I’ll talk about guineas, not pennies.
My mother often spoke of Guineas – gold coins used as currency during British rule.
She came from a landowner (zamindar) family. Her grandparents packed guineas in metal pots and hid them between brick walls. She also mentioned slabs of gold and silver-coated decorations on arched doors and ceilings.
Later, a story was circulated that people who tried to unearth the treasure met with Death (maybe someone had already whisked the wealth away). The believers did not venture into it. Her father believed that the wealth was earned by harassing farmers to pay taxes so that it would bring misfortune. Despite being the first Graduate in his village, he led a middle-class life as a clerk in a municipal corporation. No wonder Lord Macaulay is derided for the education system he created. It was meant to develop employees for the British Raj.
He gifted his wife’s jewellery to his daughters because he couldn’t afford to buy new ones. As fate would have it, all three daughters lost the gold in different incidents of theft, which cemented his belief that the wealth was inauspicious.
We once travelled to the village to see the ruins of the magnificent mansion. Her cousins sold the village property and settled down in cities. I see them prospering and wonder, “Was the wealth inauspicious or fated? It went to those who deceived and manipulated.”
Creative Experiments and More 
Questions to ponder over, Reena. I have heard that ‘दाने दाने पर लिखा है खाने वाले का नाम . ‘
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True. I also heard that if you despise or reject wealth, it goes away. Lakshmi comes to those who worship it above everything else.
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I’ve heard of this practice in pre- partition days
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Yes. The story belongs to that era.
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And I too have heard many tales of treasures found.
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What ever the era may be wealth is for sure manipulated. Players may have changed but the vision might be same.
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Wealth gives power and that is the prime reason for all game-playing.
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My grandparents on my mother’s side owned a butcher shop and after they died, my Aunt found about 75 gold dollar coins in their safety deposit box, but sadly she sold them just before the price of gold doubled in value.
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Gold prices are rapidly rising in India. I wish my mother had inherited some of that wealth 🤪
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Gold always seems to be a good investment, and I wish that I owned a gold mine.
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🔑💰
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Can you think of any big money that wasn’t made off the backs of the common man in one way or another?
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Not really 😂
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Wealth always manages to go to wealth, especially when there is an injustice
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True that. Thank you, Diana!
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🙂
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