I don’t remember that episode of GI. But from what I’m picking up from social media the money is a equivalent in weight but not real. Cody posted that he wasn’t allowed to keep the fire starting kit away from algina even though it was a group buy purchase. I guess we will have to wait to see if makody is allowed to keep the pot.
So, I doubt they would tear or burn real cash ( against the law) but we will so learn if it counts as a loss.
On GI, a man gameshow contestant was stranded “alone” on the island & had a transmitter / radio he tossed off cliff into water so castaways could not tell anyone they were there. When he returned home the castaways hear him learn the $10,000 was hidden inside the radio, and Mr Howell found the wet cash.