In which corner were the pawned coins placed? How and where to find coins in old houses? The probability of finding treasure in an ancient house...
In our today's review we will study another one from all sides prospective search coins, in this case, mortgaged coins at the corners of the old house, under the foundation. Search newbies will ask, “How did they get there?” They got there along with the tradition according to which, since ancient times, they placed coins under the corners of the foundation of a house during its construction, for prosperity, so that there would always be money in it.
The denomination of the mortgage coins depended on the wealth of the future owner of the house; naturally, under the house of a poor person, you will not find royal silver and gold coins.
In the foundation of a poor person there is usually: a penny, a three-ruble note, a kopeck, less often a denga or half a ruble (in Soviet-built houses - rarely silver fifty rubles). A noble old house or a landowner's estate often gave stubborn treasure hunters silver rubles and half-rubles, and especially lucky ones - golden chervonets, but this is one case in a thousand rich foundations dug up. Usually a coin went out of circulation - the king changed, the coins remained.
Therefore, the age of the house cannot be judged by the mortgaged coin; in most cases it is younger than the year of the coin. Along with coins, charmed herbs against evil spirits, bread, incense and other traditional things were placed under the foundation.
Where can the pawned coins be located? Technology for their extraction.
Almost always you will find a pawned coin under the so-called "Red Corner"- the right corner of the wall of the house running parallel to the street of the village on which your house stands (this is where they began to build the house). You need to look for it between the bottom rows of logs (usually between the first and second logs).
Some made depressions in the log, put a coin there, and closed it with the next one - perpendicular. Others placed a mortgage coin under a specially prepared mortgage stone, which was located in the foundation of the house. In general, at different times and in different regions, the technology of bookmarking was unique; there is no unambiguous recipe for everyone.
Usually an icon was placed in the “Red Corner”. “Red Corner” was located on the eastern side. If the house stands alone (settlement), or only one foundation remains of it, we will first examine the corner directed to the east (for the “dense” - where the Sun rises).
Of course, it is optimal to make a pit for the entire foundation, i.e. dig up the survey area to the extent of a bayonet or two (depending on the thickness of the layers of the remains of the house), this applies to the case of the absence of a structure.
And now it is very difficult to find entire old houses; they have all been combed by searchers. Often there are entire villages of abandoned houses with the corners already cut off.
I remembered one incident from my first trips to the cops. Now I don’t remember what kind of departure it was – maybe the third one. The metal detector is the first for training and simple “to the point of disgrace”, everything is as it should be. I arrive at the site of the landowner’s estate, and from the stories of the locals I learn that the building was made of brick, it was demolished about 60 years ago (most likely the brick was taken away intact for construction needs).
I happily wander around the foundation of the estate, a bunch of future finds flash in my thoughts, but I only receive signals from traffic jams that lie almost on the surface (see 5-7). The soil is difficult to dig, the fragments of brick are all here, in general I didn’t find anything.
Now I often remember that incident and laugh at my inexperience at that time. After all, a layer of brick and all sorts of debris removed the cultural layer (the layer where objects from the ancient era are located) of finds by at least 20–30 cm + another 15–20 cm if you look for embedded coins in the foundation. But my “ASYA 150” (), could not boast of such a depth of search, and it is unlikely that a super sophisticated metal detector could see a ten-kopeck piece, for example, at a depth of half a meter, the value of a little more than a Soviet penny.
In my case, the only correct solution would be to remove a layer of debris and dig 1-2 bayonets into the next layer, then the probability of finding finds would increase to 90-95%. Without modesty, I would pull everything out of there, even though it would require the titanic labor of removing the layer and digging it up (the area of the estate was approximately 30 by 40 meters).
Beginners to the search (I think the majority of readers of this article will be them) take note, if you have started to build the foundation of the estate, dig a pit, the finds will pay off all the calluses and sweat. At the very least, this activity will bring many times more than collecting dead “lost ones” in the fields. Indeed, along with pawned coins, the list of finds will be replenished with: items of ancient utensils (not necessarily coins, maybe some valuable goods), valuable pugs, coins under the floor, etc.
I’m still getting ready to dig for revenge on this unfortunate estate of my first steps in treasure hunting, but while “my hands don’t get around to it,” when I get there, I’ll insert the report right into this article. But let's return to the topic of our article. At all four corners of the house, coins are very rare.
