Treasure Hunter eBook 2010a11

From Noted Author, Soldier of Fortune and Treasure Hunter JACK THOMPSON

A COMPLETE AND COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO TREASURE HUNTING FOR A LIVING

The Holy Grail Treasure Hunting Of

This Book is Intended for the More Serious Minded and Intrepid Individual An Illustrated Easy-to-Follow Reference for Beginners and Experienced Metal Detectors that Includes Never Before Revealed Information about finding Lost Treasure

Table of Contents Preface..............................................................................................Page 1 Dedication.........................................................................................Page 2 Introduction......................................................................................Page 3 Chapter One What this Book is not about...............................................................Page 7 Other aspects of treasure hunting........................................................Page 8 Educating yourself - Know the Law....................................................Page 9 Chapter Two Self Survival - A serious reality check.................................................Page 11 Consider the Possibilities.................................................................Page 12 Keeping the dream alive....................................................................Page 13 Anything in moderation....................................................................Page 14 Modern Day Pirates.........................................................................Page 15 Boobie Traps...................................................................................Page 16 Chapter Three Setting youself up for success..........................................................Page 17 Cosmic Intervention.........................................................................Page 18 Things in your favor.........................................................................Page 19 Long history of lost treasure.............................................................Page 20 Other unique finds...........................................................................Page 21 Using Google Earth..........................................................................Page 22 Chapter Four Discretion........................................................................................Page 23 Chapter Five Different types of treasure hunting....................................................Page 25 Chapter Six Choosing a metal detector................................................................Page 27 Dowsing..........................................................................................Page 28 Chapter Seven Hope and Research..........................................................................Page 31 Faith, Trust and Determination..........................................................Page 32 Chapter Eight Equipment - Tools of the trade.........................................................Page 34 Common Sense and Safety...............................................................Page 36

Table of Contents Chapter Nine Site Reading - Conceptual Interpretation Old Forts and Batteries............................................................................37 Using your instincts..................................................................................39 Gidding and Plotting................................................................................41 Getting the Edge......................................................................................42 Chapter Ten Ghost Towns and Old Homesteads..........................................................43 Chapter Eleven Beaches, Shore lines, Shallow and Deep Water..........................................44 The Beach Zone.......................................................................................48 The Hard-Packed Zone............................................................................49 The Shallows Zone..................................................................................50 The Activity Zone....................................................................................51 The Deep Zone........................................................................................52 Cuts and Channels...................................................................................53 Sub-Chapter Eleven Shipwrecks and Scuba Diving..................................................................56 Water hides a vast amount of treasure.......................................................57 Chapter Twelve Search Techniques..................................................................................59 Chapter Thirteen Maps Old and New..................................................................................62 Summery Review...................................................................................64 Metal Detecting Sites............................................................................66

Real World Treasure Preface

Weather you want to pursue treasure hunting as a part time or full time venture you can now approach it with the confidence of a seasoned professional. Never before has there been a book like this one. A complete and comprehensive guide to finding lost and buried treasure. You are about to become the benefactor of more well kept secrets than you’ve ever imagined. You will be able to enter the world of treasure hunting with real world knowledge of how to actually go about it. My name is Jack Thompson and I’ve spent almost 50 years of my life acquiring this knowledge and information in tiny little bits and pieces along the way. Sometimes at great personal cost. It would only make sense for any of you to wonder why am I willing to divulge all of these well guarded and time honored secrets among treasure hunters? Well that’s just it. Time! The one thing I no longer have an abundance of is time. Besides, I’ve already had my share of success and limited notoriety. After all, what else do people do at the end of their run but write a book about their exploits. What’s the point of a lifetime’s work and achievement if you can’t pass it along. This is why I’ve decided to let you in on all the untold secrets of this alluring world of adventure and discovery. This book will reveal to you many of the proven techniques and methods that successful treasure hunters use and have kept to themselves from the very beginnings of early salvors and ancient recovery vessels to modern times. This is also going to make some people very unhappy. My apologies to any and all of you - Deal with it!

