Did you ever do this with coins?

RB1026 · September 18, 2012 12:29AM

I was just reading a post about an old coin found in a home during a renovation and it caused me to remember something I did once. Back in 2000 when I was in the process of having my home built, I placed 3 or 4 2000 Sac $'s in the wet cement of the foundation of the home. I can't recall exactly how many or if they were P or D minted, just that I had the idea to do it and now they are entombed in the concrete.

Has anyone else here done something like this? I thought it might be interesting to hear your stories.

UNCOnly · September 18, 2012 12:40AM

This is a practice that dates back as far as 600 B.C.

It is thought to bring good luck upon the house.

braddick · September 18, 2012 12:45AM

<< This is a practice that dates back as far as 600 B.C.

It is thought to bring good luck upon the house. >>

Heyyyyyy. . . I call foul.

Was there even wet cement back in 600BC?!

UNCOnly · September 18, 2012 12:51AM

<< 

<< This is a practice that dates back as far as 600 B.C.

It is thought to bring good luck upon the house. >>

Heyyyyyy. . . I call foul.

Was there even wet cement back in 600BC?! >>

No.

There were; however, large stone slabs, which were laid into a hand dug pit, and the foundation for stone floors in structures built back then.

JamesMurray · September 18, 2012 12:57AM

<< I was just reading a post about an old coin found in a home during a renovation and it caused me to remember something I did once. Back in 2000 when I was in the process of having my home built, I placed 3 or 4 2000 Sac $'s in the wet cement of the foundation of the home. I can't recall exactly how many or if they were P or D minted, just that I had the idea to do it and now they are entombed in the concrete.

Has anyone else here done something like this? I thought it might be interesting to hear your stories. >>

I did this when i was a kid and my parents put a new walkway in the backyard , i put old british pennies and fossils i'd found in the wet cement , they are still there but the pennies are just greeny blue round shapes now.

OldEastside · September 18, 2012 1:39AM

I recall as a kid, when our family would go visit my aunt and uncle who
lived in Bel Air, CA for a weekend, there neighbours would always invite
us over to play in there pool and they also had a sub basement bar that
ran the length of the house next to the pool, anyways surrounding the
pool he had hundreds of CBH's in the pool deck and the walkway leading
down into the bar, I remember well because if my brothers or I tried to see
if one was loose my dad would yell at us or slap us upside the head if we
within reach

Steve

bosco5041 · September 18, 2012 2:16AM

When I poured my back porch about 15 years ago I got a small plastic butter bowl and lid and put a couple of family pictures, a note of the date and about the day, and a few coins from my pocket about 6 inches down in the cement. someone someday might come across it, I still live here.

TallGuy · September 18, 2012 3:36AM

I built my house in 1993 - before the foundation/basement was poured, I placed a sealed mason jar (as a time capsule) in the gravel about a foot down. In it I placed some family photos, info on us, notes and drawings my kids made, copy of our house plans, our current Church bulletin, and a few other family items. As a coin collector I also included a copy of the then current greysheet, an example of all US 1993 coins and also some 1893 examples - 100 years prior - Indian cent, V nickel, the Barbers, etc. No 1893 Dollars though, as they were a little much to just bury and leave, LOL! Anyway this time capsule is under the middle of my basement garage floor now. You can go over the spot with a metal detector and just barely get a signal. Maybe in the distant future, when My house is torn down by someone, it might be found. I just though it something interesting to do.

19Lyds · September 18, 2012 3:39AM

Isn't concrete caustic?

Personally, I think that putting the coins in the wall spaces would have
Been a better idea.

PerryHall · September 18, 2012 3:53AM

<< Isn't concrete caustic?

Personally, I think that putting the coins in the wall spaces would have
Been a better idea. >>

Wet concrete is alkaline and will corrode most coin metals. I have read about coins being nailed to the roof of barns to bring good luck.

MilkmanDan · September 18, 2012 5:47AM

Not totally the same, but my grandparents used to own a home in Tule Lake, CA that was previously used as a Japanese internment camp. Actually, the main house was converted and the garage and guest house were pretty much still intact. After the war the land and buildings were given to veterans and my Grandpa bought the land and building from one of them.

One of the coolest finds ever, for me, was when we were kids running around this farm and exploring the garage. We found a hole in the wall that ended up being a place someone, I'm assuming one of the occupants, had dropped a bunch of wheat cents into. There were probably 20-30 down there. Nothing special, but to a kid who loved coins it was a very cool find with historical connection.

braddick · September 18, 2012 9:12AM

I just read where some dude buried a Trade dollar in the gravel/sand of an aquarium.

