Lost Treasure - Where To Find It

This is not about the typical lost treasure fantasy of finding a pirates stash buried under a tree just up from some beach. That is still a possibility in a few places around the world, but locating the last of these kinds of buried treasures is getting less likely with each passing year, and that kind of treasure hunt can involve a lot of money for research and tools.

Instead, this page is about any lost treasure that is more common. This means money hidden in books, antiques stored in attics, and coffee cans full of old coins buried in people's yards. You'll find a fuller explanation of some of the following ideas on the pages listed at the end of this list. This is just to get you started thinking about where to look.

- Cash in books. Yes, many people do hide currency in the books on their shelves. Then they die, and nobody knows they did this. You can look through books in old bookstores even, on the assumption that some book collections are sold off at estate sales without the books being checked.

- Money in old cars. One man trained his dog to sniff out old currency, and the beagle lead him to a car in a junkyard that had $8,000 hidden in the cushion of the back seat.

- Under trees. Treasure is buried under trees because they provide a good way for the person who buries them to remember the location.

- Anywhere in the yard. Use a metal detector for finding buried cash and valuables. Often this will work even if there is only currency, because the most common containers for burying things - coffee cans - are made of metal.

- Attics. An attic that hasn't been emptied for decades is a prime treasure hunting location. Things are hidden there, but there are also antiques, collectibles and other things that can be sold on Ebay for quick cash. if you buy an old house, let the seller know he doesn't have to be too thorough cleaning out that attic for you.

- Basements. If there are open areas of dirt in a basement, look for signs that something has been buried, and start digging. I once left 100 ounces of silver buried under a house for several years.

- Walls. If you see signs of repair on the inside front wall of a closet (usually above the door), it may mean there is something hidden inside.

- Walls by outlets. It can take just a minute to remove a cover and electrical outlet to gain access to the inside of a wall. This is why things are often hidden in walls near light switches and outlets. Open them up carefully and shine a flashlight in there.

The primary reason for lost treasure is that people die without ever telling anyone where they hid things. Most people hide money or valuables at some point in their lives, so as you might imagine there are a lot of secret stashes waiting to be found. Below is a list of some of the other pages that can help you with your hunt.

Other Lost Treasure Pages:

Treasure Hunters and Their Secrets - Getting the right mental approach.

Metal Detecting - The Best Places - One in particular that is an insider's secret.

Lost Treasures - Where To Find Them - Examples from real life.

Hidden Treasure - Two Examples - One from my own life.

Hidden Treasures - More Examples - Ten places to look.

Buried Treasure - Where To Find It - Clues to watch for.