I've tried almost the same experiment. While I now consistently find change on the ground (dimes, pennies) I don't find any significant amounts. Upon reflection, I theorize that one cannot manifest found money in this fashion since in order to to find it, someone else must lose it. No gains at the cost of another person's loss.
You might wonder then, why the change? I suspect it's because people have become unfazed by the loss of such small amounts. In fact, notice the number of people who will leave their change behind at a store because they consider it too much trouble to carry around. |