"Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the…

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons” is a seasonal saying that has been printed on many images. The saying is usually credited to American journalist Jim Bishop (1907-1987), who didn’t say it exactly this way.

“It (autumn—ed.) is a season of vigor, of promise. It carries more gold in its hands than the other seasons combined,” Jim Bishop wrote in a newspaper column on October 22, 1977. “Autumn in orange and black, a Halloween mask, grinning at a make-believe world. It carries more gold in its hand than all the other seasons,” Bishop wrote in a column on September 26, 1978. “Autumn, It carries more gold in its hand than all the other seasons,” Bishop wrote in a column on September 30, 1981.

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.—Jim Bishop, writer” was printed in The Missoulian (Missoula, MT) on October 15, 1994. Although the “pocket” version has become popular, it appears that Bishop used only “hand” or “hands.”

Wikipedia: Jim Bishop
James Alonzo Bishop (November 21, 1907 – July 26, 1987) was an American journalist and author who wrote the bestselling book The Day Lincoln was Shot.

22 October 1977, Evening Herald (Shenandoah, PA), “A Season with Gold in Its Hands” by Jim Bishop, pg. 4, cols. 1, 3:
Autumn…
(Col. 3—ed.)
It is a season of vigor, of promise. It carries more gold in its hands than the other seasons combined.

26 September 1978, Morning Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA), “The Sights, Sounds, and Smells of Autumn” by Jim Bishop, pg. 14-A, col. 5:
Autumn in orange and black, a Halloween mask, grinning at a make-believe world. It carries more gold in its hand than all the other seasons.

30 September 1981, Morning Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA), “Autumn is…” by Jim Bishop, pg. 10-B, col. 2:
Autumn, It carries more gold in its hand than all the other seasons.

18 September 1992, Pharos-Tribune (Logansport, IN), pg. A5, col. 2:
Autumn carries
more gold in its
hand than all
the other seasons.
—Jim Bishop

15 October 1994, The Missoulian (Missoula, MT), pg. C-1, col. 5:
VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.
—Jim Bishop, writer

Google Books
Quotable Quotes
By Editors of Reader’s Digest
New York, NY: Reader’s Digest
1997
Pg. ?:
Autumn carries more gold in its hand than all the other seasons. —JIM BISHOP

Google Books
Autumn in the Country Cookbook
By Gooseberry Patch
Columbus, OH: Gooseberry Patch
2007
Pg. ?:
Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.
—Jim Bishop

Bustle
10 Autumn Quotes To Get You Excited About the First Day of Fall
By CHELSEY GRASSO
Sept 22 2014
(...)
4. “Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” —Jim Bishop

International Business Times
First Day Of Fall 2016 Quotes: 14 Sayings And Poems About Autumn For The Equinox
By Julia Glum @superjulia
09/22/16 AT 8:29 AM
(...)
“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” — Jim Bishop

Forbes
Sep 14, 2017, 10:04am
23 Unforgettable Fall Escapes
There’s a timely quote that goes, “Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” We’re almost certain that author Jim Bishop was talking more about the shades of leaves that the quality of hotel packages when he wrote that, but the observation appears to fit both quite nicely.

Elite Daily
32 Autumn Quotes For Instagram, Because You’re Fall-ing In Love With The Season
BYMARISA CASCIANO
October 8, 2018
(...)
27. “Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.” — Jim Bishop