The bank teller is actually supposed to inform you.
A tip for those cleaning out grandma’s home: If you come across a cash horde before you do anything with it, go to YOUR bank and speak with a manager. Explain the situation in general terms and do not bring the cash with you.
They can walk you through the process. If Grandma lives in a state where you don’t have an account, do the same thing where Grandma has her accounts. You may need to open an account at that bank. If you are not a legal rep of the person. Just having a death certificate is not enough.
If Grandma is still alive SHE has to do this.
Or just use the cash as cash. In another case I just collected up the $5k or so and used it for gas and groceries. $5k isn’t going to get you in trouble though.
This is sensitive to me because I may be in a situation where I need to bring a LOT of gold across the country. So far, the safest way seems to be by vehicle. That is, unless I want to use brinks or something We’ll see. It’s only worth five figures, so I’ll have to consider risk/cost/reward.