It's probably happened to me a dozen times that I can actually remember. The first time I can remember was a $20 on the floor of a Blockbuster Video. Most recently I found a 50 euro note on the ground in La Reunion about a year ago. But I guess that's technically not a $20 bill, so maybe it doesn't count.

If you allow for faux currency exchange, keeping your eyes aimed down at a renaissance fairground is pretty much guaranteed to turn up enough food tickets for a turkey leg.

I've once found an 5000 HUF (18 USD) bill on the floor in a pub. I picked it up and wanted to ask "who lost this?" then I realized that everybody would answer "me!" so I just kept it.

My father taught me a trick. It's not foolproof, but it's better than your version.

You ask if anyone lost any money. If someone says they did, you follow up with "how much money, and how big were the bills?"

Then they have to know an amount, how many bills, and what denomination.

You can imagine that it's hard to fake, and anyone being genuine will have a pretty good idea of what you're holding.

Now that's a good trick, thanks!

I have a friend who is notorious for always finding money on the ground. He has found a lot of money just lying around.

Once, while eating a pizza with canned mussels, he felt something hard. It turned out there was a pearl in his pizza.

I found $315 blown against a street curb on my run with my wife one morning. It was roughly 7am and nobody else in sight so we just took it... Admittedly, when people ask the ethical question of "do you report it to the police?", I suppose my answer is "no". I gave myself solace in thinking it might've just been a drug deal that went wrong. ;)

My anecdote: I picked up a £20 note on the sidewalk in London two weeks ago.

"Woman who found £20 note on floor convicted of theft"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-391...

I found a handful of money on the sidewalk once walking back from class, about $12. More recently found a $100 bill in my sister's front yard (not her money, presumably blown there by the wind).

It happens.

> Yes, people love to laugh at this mythical economist, but seriously, when's the last time you saw a legit $20 bill just lying on the ground?

1996 (±2 years) in an arcade, actually.

I found a $10 two years ago in a field.

It was really ragged, so much so that the bank wouldn't take it. So I still have it.

That was just about the same timeframe when I found one as well (on a college campus in my town).

Actually, I did a few months ago. Found a twenty on my lawn. Then found more, blown up against the hedge - ended up being a total of $180, plus the bank withdrawal slip. We took it back to the bank to return to the owner.

But it was neat, finding money just right out there on my own lawn.

Just last week I put a 20 euro note on ebay and the highest bid was under 5 euro. I guess everybody was thinking like an economist.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/263028687192?

As a counterexample, I regularly lose cash money...

Sometimes money literally falls out my pocket when I fumble out a wad of cash while i'm inebriated.

Other times I carelessly leave my wallet somewhere stupid and the money "walks off."

Over the past 2 years, I've probably lost over $1000 this way.

As a kid I once missed out on a few hundred in cash on the ground at our local golf course. My friend walking behind me was paying more attention to the ground and spotted it after I had just walked past...

What are you trying to proof? How the fact that you or people that read your comment here have not seen any bill changes the probability of a $20 bill sitting somewhere on the ground?

It's an n=1 comment. Take it for what it's worth.

Also, "proof" is a noun. You meant to use verb form "proove". "Proof" as a verb means to "proof-read" (to read with an editorial mindset).

prove

Three months ago while swimming in Miami Beach I found a $20 bill lying on the ocean floor.

Laughing a sinister laugh as I super glue a $20 to the sidewalk...

Classic Candid Camera from the 60s: "Bill Under Tire" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP8V53_YdMI&t=1m08s

The last one is the best.

Or this one: https://youtu.be/49xiMfzjpSs

I find coins on at least a monthly basis. I once found a $10 bill.

Happened to me two or three times in my life so far.

I found a fiver not to long ago...

I found a $10 a few months ago.