Why were so many Cache(s), left behind?

Wow, that's a wide question. There are so many reasons for caches, and the reasons for Caching differs from region to region.
During the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, plantation owners would "Cache" their valuables and belongings to keep them out of the hands of the enemy. This was a common practice.
In years to come people would "cache" their valuables, and money, because they didn't trust banks due to depression and robbery. This was probably the most common reason for caching valuables. In fact, Sears and Roebuc actually sold a "Fence Post Safe" in their catalog. This was a small (can sized) safe that farmers could place under a particular fence post on their property to hide valuables. The instructions on the safe recommended a particular post, but most farmers used different posts.
People also used to "Cache" their valuables so not to be stolen by theives.
Again, there were many reasons to hide caches.
xXx
 

Saving money for a rainy day, keeping it away from the husband (egg money) or away from the wife (drink money) :D Keeping it away from the kids, mother-in-law, weird uncle harold, etc. People didn't spend, spend, spend, like they do today, they saved, because there was no 'social security' or other government programs and to take charity was an embarrassment.

I know from personal experience, a relative of my wife who was a farmer died, when the family was going though things with the widow to get the property ready for sale, they started finding all sorts of small caches. Some in his sock drawer, some in a coffee can in a box in the barn, Hundreds of dollars at a time, maybe 15 different locations! They even found another farm that the widow didn't know that they owned! when going through the tax papers. The farms sold, and I am sure that they didn't find it all, just too bad I live so far away and couldn't search and detect before they sold it. :(

From my experience, one of the reason so many caches are left behind, is that a person who will hide money or items of value, does not necessarily only hid ONE cache. My wifes relative died after a short illness in his 90's, he had a lot of years to hid stuff, there were many who lived when he lived and didn't live so long, but also likly hid stuff. so there is a lot of stuff out there.
 

So what im thinking is ,only one person in the family, new were the stash was ..And If he/her died suddenly then he/ her couldnt tell the other were it was hidden ?? then that would make it lost!..Im more less wondering, is their alot of caches to be found?

Thanks XxX and Little!!
 

Most of the time, especially during the wars, the cache was only known about by the man of the house. The women were not involved with finances in any way.
Another group commonly know for their caches were moonshiners. They would cache thier money to hide it from revenuers. For many reasons the cache would be left behind. Shootings and sudden death, quick get-a-way from the law, relocating still to new location for various reasons, and finally just having so many caches they forget some of them.
Also, as a child, I have taken coins out and buried them thinking I was a pirate or something. Who knows why kids do this, but I have been told by NUMEROUS others that they also have done this. Of course, we kids just leave them behind. After all, it was just mom and dads spare change.
xXx
 

I know of 2 alleged caches that were hidden from the spouse.Another alleged cache of gold coins that someone didn't want to turn in to Uncle Sam in the 1930's.
Jim
 

xXx said:
Most of the time, especially during the wars, the cache was only known about by the man of the house. The women were not involved with finances in any way.
Another group commonly know for their caches were moonshiners. They would cache thier money to hide it from revenuers. For many reasons the cache would be left behind. Shootings and sudden death, quick get-a-way from the law, relocating still to new location for various reasons, and finally just having so many caches they forget some of them.
Also, as a child, I have taken coins out and buried them thinking I was a pirate or something. Who knows why kids do this, but I have been told by NUMEROUS others that they also have done this. Of course, we kids just leave them behind. After all, it was just mom and dads spare change.
xXx
thanks for the info xXx...I think every kid that has played ,in back yard has lost at least 1 coin..and 10 match box cars :icon_pirat:
 

I have always saved my loose coins, I only paid for things with bills.
I sorted the change and put it in coffee cans, which I kept in the basement.
The quarter can kept filling up, so I put all the quarters over into my leather saddlebags, which I had in the basement with my horse tack.
One day my daughter and her boyfriend were there and, they helped me sort more quarters and put them into the saddle bags.
She asked me why i didn't put them in the bank. I told her that I was going to bury them out under the apple tree. I will have them when hard times come.
I had four hundred dollars in the bags then.
A week later I discovered the saddle bags were empty.
I found out by a little investigating that the boyfriend stole them.
I guess what I'm trying to say is " Do not show anyone where you have a cashe hidden, unless you trust them 100%.
 

I believe there are many caches that have never been found. If money consisted of gold and silver coins, and if there were no banks, where would YOU keep it? What kind of hiding place would you devise?
 

simonds said:
I have always saved my loose coins, I only paid for things with bills.
I sorted the change and put it in coffee cans, which I kept in the basement.
The quarter can kept filling up, so I put all the quarters over into my leather saddlebags, which I had in the basement with my horse tack.
One day my daughter and her boyfriend were there and, they helped me sort more quarters and put them into the saddle bags.
She asked me why i didn't put them in the bank. I told her that I was going to bury them out under the apple tree. I will have them when hard times come.
I had four hundred dollars in the bags then.
A week later I discovered the saddle bags were empty.
I found out by a little investigating that the boyfriend stole them.
I guess what I'm trying to say is " Do not show anyone where you have a cashe hidden, unless you trust them 100%.
sorry to hear about the money you saved.. makes sense why you shouldnt tell any1 about your stash...
 

