New Jersey resident Rich Gilson was excavating debris around his home in Wildwood when he accidentally stumbled upon a mystery.
Gilson unearthed tightly wound $10 and $20 bills which totaled about $2,000.
It is believed that this stash of money may have been buried for over 90 years, perhaps during the Great Depression.
The home was purchased by Gilson and his wife about four years ago and since then they’ve been remodeling it.
While excavating, Gilson found many rocks and parts of the old foundation before coming upon two “little round things.”
Here’s what Gilson tells WTXF-TV:
“My wife Suzanne was in there painting. And I said you got to come see this, you won’t believe what I just found.”
Considering today’s inflation, the money originally worth $2,000 is likely to be worth around $43,000 now.
“Either somebody robbed a bank and buried it there, or somebody didn’t trust the banks in 1934,” Gilson says.
Gilson suspects that the former owner of the home went into the crawlspace and attempted to bury the cash inside glass jars.
Gilson told WTFX-TV that he will not be spending the money he found.
So will he be putting the money toward his renovation budget? No way.
“If I spend it, and I tell the story, people are going to be like, ‘Well, where’s the money?'” he tells WTXF. “The story is definitely worth $2,000.”
After this discovery, Gilson hopes that others do not come to his property for a chance to grab a share.
“Please don’t come to my house with a shovel,” Gilson said, according to USA Today. “I’m trying to finish the house, not make more work for myself.”
Wildwood homeowner finds more than $2,000 in cash buried in his front yard while doing renovations. He said the wad of cash “looked like Taylor Pork Roll” All money was minted in 1934. Hear what he’s doing with the money tonight at 10pm. @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/fG6jBO72hS
— Chris O’Connell (@CoconnellFox29) July 13, 2022
You can watch the video report here: Fox29/Youtube
Sources: WesternJournal, USA Today, WTXF-TV, NJ.com
