Old Money Discovered

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Mysterious East Van shop yields hidden bounty
Darah Hansen, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008
It was one of the great mysteries of Vancouver.

For years, city dwellers walking and driving past The Lido's stylish old storefront on East Broadway have wondered just what was behind the perennially closed glass door.

Hidden among the retro furniture and 1950s-era electronics, the piles of mildewed clothes, rat droppings and a mountain of rusted tuna and salmon cans, was a treasure no one could have anticipated: $400,000 in Canadian bank notes circa 1930.

The money was uncovered earlier this year following the death of the building's owner, an elderly German woman who lived in a small apartment above The Lido shop -- at 518 East Broadway, just east of Main Street -- for decades.

A cleanup crew hired to clear out the place -- which operated sporadically as a deli and general store before closing for good more than a decade ago -- found $950 in old $100 and $50 notes hidden under a rug.

But it was the caretaker who made the greatest discovery, stumbling on a bag containing a whopping $400,000 stuffed inside a bedroom closet.

"It was pretty amazing," said Brendan Fuss, a driver with 1-800-GOT-JUNK.


Fuss said the banknotes found under the rug were so antiquated the young clean-up crew thought they were fake.

"They thought it was play money from a Milton Bradley game board. They were almost ready to bag it up and toss it in the garbage," he said.

Fuss said the money was turned over to a chartered accountant working on behalf of the elderly woman's family.


Vancouver coin dealer Brian Grant Duff called The Lido discovery an "incredible find," adding that the recovered money could be worth as much as double its face value depending on the condition of the notes.

"The family," Duff said, "should definitely check them with a reputable dealer before taking them to the bank."

There was a big bank robbery in New West quite a few decades ago from what used to be a Bank of Montreal located on Columbia St. The Money was never recovered, there could be a connection.
Anyways, I can't wait to see it, chances are that it may go to J&M for appraisal. In fact J&Ms it's located a few blocks on the same street from where it was found.

Dei Gratia

There was a big bank robbery in New West quite a few decades ago from what used to be a Bank of Montreal located on Columbia St. The Money was never recovered, there could be a connection.
Anyways, I can't wait to see it, chances are that it may go to J&M for appraisal. In fact J&Ms it's located a few blocks on the same street from where it was found.

Dei Gratia

This is so interesting- PD- keep us up to date!     Where are you getting your info from? I haven't heard anything in the news...


H

PD- keep us up to date!     Where are you getting your info from? I haven't heard anything in the news...

Hey Punky mon, you said you'd keep your mouth shut.  Remember what happened to the last guy ......    No more bricks for you

Here is the news article
Junk haulers in Vancouver got quite a surprise while clearing out the apartment above a derelict deli -- turning up close to $1,000 in bills dating back to the 1930s.

The cash, found hidden under a rug, was only a small fraction of the treasure that was stashed in the building.

Shortly afterwards, the caretaker for the building found a paper bag stuffed with $400,000 in dusty bills, also dating back 70 years. By today's standards, the Depression-era nest egg would be worth an estimated $50 million.

Brendan Fuss, who was working on the 1-800-Got-Junk crew that found the initial $1,000, said the discovery was unexpected.

The crew was cleaning out the apartment after the death of the former owner.

"It was a little bit of a surprise for sure," Fuss told CTV's Canada AM on Friday.

"You don't usually think that you're going to find anything much of value after everybody has sort of been through the building and you think you're just going to find carpeting and such. But yeah, all of a sudden a lot of money is showing up and it definitely sparks interest pretty fast."

Though others might have been tempted to quietly slip the cash into a pocket for safekeeping, Duff said the thought never crossed his mind.

"Not really, especially considering the age of the money. It wasn't just fifties, it was multiple hundreds of dollar bills from decades ago, more than 50 years ago, 60, 70 years ago. And just because of the uniqueness of the money it wasn't even really a thought to hang onto it. It was more just a thrill to even find it."

The east Vancouver building, which housed a closed-down deli called the Lido, has now been sold, and the current owners know little about the previous owner, a woman named Margaret Rothweiler who died in February.

She had lived in the building since the 1940s and ran the business with her husband for several years. However, the shop had not been opened in recent memory.

Current co-owner of the building Jonathan Kerridge and his business partner have imagined all kinds of scenarios about where the money may have come from: bank robberies, bootlegging, Nazi war criminals.

