Found a $20 bill in a library book from 1987

I was cleaning out donated books at our small library in Dayton and a worn copy of 'The Thorn Birds' fell open to page 342 with a crisp $20 bill tucked inside. Turns out it was a first edition worth about $80 now plus the cash, and the money reminded me how people used to hide savings in books before banks were everywhere. Does anyone else find old money or notes in secondhand things and wonder about the person who left it?

3 comments

3 Comments

miller.rowan8d ago

That bit about "carry that little piece of their story forward" is exactly right. If the bill's still crisp and the book's in good shape, I'd check the publication date against the copyright page to make sure it matches the first edition claim, then get the cash to a rare book dealer for an appraisal. Otherwise you might just pocket a cool find and miss out on the real story.

paige3318d ago

Oh wow, that's such a cool find. I always get a little sad when I think about the person who left it, like maybe they forgot or something happened to them. It's kind of sweet that you get to carry that little piece of their story forward.

emma_flores5d ago

Think about all the thrift store finds with stories behind them, @paige331, that's what makes it special.