Hidden sovereigns

[MickB]

Yesterday I was told by a local bullion dealer of a true story that goes back only a few years ago regarding one of their very good customers who bought sovereigns on a regular basis. Over the years he amassed quite a number that he bought from them and was telling the staff that his preferred hiding place was inside teddy bears that he bought at charity shops which he kept at home. He's carefully unpick the stitching and place a few sovereigns in each one. Not a bad idea, however he died and the shop lost out on a good customer.

A while later his brother enters the shop with 20 sovereigns that he found lying around his deceased brother's house that he was clearing out and sold them back to them. The dealer asked him if there were anymore he was planning to bring in to sell, he said that's all he could find. Then the dealer mentioned about the hidden sovereigns inside the teddy bears and the man's heart sank, all the teddy bears were given away to charity shops! The dealer told me it was the most uncomfortable conversation he's ever had and assumed that he never got any of them back as he never returned.

A good hiding place for coins but no good if the above happens.

[dicker]

Quite a story, and entirely believable given that the 'modern' very recent treasure finds that we DO know about:

- 913 Sovereigns in a piano hoard https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-43344727

- 50 Krugs found buried in Milton Keynes https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/people/buried-treasure-trove-50-solid-gold-coins-found-milton-keynes-garden-3066985

- https://www.thelocal.fr/20210902/french-home-renovation-yields-rare-gold-coin-treasure/

And these are just the ones we KNOW about.  I am sure many finds are not ever reported, and a load that are just sleeping.

 

Best

Dicker

 

[MickB]

13 minutes ago, dicker said:

  I am sure many finds are not ever reported, and a load that are just sleeping.

 

 

 

These teddy bears are definetely sleeping. I can imagine one of them being mauled by a dog at some point, being shook from side to side and the sovereigns flying out in front of a startled owner. That would be a nice surprise for them.

[stackerp5]

1 hour ago, MickB said:

These teddy bears are definetely sleeping. I can imagine one of them being mauled by a dog at some point, being shook from side to side and the sovereigns flying out in front of a startled owner. That would be a nice surprise for them.

That is, if they don't make it to the trash before then! Ending-up in the hands of some poor kid in a wasteland someplace else! That would be quite a find  

Edited September 4, 2021 by stackerp5
make it pretty

[stackerp5]

I was about to go raid charity shops in your area but then I saw where you lived... Planet Earth is quite big I'm affraid I don't have enough time or money to go around every place  

[MickB]

5 minutes ago, stackerp5 said:

I was about to go raid charity shops in your area but then I saw where you lived... Planet Earth is quite big I'm affraid I don't have enough time or money to go around every place  

Does England narrow it down for you? 😃

[stackerp5]

2 minutes ago, MickB said:

Does England narrow it down for you? 😃

Not quite, but I bet someone else would be happy to play Cap'n Jack Sparrow  

[Tn21]

It's a sad story, to hide the sovs and not being able to enjoy the fruits of his labour is pointless as harsh as that may sound. 

 

 

 

[MickB]

36 minutes ago, Tn21 said:

It's a sad story, to hide the sovs and not being able to enjoy the fruits of his labour is pointless as harsh as that may sound. 

 

 

 

It is sad for his family. A shame he never told them about his collection but it maybe that he never got on too well with them.

[Bars]

1 hour ago, Tn21 said:

It's a sad story, to hide the sovs and not being able to enjoy the fruits of his labour is pointless as harsh as that may sound. 

 

 

 

I guess that's just the way it is...things will never be the same. 

[pricha]

I don't get why people report huge finds ( or small ones ) . Why let the government get their thieving hands on it ?

[AuricGoldfinger]

55 minutes ago, pricha said:

I don't get why people report huge finds ( or small ones ) . Why let the government get their thieving hands on it ?