However, one of Rothweiler's relatives suggested the answer is probably much less sinister.

"Margaret knew how to hold on to a buck,'' Jack Rothweiler, Margaret's nephew, told CTV British Columbia. "That's a family trait. I've got some squirreled away too."

Currency expert Brian Grant Duff told Canada AM the value of the bills to coin collectors will depend on their condition, serial numbers and the signature on the notes.

I just talked to Brian Grant Duff on the phone and he told me the hoard headed back east to the surviving family. He never got to really see it.

SO it is out there some where look for it at the next Torex show.


Steiner

Aww Nuts! It's headed out east. 
Looks like you guys out east will be seeing it.

Really the question is if this hoard does not appear on the market with in the next 24 months. Who is holding it?

I may get rediscoved again when someone else passes away. In anther 20 years ?


Steiner

Aww Nuts! It's headed out east. 
Looks like you guys out east will be seeing it.

Rats. All the good stuff always ends up in the east.

OT, but to answer Steiner's signature, yes, the songs ARE the same.

Based on the available evidence (i.e., " ... more than 50 years ago, 60, 70 years ago") it sounds to me as if the hoard, if it ever comes to light, will be found to be very heavy in circulated 1937 and 1954 issues. However, in view of the sheer quantity involved there are certain to be a few treasures and probably some 1935 and earlier issues. Perhaps some of the 40 outstanding Bank of Canada $500 notes are lurking in this hoard?!

Rats. All the good stuff always ends up in the east.

East means the FAR EAST. The family is in China and could probably care less of what it looks like or the history.

It may end up back in Canada at some point.

East means the FAR EAST. The family is in China and could probably care less of what it looks like or the history. It may end up back in Canada at some point.

I thought the deceased lady had a German name?

East means the FAR EAST. The family is in China and could probably care less of what it looks like or the history.

It may end up back in Canada at some point.

Pray tell where any of the articles mention China, or, at least reveal the source of your information. 

EDIT: The previous owner died several years ago, and I'm pretty sure the current owner is still in Vancouver. Ready to eat your words yet?

As the article points out the person's name was Margaret Rothweiler along with my conversation with Brian Grant Duff the hoard move east he said, not far east. I again spoke with Brian today and he confirm that we now know as much about the hoard as him as he says he was only told "back east".

Regards

Steiner

The article says that a stash of circa 1930 Canadian notes (BoC, DoC or chartered, it doesn't say) with a face value of $400,000 were found in an old store in Vancouver.  A local dealer claims that the find could be worth "double face value". 

ONLY double?

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=de1b5947-9393-456d-aff7-28eca31383bb

I wish I had a chance to get at this hoard, or else I could have "disposed" of the notes for the cleaning crew .

A well known seller has many notes for sale on ebay right now from an old hoard. I wonder if this is from the same hoard.

If you are referring to the several lots of notes, around 9 or 12, from a hoard being sold by eBay seller "Ma's Attic", they were delisted by eBay. I know because I had bid on 6 lots and eBay sent me their notice that they had been pulled . Does any member know the actual reason why these certain lots were delisted? I know that she is in good standing and I have bought some of her notes in the past.

A well known seller has many notes for sale on ebay right now from an old hoard. I wonder if this is from the same hoard.

I was thinking exactly the same thing. The notes were deleted from eBay because of a Power Seller logo infraction but they have since been relisted and are experiencing heavy bidding activity.

The seller (ma*s_attic) is the same seller who offered several Choice/Gem Unc $50 1937 Osborne-Towers notes a year or two ago but they turned out to be pressed. The seller has been rumoured to have links to a Canadian operation.

If you are referring to the several lots of notes, around 9 or 12, from a hoard being sold by eBay seller "Ma's Attic", they were delisted by eBay. I know because I had bid on 6 lots and eBay sent me their notice that they had been pulled . Does any member know the actual reason why these certain lots were delisted? I know that she is in good standing and I have bought some of her notes in the past.

I was wondering why the listing was shown as unavailable for a *DE note I was watching for the wiki when I looked at the bookmark I saved. The problem is, what is the entire reason as to these listings were pulled, because all we have to go on is rumors and hearsay.

EDIT: Apparently, it was because of the fact that the user had been inactive for a while, so the PowerSeller designation had lapsed, even though the PowerSeller mark was still in the logo.