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Real World Treasure Dedication

THE RICHEST TREASURE I ever found was my loving and devoted wife Lynn who I met on one of those rare occasions when I wasn’t looking for something. Truly the very best way to find anything. A real siren of the sea her sweet and melodic song lured me into her arms and have held me there to this day. She has put up with my unconventional ideas and misadventures without hesitation or regard for her own feelings for as long as we’ve been together. It is only because of her that I am what I am today. Her love and loyalty throughout the years has always been my inspiration to seek out the treasures of life and see the good in people. Over the years my love and passion for treasure has gradually faded and been replaced completely by my love for her in what I see as my greatest find ever. No amount of treasure could ever replace her importance and value in my life. So for all the time we’ve spent apart, and all the time it took me to put this book together and take away from you, once again I say thank you for being my wife. You are truly my golden goddess of luck and good fortune and in my eyes shine brighter than any treasure I’ve ever looked upon.

Love is the greatest treasure of all. I love you wife.

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Real World Treasure Real World Treasure “THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED”

The road less traveled is also the road to riches and fame. Follow the road that one twelve year old boy decided to take and find out just how far he went and what he discovered! Introduction

SINCE I WAS A BOY growing up in Key West, I’ve been hunting for treasure. With little or nothing for a young boy to do back in the early 1960’s, the Keys did offer one particular thing: Many stories of buried pirate plunder, sunken Spanish treasure ships, salvors and ships that were deliberately scuttled on the reefs. Finding gold doubloons, pieces of eight and the like always peeked my interest. Heck, it peeked every body’s interest for that matter. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much a 12 year old boy could do to locate any of that sort of thing until one fateful day - my father - who worked in a shipyard, brought home a strange looking piece of equipment. “It’s a Metal Detector!” He exclaimed. “You use it to find stuff and they were going to throw it away.” “I don’t know how it works or even if it works, but you can fool around with it if you want.” He said. I COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EARS. “A metal detector! Wow! Uhh, OK... Wait a minute, what’s a metal detector?” I asked. “You can find metal things like coins and rings.” My dad said. I had never even heard of a metal detector before but upon hearing that I couldn’t wait to try it out. It only had a couple of knobs and an on/off switch so how hard could it be to figure out how to use it, right? It took some kind of battery that I’d never seen before and I tried my best to find some way to make it work. But it was an effort in futility, even after rigging a power source it still didn’t work! 3

Real World Treasure THERE WAS NO ONE who could help me with the electronics. Not in Key West anyway. But that wasn’t going to stop me. That fact that I now knew there was such a thing as a metal detector was all that mattered and all I did was badger my father day in and day out to get me one. (At this point I’m sure he was sorry he ever brought it home.) Why if I had a metal detector just think of the possibilities. All my dreams and aspirations were attainable. I’d be rich, recognized and well thought of in the community. Buried treasure was just on the horizon. It was just outside my door on the beach or perhaps in the park or some of the smaller islands and Cays. I tingled with excitement and anticipation. Day dreaming became a full time pass time. BUT METAL DETECTORS were a hard item to come by back in those days and the Sears and Roebuck catalog didn’t carry them either. “Man, if Sears didn’t have them nobody did.” At least that’s what my father said. I think he was just trying to discourage me or put me off once and for all. Admittedly, I was a bit of a pain in backside about it. But nothing was going to stop me. I was determined. Owning my own metal detector was my way off of this dinky, nothing to do, no where to go swamp of an island! (I wish I could afford to live there today... But that’s another chapter I’m going to write in my next book: “Things I should have done!”) But I digress! OK, SO ONE AFTERNOON I was sulking and kicking dirt down at the boat yard when one my father’s co-workers yells “hey kid! - Did you ever get that thing to work?” I looked over at him... He was smiling a bit and looked harmless enough so I said “no, that piece of crap! All it does is beep and hum.” “That’s what it’s supposed to do kid!” He said with a bigger smile. “What!” I exclaimed! “What do you mean that’s what it does.” I asked. “Yeah, and when you go over top a piece of metal it makes sort of a whistle or some other kind of noise. I used it around here to find parts and stuff we dropped in the sand.” He added. 4