Agreed. Even the ones who found the gold bars in the tank. I would keep quiet and feel like I’d hit the jackpot. To hand it in is madness

[pricha]

It is interesting . Men ( it's mostly men ) like to keep their hobbies to themselves . What arrangements have folks made if they suddenly meet up with the grim reaper ?  Not all sovereigns are equal . Would a unscrupulous dealer offer 5% under spot for a 1937 ? Would the wife be happy to dump those pre 1920 silver coins off to the charity shop ? 

[SilverJacks]

 

2 hours ago, pricha said:

I don't get why people report huge finds ( or small ones ) . Why let the government get their thieving hands on it ?

A pile of Krugerrands might be possible to launder but if you found historic coins of huge value, how can you liquidate without explaining where you got them from? It might not hold up arguing that you bought them at a boot sale... Sometimes it's most lucrative to come clean and take your cut. 

[SilverJacks]

Unless you end up like this guy... ( I don't know the ins and outs of this story but i hope he did get some reward)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-56945507

[pricha]

But the sovereigns found in the piano were nothing special at all , just bullion coins you see on eBay every day 

[SilverJacks]

4 minutes ago, pricha said:

But the sovereigns found in the piano were nothing special at all , just bullion coins you see on eBay every day 

That's true. You'd still have to be careful though with that many sovereigns. Friends, or even family could get jealous when you suddenly go on nice holidays or do whatever you do with proceeds. I'm sure some could get away with it, but I'm not so sure that it's a stroll in the park. 

I seem to remember the piano was owned by a family for decades before donating it to a school and they got nothing from the find. Since then 50 people have come forward claiming it, with at least 49 of them being liars. It's crazy what can happen when there's money involved...

[AuricGoldfinger]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/workmen-discover-hoard-of-17th-century-gold-coins-in-wall-of-brittany-manor-house-wkmpjrns5
 

why oh why does this never happen to me. If it did, it wouldn’t hit the papers!

[modofantasma]

Wonder what the biggest find that has been made and not been reported 😂

[AuricGoldfinger]

[CollectorNo1]

On 04/09/2021 at 23:42, pricha said:

But the sovereigns found in the piano were nothing special at all , just bullion coins you see on eBay every day 

Hmmmm well as Monty python sang about...(Every sovreign is sacred) albeit they didn't use the word sovreign!

[SilverJacks]

3 hours ago, AuricGoldfinger said:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/workmen-discover-hoard-of-17th-century-gold-coins-in-wall-of-brittany-manor-house-wkmpjrns5
 

why oh why does this never happen to me. If it did, it wouldn’t hit the papers!

This find has a great ending, legally split between all parties. That's only because the house was purchased before a law change that would've made it property of the state.

Can you imagine the stress involved with four different parties splitting the find illegally... I'd be a bag of nerves. It would take one slip up from one person for it all to end in tears. I don't mean to be so pessimistic but the reality of things is that getting away with this sort of caper is getting more and more difficult in this day and age. Many of these stories end up with someone getting caught when they eventually try to get fair value for them by selling to an unknown/untrustworthy collector.

Every penny will be traced soon. You can't even use cash in a shop without being frowned upon by someone that thinks the surface of the coin/note is a threat to them. I am going off on a tangent but still, the point remains that keeping significant amounts of "treasure" is no mean feat, especially if it have historical significance.

[SilverJacks]

If you were the sole finder of treasure, not someone else's land, and no one else knows, would you be happy to just keep it and enjoy it to yourself for the rest of your life with no attempt to sell it? 🤔

Or even, put it back and not tell anyone, since you're not expecting reward for it... Or put it in a safe place for the treasury, ten miles offshore...

[CollectorNo1]

I guess it would come down to what and where you find the item/s.

[Coverte]

I fundamentally disagree with the premise treasury act.

It's just another chunk of legislation to keep government employees (pen pushers, not NHS/similar) salaries paid.

The public sector have a staggering (over 20% of the workforce - I think), whilst small business/SME's employ 30-35% and get squeezed for every last penny to pay these many, often unproductive/needed beaurocrats.