Cache Crazy said:
I believe there are many caches that have never been found. If money consisted of gold and silver coins, and if there were no banks, where would YOU keep it? What kind of hiding place would you devise?
very true ..how many have you found :o
 

So far my only claim to fame.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,21053.0.html
Although, I do have many irons in the pot for this year and as of last night a REALLY big iron may have popped up.
4 years of research has led to 8 (now 9) projects for this year that are very exciting. Since that "Silver Dime Cache" I found everything has been dry other than the dependable silver coins and gold rings on the beach.
I'm out to turn that around in the next couple weeks with a great South Carolina Historical find, which was "Cached" by a local hero in the 1700's.
PRAY!
xXx
 

xXx said:
So far my only claim to fame.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,21053.0.html
Although, I do have many irons in the pot for this year and as of last night a REALLY big iron may have popped up.
4 years of research has led to 8 (now 9) projects for this year that are very exciting. Since that "Silver Dime Cache" I found everything has been dry other than the dependable silver coins and gold rings on the beach.
I'm out to turn that around in the next couple weeks with a great South Carolina Historical find, which was "Cached" by a local hero in the 1700's.
PRAY!
xXx
Wow!! Very nice find!!!! did you keep it, all or sell it ? good luck on your next find!!!
 

Thanks Randy.
I did sell a big portion of the cache. However, after recently being seperated and moving out of the house I have lost the rest to the pawn shop. I should have taken my finds when I left the first day. She made out pretty well on them, but I'll bounce back with my next find? :'(
xXx
 

lRandylInlOhiol said:
Cache Crazy said:
I believe there are many caches that have never been found. If money consisted of gold and silver coins, and if there were no banks, where would YOU keep it? What kind of hiding place would you devise?
very true ..how many have you found :o

I've found them all, except for those which are still hiding. :wink:
 

Back in the 20's a relative of mine ran a productive little moonshine still. So did his brother-in-law, less than a mile away. One night the brother-in-law and his wife had some unexpected visitors who tied them up and made off with the proceeds from their operation. I expect that if he hadn't been caching his proceeds already, that would have been enough to get my relative to start keeping his funds in a 'safe' place. Since they lived several hours by horse from the nearest bank, a safe place would have been somewhere around their home. Now, if any of those proceeds were in gold coin, when it was declared illegal for citizens to own gold in the 30's I expect that my relative would have just left that gold coinage right where it was, safe for another day. He passed away suddenly in the late 50's - long before Nixon made it legal for us to own gold bullion again, so if he DID have any hidden away, he took his secret to his grave. THAT's just one way caches get left behind.

Diggem'
 

xXx said:
Thanks Randy.
I did sell a big portion of the cache. However, after recently being seperated and moving out of the house I have lost the rest to the pawn shop. I should have taken my finds when I left the first day. She made out pretty well on them, but I'll bounce back with my next find? :'(
xXx
sorry to hear that ,mabe you should have reburried them... :icon_scratch:
 

Cache Crazy said:
lRandylInlOhiol said:
Cache Crazy said:
I believe there are many caches that have never been found. If money consisted of gold and silver coins, and if there were no banks, where would YOU keep it? What kind of hiding place would you devise?
very true ..how many have you found :o

I've found them all, except for those which are still hiding. :wink:
give me a hint, on how many you have found :tongue3: and ill decide on weather or not i wanna start cache hunting :thumbsup:
 

Diggemall said:
Back in the 20's a relative of mine ran a productive little moonshine still. So did his brother-in-law, less than a mile away. One night the brother-in-law and his wife had some unexpected visitors who tied them up and made off with the proceeds from their operation. I expect that if he hadn't been caching his proceeds already, that would have been enough to get my relative to start keeping his funds in a 'safe' place. Since they lived several hours by horse from the nearest bank, a safe place would have been somewhere around their home. Now, if any of those proceeds were in gold coin, when it was declared illegal for citizens to own gold in the 30's I expect that my relative would have just left that gold coinage right where it was, safe for another day. He passed away suddenly in the late 50's - long before Nixon made it legal for us to own gold bullion again, so if he DID have any hidden away, he took his secret to his grave. THAT's just one way caches get left behind.

Diggem'
Are you still looking :o
 

[/quote] Are you still looking :o
[/quote]


Here and there, now and then. The property is still in the family and I can hunt it any time I want. No hurry.

Diggem'
 

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