At the same time (if the house has been preserved) we check the space under the porch (under the threshold), under the window sills (we put coins for protection from evil spirits). From the equipment for examining the foundation, we take: a crowbar, two shovels (one for reserve), preferably a chainsaw and a jack.
Good luck in your search. Read our blog.
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In winter there is nowhere to look for coins... except at home. In addition to the losses, coins could have been hidden in the house during construction. These are the so-called mortgage coins. They were placed in the structural elements of the house, which is a good sign. The richer the owners were, the fatter the coins could lie there. Here are the main places where they can hide:
- At a red angle
- From all angles
- Under the window sills
- Under the threshold
- Under the mattress
- Nowhere
It depends on the place and time. At what time it was customary, a coin was placed there. And they also pawned not only coins, but also crosses.
The coin is walled up into the foundation at angles, if, for example, the house is made of stone. And if wooden, then between the foundation and the first crown or between the first and second crown.
The red corner is where the icons were. Since ancient times this place has been special. More often this is the eastern corner of the hut, between the side and front walls, diagonally from the stove. Its location may depend on the terrain and construction traditions.
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The matnitsa is a log or beam that serves as a support for the ceiling. This element of the hut is also considered mystical. In the old days, herbs and amulets were hung under it. And in those places where it was placed on the wall log, coins were also placed. By the way, even the name of this element varies: in our country it is called matnitsa, and in some places it is called matitsa. Nowadays, few places use this type of ceiling support in construction.
Also, under the windowsill, in addition to pawned coins and crosses, you can find bonds and even small pawns.
There are many houses where there are no mortgage coins at all. Well, they didn’t put it in, what can you do...
Usually, nickels served as the mortgage coin. Catherine's, Elizabeth's, rings, and so on. Such specimens are often found in pits and plowed areas. And basically they are all intact, because they were not in an aggressive environment.
Surely, in the villages you have seen sawed or hollowed out corners, this is the work of pig farmers. I consider this type of activity to be looting. The embedded coin can be easily removed from the corner using a hydraulic jack. No noise, smoke or gasoline.
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If you ever find an abandoned village with surviving buildings, which our brother “treasure hunter” has not yet explored in his own interests, consider yourself very lucky, like we were last year (it was in the former Simbirsk Province, the village was small, about for 20 houses, they raised about 200 coins in 3 days, approximately tsarist and Soviet in half). Old houses are literally a window into past centuries.
We will talk about how and where to find coins in old houses in this article, I will tell you right away, if the village was large and rich, consider that you won the Jackpot, there are probably several hundred coins lying there and waiting for us (it happened that coins were found in one village almost all emperors from Peter 1).
Most importantly, make sure that the house is without owners and does not belong to anyone, otherwise you will not avoid trouble with the law.
Currently, old houses in the villages closest to the city are being bought by townspeople “for dachas”; I know of cases where comrades and summer residents clash.
The searchers mistakenly accepted the old dilapidated house as a nobody's house, and began to gut it in the spring, thank God everything worked out, with the condition that the damage was restored.
Also remember that when entering a very old house, almost entirely consisting of dust, you risk getting hit on the head with a beam, falling into the underground, stepping on a nail, etc. , so a first aid kit, safety precautions and a partner will help you.
Bookmarking coins when building a house
First and foremost, you must check the so-called “pawn coins”. What are they and where to look for them? There was a custom in Rus' for Mother, when building a new house, to place a coin under the frame for good luck and as a tribute to the spirits who supposedly protect the house, make it prosperous and rich.
The poor put one coin in the corner where the icon would stand; those who were richer put coins in all four corners.
Coins were also placed under mother logs, under thresholds, under window sills, and some managed to be placed under floorboards. Such bookmarks were usually made large copper coins(rarely silver and gold). These coins are almost always out of circulation, so if you find an angled coin, such as an 1890, don't assume it's the same age as the house.
To cut the corners of the house, grab a chainsaw, without it you will get tired faster than you get to the “pawn coin”.
Lost coins under the floor. Let's examine the attic
We have taken out all the coins (if there were any) that were pledged during the construction of the house, and we are moving on to an equally important stage - searching for “lost items”. During the life of a family, and maybe several generations, quite a lot of coins have accumulated in the house, which fell into the cracks of the floor, rolled into a hole in the underground made for a cat, for example, add to this the folk custom of throwing small coins on the heads of newlyweds at the entrance to the house, and During the life of the house, we will end up with a lot of lost coins, which we naturally really want to get our hands on.