Real World Treasure I WAS STYMIED for a few seconds. I never thought of putting something down on the ground and going over top of it. How could I have been so stupid, so naive, so lacking in vision. “Oh my god!” I thought to myself. That thing could actually have been working all along. ALL OF THIS went through my brain in a couple of seconds. Upon bringing myself to this realization and gathering my thoughts I virtually “landed” on the poor guy. So many questions pored through my head I could hardly ask them one at a time. “Woah, woah, woah, kid!” He said. “First of all your old man left the charging chord here. I think it’s still in the shop. So I don’t know how you could tell if it worked or not.” He continued. I told him about my rigging up a power supply but the only thing I could get it to do is squeal, beep and whistle. He laughed out loud much to my chagrin. I WAS FEELING like a complete moron but so excited with the prospect that it actually worked I didn’t know what to do next. The guy’s name turned out to be “Sully” short for “Sullivan” probably. I would have called him “Dad” if he would show me how the metal detector worked. We walked over to the shop and by godzilla, there was the charging chord. “Hot Damn, one step closer to fame and freedom” I thought to The boat yard where my old man and “Sully” worked! myself. SULLY SAID: “you go home and charge the battery, it’ll take all night, and then tomorrow bring it here on my lunch break and I’ll show you what I know.” Holy cow! It was all I could do to contain myself. I ran home and plugged it in with nervous anticipation and sure enough, the charging light came on! I was on my way to fame and fortune! When my old man came home (I was going to say “Dad” but for now Sully was my new “Dad”) I told him what happened that afternoon and asked why he never said anything about Sully. “I don’t know.” He said with a puzzled look on his face. “I never new what he was doing with it I guess.” 5

Real World Treasure HARDLY AN EXCUSE of any kind I thought. Parents are supposed to know everything. At least that’s what they kept telling me. I couldn’t stop going into my room and checking to see if the light did anything. I woke up during the night to check it’s progress several times... Nothing. When I woke up the light was green and a whole new world awaited me. I started waving that thing over nails in the floor, change from the old man’s ash tray and anything else I ran across or over - all the time paying particular attention to the sounds and tones. I AMUSED MYSELF all morning and then went over to see Sully. He said there used to be a manual but it had long since disappeared. Mostly what he did was just confirm what I had already learned that morning. He was hardly an expert with it and told me he just responded to most any sound it made in the area he was searching. We tried screws and different types of metal, springs and small parts of all kinds. When I brought his attention to the different sounds it made over different objects he said “well I’ll be darned, it does make different sounds. I never noticed that.” I knew at that point that Sully would no longer be of any help to me. Sully didn’t have the “ear” for it. He was tone deaf. But thanks to him a whole new world of adventure opened up for me and put me on a course that has taken me to where I am today. (Not that that’s any big deal.) THIS WAS MY INTRODUCTION into the fascinating world of Metal Detecting. If you’re just starting out I hope it holds as much excitement and wonder for you as it always has for me. But there are some perils and pitfalls along the way. How you start your adventure has everything to do with how successful you will be in the end. So read on, read carefully and don’t skip any important steps or be in a hurry. The treasure will always be there waiting for you - the trick is finding it and that’s what this book is all about.

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Real World Treasure Real World Treasure

An eye opening experience for beginners but...

Chapter One

Seasoned professionals will benifit as well

What this Book is not about! The information in this book is intended for serious minded and intrepid individuals who wish to pursue treasure hunting beyond the scope of a hobby! THERE ARE AT BEST a couple of dozen books out there on metal detecting and treasure hunting and I’ve read every one of them. I’ve also visited the many on-line web sites and I’ve got to say that if you combined all of that information you still wouldn’t have enough to attempt to make a living at it or even enjoy it as a hobby. Any useful information has been purposely left out and what is given is comprised of useless advise like wearing sun screen and comfortable clothing. What this book is not about is what I would consider everyday common sense and the natural law of “assumption.” What that means is I’m assuming that you have enough sense to know that treasure hunting for a living has some drawbacks and you already know how to pack a lunch. INTREPID - DEFINITION: Fearless, Courageous, Bold, and Daring - Resolute -Determined

