Imagine stumbling upon a hidden treasure right in your own front yard!
That’s exactly what happened to Rich Gilson and his wife Suzanne in South Jersey.
While digging up their yard one fine day, they unearthed a stash of money dating back nearly a century. It’s like something straight out of a movie!
The couple had decided to excavate their front yard for a project, completely unaware that they were about to dig up a piece of American history.
At first, Rich thought he was hitting glass and root balls. But upon closer inspection, he realized it was something far more intriguing.
It turns out those “root balls” were actually burlap sacks filled with money!
The sacks had originally been stored in a glass jar, which had since shattered.
Each sack contained rolled-up $10 and $20 bills, totaling $1,000, all dated back to 1934.
The year 1934 was smack dab in the middle of the Great Depression, a time when money was scarce and every dollar counted.
To put it in perspective, Suzanne Gilson looked up the value of $2,000 from that era and found that it would be equivalent to a staggering $40,000 today!
Initially, Rich suspected that the money might be linked to some illicit activities from the 1930s.
However, the truth was far less dramatic but equally fascinating.
The house was previously owned by a man named James Dempsey, who had instructed his daughter to bury the money during those tough times.
James Dempsey was no bank robber; he was just a hardworking man trying to save something for a rainy day.
The irony? After burying the money, the family forgot where they had hidden it and were never able to retrieve it.
Rich Gilson was captivated by the story behind this unexpected find.
“It’s a lot of money but it’s not life-changing obviously, I think the story is more interesting. The history of the fact that this fella did this 90-something years ago. People ask ‘what are you going to do with it?’ Well, I’m certainly not going to spend it,” he told ABC 6 News.
While the amount may not be life-changing, the story certainly is.
It serves as a tangible link to a bygone era, a time capsule that offers a glimpse into the lives of people who lived through one of the most challenging periods in American history.
It’s such a unique discovery to make, and it’s one we’re sure Rich will always be excited to share and talk about.
If you’re as intrigued by this story as we are, you can watch the video below to see the discovery for yourself.
And who knows? Maybe it’ll inspire you to do a little digging in your own yard. You never know what treasures the past might have left behind!
Check out the video below!
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