Coin collectors cache

[Tuberale]

Coin collector's cache

Got a lead and permission from landowner to search property for multiple caches. Father buried at least 2 caches, one of which has been found: about $400 face in mostly gold coins. Another cache was buried for the son, but never found. Son also known to be a coin collector, especially fond of gold coins. Thinking he buried some too, although that has not been proven to date. Son born 1881, died 1973. Worked only 2 years. Parents were apparently well-off, built the second home in the area, which is still standing today.

Have already checked the basement, which had 2 promising mounds about 1 foot diameter: nothing. Checked some of the front and side yards with MD: some old trash, abundant signals, nothing resembling a coin. Only 1 coin found to date: a Memorial dated 1998 from the current roadway, found by eyeballing.

Son was, uh, eccentric. (Yeah, that's the word.) Seen by neighbor's burying things on the property. Sometimes "forgot" to dress for the occasion. If wearing your birthday suit, probably not far from the house, right? Son had a "special room" in the house. He would "borrow" objects from visitors, and present them back years later with the comment "Remember this?" House was remodelled extensively about 15 years ago, the "special room" was remodelled into a bathroom: no coins found during remodelling.

Property had a 40-acre orchard including pear, peach, apple, and other fruit, most of which are no longer present. One odd tree: an old white-flowering hawthorne near the front gate between front door and road: will be searching there carefully next, hoping for a post-hole bank.

Coin collector son had access to many early gold/silver coins from 1890-1960 era. Chance of a third gold coin cache left by father, since there were 3 children, all of whom lived into their 90's. No children from any of the children that I can find.

Site is in Oregon. Area did not have any banks within 20 miles until 1895 or so, and that would have been on the 20-mile edge.

Suggestions?

 

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[Kentucky Kache]

Re: Coin collector's cache

I would find out all I could about the one cache that was found. That might give you some clues. Pay attention to every little detail.

 

[lastleg]

Re: Coin collector's cache

Tuberale:

Can you find out what kind of container the gold coins that were recovered
were buried in and how deep? Your search may require a large coil. A 40 acre
orchard is huge. Must have been for commercial use. On any old growth
trees look for nails on the lower branches. That was used as markers for caches
out in the woods. Consider whether a rational person would bury valuables far
from the house. Only reason I can think of for doing so would be fear of
robbery or confiscation.

 

[Tuberale]

Re: Coin collector's cache

Tuberale:

Can you find out what kind of container the gold coins that were recovered
were buried in and how deep? Your search may require a large coil. A 40 acre
orchard is huge. Must have been for commercial use. On any old growth
trees look for nails on the lower branches. That was used as markers for caches
out in the woods. Consider whether a rational person would bury valuables far
from the house. Only reason I can think of for doing so would be fear of
robbery or confiscation.

Not certain they were in a container. Found in the original home, though, using clues the father gave to his daughter. Son sold a lot of the original property, but not where the house was, so guessing it's still probably in or near the house.

Shouldn't need be deep. An air test of my new detector with a $5 gold: detector sang at 7-8 inches. If anything, detector may be too sensitive: reading bits of gum wrapper at 4 inches, BB's, and small screws that take forever to find in wet soil. Way too sensitive on pennies: have to lift the coil at least 6 inches before the signal blasts my earphones off. If all coins in one location, would need a pint jar MINIMUM to hold, which should easily be read at 18 inches, perhaps deeper. Soil at site not deep, maybe 6 inches, with clay layer underneath that. Unless he was tireless, probably buried above the clay.

House location on the side of a valley, about 30 feet above the valley floor, with clear line-of-sight in most directions except above the house. Logical for the cache to be in house, barn, or shed. Barn no longer part of the original 40-acres, has been removed, and a new $1 million home built there. Only real drawback to site I see is that it is surrounded, literally, by "Street of Dream" homes. If not still near the original home, not likely to find it.

 

[miser]

Re: Coin collector's cache

I think you have your work cut out for you.

If an item is buried, lets say a jar, that would leave excess dirt, so I wouldn't be looking for concave depressions in the ground. If these coins have been buried for the last century, any small concave depressions or mounds would be largely indistinguishable by now.

You have to bear in mind what the property looked like at the time the coins were buried. Do you have access to any old photgraphs? They might show outbuildings now gone that would be good search points. Also, the old orchard is a prime location. You'll just have to estimate where the trees used to be standing.

I don't know if I'd worry so much about inside the house, since both father and son seemed to have a passion for digging. If the coins are still there, they are likely somewhere in the yard or the land he owned, but emphasize looking for places where he would have likely dug and not been seen by anyone. Look for cover that could have been provided by trees or bushes or buildings that were there at the time.

Thats again why a photograph or two from the era would be so helpful.

Good luck to you.

 

[Tuberale]

Re: Coin collector's cache

Look 4 concave spots on grounds not 2 far from house most likly back of house 50 to 100 feet good luck

Good tip! Thanks! There is a partial garden area in the backyard that has been planted to grapes. Most of the grapes now dead, but might be near one of them, too.

 

[Tuberale]

Re: Coin collector's cache

I think you have your work cut out for you.

If an item is buried, lets say a jar, that would leave excess dirt, so I wouldn't be looking for concave depressions in the ground. If these coins have been buried for the last century, any small concave depressions or mounds would be largely indistinguishable by now.

You have to bear in mind what the property looked like at the time the coins were buried. Do you have access to any old photgraphs? They might show outbuildings now gone that would be good search points. Also, the old orchard is a prime location. You'll just have to estimate where the trees used to be standing.

I don't know if I'd worry so much about inside the house, since both father and son seemed to have a passion for digging. If the coins are still there, they are likely somewhere in the yard or the land he owned, but emphasize looking for places where he would have likely dug and not been seen by anyone. Look for cover that could have been provided by trees or bushes or buildings that were there at the time.

Thats again why a photograph or two from the era would be so helpful.

Good luck to you.

Thanks for the ideas! Yep, I thought about the legendary post-hold cache, too. Original road in front of house was plank, going up a steep grade. Road has since been paved and widened into 2 lanes. Still think it's buried before the road, a distance of perhaps 50 feet. Many larger trees on site, probably older than 50 years. Some are distinctive, and I'll be searching near them carefully.

Found a photo of the father and 2 daughters in front of house: many of the current trees not present. Perhaps another reason for checking the current trees, as father looked to be in his 60's and daughters in their teens.

Old German stock transplanted from the mid-West. Last name not common.