Late 50s my brother and I were walking alongside the Chicago & NorthWestern viaduct, suddenly he started running. I saw what he was running toward, a paper grocery sack that looked like it was full. He had a 30 foot lead on me so I yelled "Whatever it is I get half!" He reached the bag and opened it, started laughing and said "You want the head or the tail?" It was a dead alley rat.
VietNam era Naval Aviators had tiny wafers of pure gold sewed into the lining of their flight suits, dunno if they still do that but it was a secret at the time. Better than paper money because you can use it to bribe even people who have never seen paper money. Everyone understands gold and silver no matter how far from civilization they live.