You need to disassemble the floor; for this it is useful to have a crowbar. But in many cases, gender no longer exists. Usually, when residents abandon a house, the first thing neighbors or relatives do is remove the floorboards, since they are strong and the most valuable (but still take a crowbar, just in case).
You will need a sniper coil; usually there is a lot of metal debris in the underground of the house. We examine every inch of land very carefully; sometimes we found almost 90 small pieces of copper in the underground, but this is rare. But there is almost always a good “catch”.
Then we go to the attic, or rather, we climb very carefully, testing the strength of the log planks with our feet. I’ll say right away that the attic is a promising place, but it’s not a one-time solution. Where to look? We will definitely examine the backfill using the same “sniper rifle”; a treasure is quite likely. We examine all the rubbish in the attic at valuable items, look at the floors, feel the distances between the boards. I usually, being in the attic, imagine where I could hide something valuable so that it would not be found during a search (those were difficult times).
The probability of finding treasure in an ancient house...
As a last resort (I usually do this, you can spend as much time as you have left) you can examine the walls, stove, pipe, etc. for the presence of a “stash”, or maybe treasure. To do this, we will use a “pinpointer” (hand-held metal detector). We tap and inspect the walls. In the stove, namely in the chimney, the probability of the presence of treasure is much higher (according to statistics). Well, lastly, or another day, we inspect the area around the house and conduct a search in the garden. In general, there will be finds if you are not lazy; on the other hand, there are almost no lazy seekers among the searchers. Have a good search and find more rarities. Bye.
Treasure - how pleasant this word sounds for a treasure hunter. But under this big word there are many nuances that not all search engines know about. After all, many simply go to the fields, old maps, and let’s collect the “lost items”, that is, coins. But you also need to understand where treasures were hidden in old houses, so that you can not only look in the fields for, as they say, “remains,” but also more valuable finds and be the first on the spot, and not finish off after someone else what’s left.
Perhaps I won’t discover America for someone, because this topic has been discussed 100 times on various forums, these methods were shown in videos, this topic was often discussed in VK groups. Therefore, since there is a lot of information on the Internet, it is scattered in parts. I want to collect it in one pile and publish it on my blog.
Attention!!! Anyone who likes the article and wants to supplement it with their own stories or secrets about hidden treasures can write in the comments, I will be happy to supplement this article with your methods or guesses.
Where were the treasures hidden?
And so, initially in the old days they believed that when building a house, if you put silver coins in the foundation, then there would always be prosperity in the house. Some did this ritual to appease the brownie so that he would not play pranks in the house. This ritual was called “Incense”.
Therefore, it does not matter what year the house was built, because... This sign or superstition has remained to this day, and even now in the 21st century, coins are placed in the corner of the foundation so that there is supposedly money in the house.
So it’s worth looking at the corner of the house in the foundation, especially if the house is being demolished.
Every old house has a basement. Search engines know that nowadays in old houses, the basements are usually filled with garbage and little remains of them. It is true, and this is the bitter truth. But in fact, we don’t need the bottom of the basement, we need its walls. Because it is in the walls that you can often find that same secret brick that was walled up with jewelry.
I want to tell you a story about a treasure hidden in a basement, you should like it, maybe you won’t be so disdainful of looking for treasures in old cellars and basements. Because there is a lot of dust, cobwebs and collapses, that’s exactly what I thought before, and I never even climbed into them.
1917, revolution! Anarchy completely engulfed Odessa. Banditry flourished. Only according to official data from police reports, 5-8 raids, 20-30 thefts and robberies, and from 5 to 15 criminal murders were recorded every day. Just imagine the panic of Odessa residents.
There were a lot of Jews living in Odessa at that time. And as a rule they did not live in poverty. One of these Jewish elders had plenty of gold, which would have been enough for both his children and grandchildren. He decided to hide it in his basement and quickly go abroad to his son until everything calmed down. Naturally, he could not take all the gold coins he had acquired with him, because he was afraid of a robbery attack on him, and that he would be left with nothing.
In the basement he had a narrow niche in which he put all the goods with a box in this bottom, covered it with bricks and cemented it. He did all this at night, the day before leaving. And he went to his son in Israel.
Exactly two years later, when the unrest in Odessa had more or less subsided, he decided to return with his son for the jewelry to hand it over to the heir. So when they returned, the house was demolished, and naturally his cache could no longer be found there. And the old man had a heart attack.