Baley · September 18, 2012 9:31AM

cool stuff

BustHalfBrian · September 18, 2012 10:44AM

<< I placed 3 or 4 2000 Sac $'s in the wet cement of the foundation of the home. >>

Bust out that pick-axe and check those babies for the Cheerios reverse!!!

lkeigwin · September 18, 2012 12:42PM

I hid several silver coins under the hardwood floor of our house in the early 60's. Also, the combination to my gym locker. Secret stuff.
Lance.

Justlooking · September 18, 2012 5:52PM

When we gutted the kitchen a few years ago, in the walls we found a calendar from the year it was built, some cut nails, an old beehive ... but no coins.

LeeBone · September 18, 2012 7:58PM

I planned on living in this house(my basement bar) and never moving.
Coins were placed on surface followed by 4 pourings of lucite, roughly 1/2" as I remember.
Never say Never...

JJM · September 18, 2012 9:38PM

thats

astrorat · September 18, 2012 11:17PM

<< 

<< This is a practice that dates back as far as 600 B.C.

It is thought to bring good luck upon the house. >>

Heyyyyyy. . . I call foul.

Was there even wet cement back in 600BC?! >>

The wet cement was the easy part back then ... the tough part was the Sac $s!

RB1026 · September 18, 2012 11:25PM

<< 

<< I placed 3 or 4 2000 Sac $'s in the wet cement of the foundation of the home. >>

Bust out that pick-axe and check those babies for the Cheerios reverse!!!

>>

Ha ha....yeah I've thought about the fact they might be Cheerios coins

DBSTrader2 · September 20, 2012 6:46AM

LeeBone:

Cool!! Like the Silver Dollar & Million Dollar Bars in old Jackson Hole, Wyoming, when I visited there at age 15 many years ago!

But HOW did you plan on "cracking them out" should you ever move, DID you, and how much (face & value) did you figure you had tied up in that bar?!

A great deterrant to thieves who might otherwise want to steal albums but not an entire bar-top, but HOW did you flip over the entire bar-top if you wanted to look any of the coins' reverses?

- - Dave

lordmarcovan · September 20, 2012 11:09PM

LeeBone- that bar is fantastic!

If anybody else has a similar Lucite project in mind, I've got a few Darkside proof coins that were ruined on one side by the original (PVC?) packaging. They've got nasty green stuff on one side, but are bright, proofy, and beautiful (maybe even CAM or DCAM) on the other side. I thought they might look good in a countertop or something like this, with the ugly side down, of course.

JBN · September 20, 2012 11:39PM

My home was built in 1949. Out here on the West Coast.

While I was finishing my basement, I found a 1944-S and 1948-S quarter in the stud bays nestled in the corner of a fire stop. I assumed that they were dropped in there by construction workers. Both quarters are in nice XF condition.

They are still with the house - part of my collection.

LeeBone · September 23, 2012 10:42AM

DBSTrader2
I really never planned on having to "crack them out" as I thought that I was never going to move, never say never. I still own the house but rent it out. In reality I guess I could go back and "reclaim" my bartop.

I did record each and every coin that was used in this bartop; tails up and heads up even. They range from Half Cents thru Dollars and ASE`s. I forget the exact number of coins as I cannot locate my list at this moment but remember their total value(not face value) was around $2000 back in 1991 or 1992. Now with silver at the spot that it is today I maybe should crack `em out if possible, I just don`t know how hard it would be.

I`ll look for the list and update this when I can.

lordmarcovan
LeeBone- that bar is fantastic!

Thank you very much

LeeBone · December 23, 2012 7:04AM

Updating this with a list of coins in my bartop and recommendations on if I should try to recover these.

