sputter. It was all but right on top of the ground so no buried treasure...though I did search the area extensively. Over the years I've found lots of pop tops and small change. cannon ball lead bullets 3 gold coins the 2 1/2and 2 1 dollar coins. . As far as your dilemma..I would send the letter. If they don't want to play...walk away and forget the thought of buried treasure. Or trust in luck and buy the place
OK, long story and advice needed on buried silver coins
- Thread starter MelvinWalker
- Start date
Oldengineer
Member
This is an ethical dilemma. Ethics can be defined as "doing what is right when there is no law forcing you to." As a simple example, you go to the grocery store, get out of your car and notice that there is only one shopping �� cart left. There's a very elderly woman making her way toward it. You run ahead of her and take the cart. You broke no law. Not exactly the right thing to do!
So what's the right thing to do? I'd tell the truth to the current owner, including the map details and sleep well knowing that was the "right" thing to do and that I had put to bed the mental dilemma that was haunting me. Just my take on this.
I think the legal question is if the coins were misplaced or abandoned.
Tom H.
So what's the right thing to do? I'd tell the truth to the current owner, including the map details and sleep well knowing that was the "right" thing to do and that I had put to bed the mental dilemma that was haunting me. Just my take on this.
I think the legal question is if the coins were misplaced or abandoned.
Tom H.
Last edited:
My wife's brother, who is still alive, allegedly buried gold on the family farm when he was younger. As far as I know it's still buried. he has done well and is a millionaire.
I knew a family whose patriarch used to horde silver dollars, I can remember when my dad would come home from a sales trip to Montana and gripe about the silver dollars he would get in change, they were heavy in the pocket and wore heavily, silver dollars were not uncommon. After the father died the family looked everywhere on the property for dad's "silver" never finding any. Story was that they had no idea where the old man had hidden it, he would go out of the house after everyone was abed and dispose of it. They finally gave up, the mom died and the siblings sold the old homestead.
The developer that bought the homestead, divided it into 15 acre plots and was in the process of tearing down the old house and outbuildings. He hired a guy with a back hoe to tear down the house and clean everything up. There was a chain link fence running around the perimeter of what used to be the garden, the operator hooks a chain around the first post after removing all the fabric and yanks the post out of the ground, swings it over to the side and lays it on the ground...he hears something funny, like a secondary clunking sound. He goes out to his rig and grabs a pipe wrench, removes the cap and big as life the fence post is filled with silver dollars, ever danged fence post was near full of silver dollars, just big enough to drop one at a time down, secure the cap. Thats where the old man stashed his silver...I'd like to say the developer was a good man and gave a percentage back to the original owners but that did not happen.
The developer that bought the homestead, divided it into 15 acre plots and was in the process of tearing down the old house and outbuildings. He hired a guy with a back hoe to tear down the house and clean everything up. There was a chain link fence running around the perimeter of what used to be the garden, the operator hooks a chain around the first post after removing all the fabric and yanks the post out of the ground, swings it over to the side and lays it on the ground...he hears something funny, like a secondary clunking sound. He goes out to his rig and grabs a pipe wrench, removes the cap and big as life the fence post is filled with silver dollars, ever danged fence post was near full of silver dollars, just big enough to drop one at a time down, secure the cap. Thats where the old man stashed his silver...I'd like to say the developer was a good man and gave a percentage back to the original owners but that did not happen.
Last edited:
My mother had a friend that had moved here from Tulsa. The family had a lot of money from oil. Her mom would buy a house and then use it for storage of all the spendy little knick-knacks and other things she would buy just to do it. When she passed, they had about 5 houses full, and I do mean full, of stuff that they had to deal with. In one of the houses they found 5 or 6 5 gallon buckets filled with silver dollars. It's amazing the difference between a poor hoarder's stuff and a rich hoarder's stuff.
handejector
Staff member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2005
- Messages
- 26,129
- Reaction score
- 47,012
I need a copy of the map and the property's location. Without all the pertinent data I cannot give a truly informed opinion. 
If you need help the Oak Island crew is currently unemployed.
Reminds me of the tale about a local par 3 golf course built by a husband,wife and six kids over 25 years. Nice family,but a divorce happened,somebody got mad and ratted and the irs took possession for a few years when coffee cans stuffed with hundred dollar bills were found in the clubhouse freezer. It was ugly for awhile!
Last edited:
OP
It's around 6 acres, mostly wooded and lot of exposed sandstone and gently hilled and bordered on the bottom of the property by an all year running creek.
Do what your heart tells you to do. I sure hope that the owners will do what in my mind is the right thing which is let you metal detect and hopefully find what is supposedly there. I know you will do the right thing showing your appreciation.
Certainly, be good dinner party conversation if it all works out for you and them. Good luck and keep us posted.
A phone call might be more my style.
Certainly, be good dinner party conversation if it all works out for you and them. Good luck and keep us posted.
A phone call might be more my style.
there are books out that tell you where some people would hide things on there property. like at the base of a fence post or in the fence post like one story here, maybe near an old tree or structure , a rock outcrop. if i did send the letter, send it priority mail large envelope, something that will get there attention and look important. tell them a good powerful story about your family and how that came to be. Tell them how it would be very satisfying to solve this mystery of you and your family. Of course the 50/50 split. Tell them you would stay at a hotel and be no bother to them. Some people enjoy their privacy tell them it would only be you. might want to add we could do it together as a treasure hunt and it would be fun and an Adventure. many different ways to approach it just my two cents. i have a metal detector and i really like the adventure.
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iAbou95lCd4[/ame]
Oldengineer
Member
I think the legal ownership argument is whether the "found" coins were abandoned or misplaced. If misplaced, they may be the property of the estate.
Hell dig them up already! And post pictures.
OP
I like the advice of islamoradamark and I have reworded my letter accordingly. I am sending it Monday. I'll keep everyone abreast of anything new on it.
sigp220.45
US Veteran
I guess I'm missing the ethical dilemna. The land is sold, the coins (if they exist) go with the land. None of it is your concern. Move on.
You know...Like the stories about the next door neighbor's place...most buried treasure stories are just that...stories. I bought my 1st good metal detector...within 30 minutes I found the most valuable item I have ever found...money wise anyway. It was a mens gold and diamond ring worth at that time about 2500 dollars. The other items except for the silver dollars were run of the mill coins mostly...even the gold ones I had a lady offer me 250 bucks to find her engagement ring lost in her backyard. I found the darn thing and about a dollar and a quarter in small change. Took me longer to dig all that **** up than it did to find the ring with the detector. And no I did not take her money either..She was ecstatic. as far as treasure...kinda like Oak Island...if there was something there...it was gone long ago...except maybe that Confederate gold lost back in the war of Northern Aggression. And the Lost Dutchmans mine etc etc
I know of many folks that spend a small fortune on the landscaping of their home. Perfectly manicured Zoysia grass lawns, large mulch beds filled with expensive shrubbery, rock walls or other features, wood or cast iron fencing, fire pits, and all this with a needed sprinkler system. If the current owners have anything close to this, they may have already found the buried treasure while putting in their landscaping features, or won't want anything to do with digging it up! GOOD LUCK, and I hope things turn out well for you.
Larry
Larry
pantannojack
US Veteran
If you can attain illegal alien status, just go take it. There are no rules for illegal aliens.
Put the other shoe on your foot and think about it........Iffen you came to me and wanted to go prospecting on my land. I would answer with a firm NO.........Iffen you did it anyway.....Bad things could happen or you could be prosecuted.