I don’t know if this is true or not, one man told me this story, and I decided to share it with you.
The attic is a place that is always dry and difficult to access. Therefore, treasures were often hidden in attics. Usually this place was near the chimney, or between the ceiling and the roof. As with the previous method, the attic is a permanent place where not only acquired wealth was hidden, but weapons were often hidden there from prying eyes.
You can often find German helmets in attics, because... in Soviet times, if a German helmet was found in the yard, they could be sent to court. Therefore, those who found German helmets, or children brought them into the house, the residents tried to put them in the attic, to avoid unnecessary problems.
Also in attics you can find a lot of interesting finds in the dust on the floor. When all the washed clothes were dried in the attics in winter, coins, badges, etc. very often fell out of pockets. It’s difficult to call this a treasure. But as good finds, you can.
Oak in Rus' has always been considered a magical tree. Therefore, an oak tree was often planted near the house as a symbol of masculinity, or to supposedly feed the house with energy. It was believed that the oak was a very tall tree, but lightning had never struck it.
Therefore, very often treasures were hidden near the oak tree, because oak is a long-lived tree, and our ancestors were sure that even after 100-200 years, this tree would be in the same place, and it very often served as a good guide so as not to forget the place.
So when looking for treasure, pay attention not only to oaks, but to tall old trees, which may be the very same treasure. As a rule, the treasure may not be in the roots themselves, because over many years the tree could have carried the treasure away several meters around.
Oh, and stock up on a lot of patience and a sharp axe. because digging out coins from roots is the most difficult thing treasure hunters can have.
The well is exactly the place where they could dump everything they acquired in a hurry. Because this place is very difficult to reach.
But nowadays it is very difficult to find wells that have already been preserved; they are all collapsed and silted up so much that it is already difficult to find anything there. But abandon the search magnet that I wrote about here. I highly recommend that if you have such an interesting thing, don’t forget to use it.
By the way, silver was very often thrown into the well. It is believed that silver cleans water and kills all bacteria. I don’t know how true this is, but it’s true that this method has been used for a long time.
So if you have the opportunity to dig into a well that is not deep, I would recommend looking there.
The underground in the house is exactly the place where, according to statistics, most treasures are found. What’s easier is to remove the board and hide precious finds there. After all, this is the most inconspicuous place, and at the same time the easiest for a hiding place.
I read on one forum that one guy (a search engine) only searches under the floor, without looking into other hot spots. Justifying this by the fact that it is under the floor where all the gusto is. Either it fell or rolled, or it was just a hiding place. But it is there that he picks up all the finds.
Very often they hid coins in the stove, specifically in the vent. Since the place is always dry, it was not noticeable. That's why I would recommend checking there more often.
In general, the most best search treasures, this is on a tip. When someone tells you that they know 100% that there is a treasure in this house. Then the percentage of probability of finding something valuable there increases.
For example, a friend of mine found 2 chervonets based on a tip. Although the one who told him about the treasure was sure that there should be more coins there, but most likely they were hidden in another place, because the whole house was searched. We searched all the secret places, removed the underground, broke down the stove and found nothing. And two chervonets were found in a clay brick in a barn.
I finally decided to touch on the topic of mortgaged coins in foundations. I think many will be interested to know this.
In Rus', a bookmark of 1-2 copper or silver coins(rarely more) were done under the so-called. The "red" or "front" corner of the house. Placed directly between logs or bricks. Most often they tried to orient the huts to the cardinal points.
The “Red Corner” was located on the eastern side diagonally from the stove and was formed by the side and front walls. Thanks to the windows in these walls, the Red Corner was well lit.
A person, entering a living space, first of all saw the icons placed there, and gave honor to the Lord, and then to the owners of the house.
Another popular explanation for this location of the “Red Corner” is due to the fact that the sun rises in the east. The first rays fall on the faces of the saints, and then they warm the rest of the household. As the sun sets, the last ray leaves the icons.
In cities, when laying the foundation of a wealthy house, a whole treasure was placed in a corner. According to custom, a feast was held at which a coin was collected from the guests.
The money collected in this way was placed in a metal box, sealed and placed in a corner of the foundation.
There was such a case. They dismantled the frame and reached the brick foundation. They destroyed the corner, and silver coins fell from there. We counted 27 fifty dollars from 1924-1926.
Another example is two silver rubles of Catherine II. Found when dismantling stones at the site of the farmstead foundation.
Source http://hobby-detecting.ru