I put these into the bartop on April 2, 1993

Morgan Dollars (Obverse showing)- 28 coins
Morgan Dollars (Reverse showing)- 17 coins
Peace Dollars (Obverse showing)- 14 coins
Peace Dollars (Reverse showing)- 10 coins
ASE- 3 coins
1964 Kennedy Halves (Obverse showing)- 3 coins
1964 Kennedy Halves (Reverse showing)- 3 coins
Walking Lib Halves (Obverse showing)- 33 coins
Walking Lib Halves (Reverse showing)- 24 coins
Barber Halves (Obverse showing)- 16 coins
Barber Halves (Reverse showing)- 8 coins
Seated Lib Half (Obverse showing)- 1 coin (Date 1859)
Bust Half (Obverse showing)- 1 coin (Date 1819)
Franklin Halves (Obverse showing)- 24 coins
Franklin Halves (Reverse showing)- 17 coins
Large Cents (Obverse showing)- 5 coins
Large Cents (Reverse showing)- 4 coins
Barber Quarters (Obverse showing)- 20 coins
Barber Quarters (Reverse showing)- 12 coins
Standing Lib Quarters (Obverse showing)- 23 coins
Standing Lib Quarters (Reverse showing)- 14 coins
Washington Silver Quarters (Obverse showing)- 32 coins
Washington Silver Quarters (Reverse showing)- 30 coins
Two Cent Pieces (Obverse showing)- 2 coins
Two Cent Pieces (Reverse showing)- 2 coins
Buffalo Nickels (Obverse showing)- 20 coins
Buffalo Nickels (Reverse showing)- 20 coins
Silver Wartime Jefferson Nickels (Obverse showing)- 24 coins
Silver Wartime Jefferson Nickels (Reverse showing)- 26 coins
Jefferson Nickels (Obverse showing)- 31 coins
Jefferson Nickels (Reverse showing)- 19 coins
Seated Lib Quarters (Obverse showing)- 2 coins (Dated 1861 & 1876)
Steel Wartime Lincoln Pennies (Obverse showing)- 18 coins
Steel Wartime Lincoln Pennies (Reverse showing)- 18 coins
Liberty V Nickels (Obverse showing)- 17 coins
Liberty V Nickels (Reverse showing)- 8 coins
Indian Head Pennies (Obverse showing)- 24 coins
Indian Head Pennies (Reverse showing)- 20 coins
BU Lincoln Wheat Pennies (Obverse showing)- 19 coins
BU Lincoln Wheat Pennies (Reverse showing)- 16 coins
Three Cent Nickels (Obverse showing)- 5 coins
Three Cent Nickels (Reverse showing)- 3 coins
Half Dime (Obverse showing)- 1 coin (Dated 1854)
Half Dime (Reverse showing)- 1 coin (Dated 1853)
Liberty Cap Dime (Obverse showing)- 1 coin (Dated 1832)
Seated Dimes (Obverse showing)- 2 coins (Both Dated 1876)
Silver Roosevelt Dimes (Obverse showing)- 73 coins
Silver Roosevelt Dimes (Reverse showing)- 18 coins
Barber Dimes (Obverse showing)- 27 coins
Barber Dimes (Reverse showing)- 23 coins
Mercury Dimes (Obverse showing)- 36 coins
Mercury Dimes (Reverse showing)- 24 coins

I`m thinking yes......

braddick · December 23, 2012 7:43AM

<< 

<< This is a practice that dates back as far as 600 B.C.

It is thought to bring good luck upon the house. >>

Heyyyyyy. . . I call foul.

Was there even Sacawageas back in 600BC?! >>

DieClash · December 23, 2012 9:06AM

<< 

<< 

<< This is a practice that dates back as far as 600 B.C.

It is thought to bring good luck upon the house. >>

Heyyyyyy. . . I call foul.

Was there even Sacawageas back in 600BC?! >>

>>

Lime + volcanic ash = natural pozzalon. This was the material that was used to finish the surfaces of the Great Pyramids. It was white and would shine bright like silver in the sun from a distance. Over the millenia this material was scavenged by others for use as building material (think Greeks). Only the Great Pyramid itself still has the original finish at the very top of the pyramid.

Portland cement mortars are a cheap alernative to lime-based mortars, but over time Portland cement degrades in strength. Whereas, over time lime-based mortars only get stronger.

Consider a brick wall. If the wall was built with Cement-based mortar it will likely crack and fail along the mortar lines. If it was built with a lime-based mortar, the brick will likely crack and break before the mortar line will.

Both Lime and Cement are corrosive alkalines. Caustic soda is a "caustic" alkaline. Caustic soda can burn thru skin like sulfuric acid. Cement and Lime can cause burns to skin but don't cause destructive cell damage like caustic soda or sulfuric acid.

DoubleEagle59 · December 23, 2012 9:23AM

The Canadian Hockey Team at the last Winter Olympics snuck a loonie coin into the ice rink and placed it about 1/2 inch into the ice at the center face off circle.

It brought them good luck as they won the Gold medal.

Zrider · December 23, 2012 10:15AM

<< Updating this with a list of coins in my bartop and recommendations on if I should try to recover these.

