Jerusalem Talmud Bava Metzia 2:3

משנה: וְאֵילּוּ חַייָב לְהַכְרִיז. מָצָא פֵירוֹת בְּכֶלִי אוֹ כֶלִי כְמוֹת שֶׁהוּא. מָעוֹת בְּכִיס אוֹ כִיס כְּמוֹת שֶׁהוּא. צִיבּוּרֵי פֵירוֹת צִיבּוּרֵי מָעוֹת שְׁלֹשָׁה מַטְבֵּיעוֹת זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה. כְּרִיכוֹת בִּרְשׁוּת הַיָּחִיד וְכִיכָּרוֹת שֶׁל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת וְגִיזֵּי צֶמֶר הַלְקוּחוֹת מִבֵּית הָאוּמָּן. כַּדֵּי יַיִן וְכַדֵּי שֶׁמֶן חַייָב לְהַכְרִיז. MISHNAH: But the following must be made public²⁸Because there are distinguishing marks which the legitimate owner can identify if only the bare fact that such-and-such an item was found was made public.: If one found produce in a container or simply a container, coins in a wallet or simply a wallet, heaps of produce, heaps of coins²⁹The amount and kind of the coins can be indicated., three coins one on top of the other³⁰The particular way in which the coins were arranged is a distinguishing mark., bundles of grain in a private domain³Small bundles which are blown away by the wind or moved by passing animals or people; they cannot be expected to be found at the place where they were lost. Since most farmers make such bundles, their shape is no identifying mark., home-baked loaves³¹They have peculiar shapes which distinguish them from professionally produced loaves., fleece wool taken from an artisan’s house³²Showing signs of processing.. Pitchers of wine and pitchers of oil he has to make public.

הלכה: וְאֵילּוּ חַייָב לְהַכְרִיז כול׳. רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר. ג̇ מַטְבֵּיעוֹת שֶׁלְּג̇ מְלָכִים. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. וַאֲפִילוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן שֶׁלְּמֶלֶךְ אֶחָד וַעֲשׂוּיִין גּוֹדָלִין. שֶׁלְּג̇ מְלָכִים וַעֲשׂוּיִין ג̇ גּוֹדָלִין. אוֹ אֲפִילוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן שֶׁלְּמֶלֶךְ אֶחָד וַעֲשׂוּיִין גּוֹדָלִין. HALAKHAH: “But the following must be made public,” etc. Rav Jehudah says three coins of three kings³³Three coins from three mints are certainly an identifying mark. In the Babli, 25a, this is a statement by the Galilean R. Ḥanina.. Rebbi Eleazar said, or even three from one king if they form a tower³⁴If the loser can indicate both the kind of coin and the way they were arranged, he is identified as the owner. In the Babli, 25a, the only arrangement counted as identifying mark is that of a tower, the coins one on top of the other.? Of three kings and they are in three towers? Or even three of one king as a tower³⁵This is the final answer. The claimant must identify either three different mintings or one kind of coin and the way they were arranged. Then it would be improbable that the arrangement was accidental..

כַּדֵּי יַיִן וְכַדֵּי שֶׁמֶן חַייָב לְהַכְרִיז. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. אִין הֲוָה כְּגוּן אָהֵן מַצּוּבָה אֵין חַייָב לְהַכְרִיז. מָהוּ כְּגוֹן אָהֵן מַצּוּבָה. כְּגוֹן אָהֵין קַרְפֵּיפָא שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹשָׁה בְנֵי אָדָם. מִכֵּיוָן דְּלָא יְדַע לְמָאן מְחַזְּרָה אֵין חַייָב לְהַכְרִיז. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אַתְּ שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ. בַּר נַשׁ הֲוָה מְהַלֵּךְ חוֹרֵי רִבִּי חֲלַפְתָּא נְפַל מִינַּייהוּ חַד דֵּינָר. מִכֵּיוָן דְּלָא יְדַע לְמָאן מְחַזְּרָה אֵינוֹ חַייָב לְהַכְרִיז. שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר װָה הֲוָה מְהַלֵּךְ חוֹרֵי רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר. נְפַל מִינֵּיהּ דֵּינָר. אוֹשְׁטֵיהּ לֵיהּ שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר װָה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. כְּבָר נִתְייָאַשְׁתִּי מִינֵּיהּ. אָֽמְרֵי. לֹא אִיתְכַּװֵן רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר אֶלָּא לְזַכְוייֵהּ לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר װָא בְּגִין דַּהֲוָה אִינַּשׁ מִסְכֵּן. “Pitchers of wine and pitchers of oil he has to make public.”³⁶This quote from the Mishnah is out of place since one continues the discussion of single coins found. Rebbi Joḥanan said, if it was like a tripod³⁷Three coins forming a regular triangle. This arrangement does not count as identifying mark.
A corral is an enclosed space where nobody dwells permanently. If there are three tool sheds or three cow sheds in the corral, it may well be triangular. one does not have to make it public. What means, like a tripod? For example, a corral belonging to three people. Since one does not know to whom to return it, he does not have to make it public. Rebbi Yose³⁸This clearly refers to R. Yose the Amora, not the Tanna ben Ḥalafta. The meaning of the mention of “R. Ḥalafta” in his statement is not clear. said, one understands from here that if a person went behind Rebbi Ḥalafta and a denar fell down from them, since one does not know to whom to return it, he does not have to make it public³⁹If there are no identifying marks and there is a doubt even between only two people, the find does not have to be returned.. Simeon bar Abba was walking behind Rebbi Eleazar; a denar fell down from him. Simeon bar Abba presented it to him. He answered, I already had given up hope about this. They said, Rebbi Eleazar only intended it for Rebbi Simeon bar Abba because he was poor⁴⁰Since he refused to accept alms, R. Eleazar found a way to give him money in a way understood only by scholars.