Hole in the wall reveals a small fortune

WINDBER, Pa. – Talk about throwing away money. Piles of old coins worth as much as $200,000 were found in a long-abandoned home, including scores that the owner had apparently thrown down a hole in the wall.

Jeff Bidelman, owner of Rare Collectibles near Johnstown, said he was helping the family clean out the house after the death of the owners, who had not lived there for two decades.

He was dragging a bag of old coins down the steps when he noticed the hole in an upstairs wall.

“The woman said when she was a kid, there were always rumors that that’s where they threw their money,” Bidelman said.

Within minutes of tearing down the first-floor wall below the hole, Bidelman was wading in piles of old coins.

“They think they are going to get $100,000,” Bidelman said. “I think they will probably get $200,000.”

After sorting through the coins, Bidelman found some minted as early as 1793.

Some are worth about $8,500 and have already been posted on the Web for purchase, Bidelman said.

The family’s name and the exact location of the home in Windber, about 10 miles southeast of Johnstown, have not been disclosed.