I put these into the bartop on April 2, 1993

Morgan Dollars (Obverse showing)- 28 coins
Morgan Dollars (Reverse showing)- 17 coins
Peace Dollars (Obverse showing)- 14 coins
Peace Dollars (Reverse showing)- 10 coins
ASE- 3 coins
1964 Kennedy Halves (Obverse showing)- 3 coins
1964 Kennedy Halves (Reverse showing)- 3 coins
Walking Lib Halves (Obverse showing)- 33 coins
Walking Lib Halves (Reverse showing)- 24 coins
Barber Halves (Obverse showing)- 16 coins
Barber Halves (Reverse showing)- 8 coins
Seated Lib Half (Obverse showing)- 1 coin (Date 1859)
Bust Half (Obverse showing)- 1 coin (Date 1819)
Franklin Halves (Obverse showing)- 24 coins
Franklin Halves (Reverse showing)- 17 coins
Large Cents (Obverse showing)- 5 coins
Large Cents (Reverse showing)- 4 coins
Barber Quarters (Obverse showing)- 20 coins
Barber Quarters (Reverse showing)- 12 coins
Standing Lib Quarters (Obverse showing)- 23 coins
Standing Lib Quarters (Reverse showing)- 14 coins
Washington Silver Quarters (Obverse showing)- 32 coins
Washington Silver Quarters (Reverse showing)- 30 coins
Two Cent Pieces (Obverse showing)- 2 coins
Two Cent Pieces (Reverse showing)- 2 coins
Buffalo Nickels (Obverse showing)- 20 coins
Buffalo Nickels (Reverse showing)- 20 coins
Silver Wartime Jefferson Nickels (Obverse showing)- 24 coins
Silver Wartime Jefferson Nickels (Reverse showing)- 26 coins
Jefferson Nickels (Obverse showing)- 31 coins
Jefferson Nickels (Reverse showing)- 19 coins
Seated Lib Quarters (Obverse showing)- 2 coins (Dated 1861 & 1876)
Steel Wartime Lincoln Pennies (Obverse showing)- 18 coins
Steel Wartime Lincoln Pennies (Reverse showing)- 18 coins
Liberty V Nickels (Obverse showing)- 17 coins
Liberty V Nickels (Reverse showing)- 8 coins
Indian Head Pennies (Obverse showing)- 24 coins
Indian Head Pennies (Reverse showing)- 20 coins
BU Lincoln Wheat Pennies (Obverse showing)- 19 coins
BU Lincoln Wheat Pennies (Reverse showing)- 16 coins
Three Cent Nickels (Obverse showing)- 5 coins
Three Cent Nickels (Reverse showing)- 3 coins
Half Dime (Obverse showing)- 1 coin (Dated 1854)
Half Dime (Reverse showing)- 1 coin (Dated 1853)
Liberty Cap Dime (Obverse showing)- 1 coin (Dated 1832)
Seated Dimes (Obverse showing)- 2 coins (Both Dated 1876)
Silver Roosevelt Dimes (Obverse showing)- 73 coins
Silver Roosevelt Dimes (Reverse showing)- 18 coins
Barber Dimes (Obverse showing)- 27 coins
Barber Dimes (Reverse showing)- 23 coins
Mercury Dimes (Obverse showing)- 36 coins
Mercury Dimes (Reverse showing)- 24 coins

I`m thinking yes...... >>

cool bar.... I think ..if you should ever move..Take it with you.. or sell the bar as one piece. thats alot of silver.

g048406 · December 23, 2012 11:13AM

When I was a kid in Flushing, NY, around 10 years old, I had buried my coin collection in the backyard before I went to sleep-away camp. Little did I know that while I was away my parents divorced and sold the house. I remember there was a $20 Gold Lib, $10 Gold Indian and a $2 1/2 Gold Indian along with Indian cents, Lincoln cents and Morgan dollars.
Morale of this story..........Don't have parents!

zap1111 · December 23, 2012 11:36AM

When I was a kid in Flushing, NY, around 10 years old, I had buried my coin collection in the backyard before I went to sleep-away camp. Little did I know that while I was away my parents divorced and sold the house. I remember there was a $20 Gold Lib, $10 Gold Indian and a $2 1/2 Gold Indian along with Indian cents, Lincoln cents and Morgan dollars.
Morale of this story..........Don't have parents!

And... what was your former address??
zap

Did you ever do this with coins?

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