SOME OF THE RAMBLINGS and nonsense I’ve read that’s in print and actually published lends way too much credibility to the phrase “The dumbing down of America.” If someone actually has to tell you not to dive into shark infested waters or play out in traffic, please find some other source of self fulfillment. Filling in the holes you dig, cleaning your finds, and looking for treasure in your own backyard is not what your going to find on these pages. THIS BOOK is dedicated to serious minded individuals who are savvy in the ways of the world, have a sense of taking risks and don’t have to be told to tie their boots. I’m not trying to dissuade any one new to the sport of treasure hunting, in fact, for you beginners, this is without a doubt the best thing you could have hit upon. 7

Real World Treasure

“Carpe Diem” - Sieze the Day! THOSE WHO WANT to better their chances of becoming a successful treasure hunter are going to be enlightened, enthused and enriched by the secrets you’re about to discover in this book. Of course other informative books on treasure hunting have been written, but most of them focus exclusively on one particular aspect like Coin hunting, shallow water hunting or relic hunting for example. And if you’re looking for dimes, nickels and belt buckles that’s fine too. I AM ASSUMING of course that this is not the only book you’ve read or are going to read about treasure hunting. There are some other books out there worth reading but they don’t cover the entire process and fall woefully short of any serious educational value. They are usually dedicated to a specific type of metal detecting, visual hunting, digging in trash pits for old bottles, going to garage sales and Flea Markets or panning for gold in streams. They talk about how to prepare for a treasure hunt by packing a nice picnic lunch, slathering on sun block and waiting for years for storms and hurricanes to uncover potential finds. TALKING ABOUT HOW to avoid poison ivy and chiggers is not what my idea of useful information and I’m assuming you have already considered the risks and rewards. I’m not going to tell you about the rules all good treasure hunters should follow like filling in the holes you dig and the many benefits of doing community service. This book is geared toward real world treasure hunting not archeology, or looking for primitive artifacts like spear heads and arrow points. Notwithstanding you need to do research on these other things as well as they are not without merit or potential value. And you do not want to leave anything of potential value no matter what it is. 8

Real World Treasure Real World Treasure INFORM AND EDUCATE YOURSELF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS you need to know about like; legalities concerning private property, contracts, local ordinances, state parks, federal land, treasure trove laws, third party claims and other such things. This information is available and easily accessible but I’m not trying to fill up pages in a book by offering advise like “wear Dr. Scholl’s insert cushions in your shoes.” This book is the informational meat and potatoes of treasure hunting - mostly the meat. YOU NEED to be as well informed and educated as possible in any venture you pursue full time as a means of income and treasure hunting is not an exception. Professional gamblers live their lives dealing with risks, odds and possibilities. But they narrow down the edge and improve their chances by learning every thing they can and factoring in a little luck. Insurance companies are really nothing more than book makers (they’re called actuaries because it sounds more dignified than bookie,) who calculate the odds of injury, accident or death mathematically. There are other examples I could use to convince you that risk is an acceptable part of life and should be taken in stride, but I’m not trying to do that. Treasure hunting involves risk, so again, what this book is not about is a promise or guarantee of success, but it will most definitely narrow down the odds and provide you with the edge.

Know the Law in your State regarding metal detecting and treasure hunting!

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Real World Treasure

A certain kindred spirit! IF YOU WANT to join a treasure hunting club for whatever reason be my guest. Some people derive a lot of enjoyment from it for one reason or another. Will any of them share good information with you? Well, that remains to be seen. But don’t count on it. If you don’t like feeling that you’re “a bit out of the norm” and you share a certain kindred spirit with the boys in the club, I would consider that as a good reason because we are at best, an unusual bunch.

MOST BOOKS you read will be very disappointing BUT SUCH IS NOT the intent of this book. I’m not going to tell you to keep a journal, ask permission to be on someone’s property or make sure you’ve got gas in your tank. One eBook I read consisted of 43 pages including the front and back cover. Now I know that most eBooks are usually not more than 50 pages but this one was double spaced, used a size 14 font had huge pictures between every 3 or 4 lines of words per page, had about 6 half pages, had 6 or 7 pages of permission slips for home owners 5 pages of absolute gibberish and nonsense, 5 pages of things that don’t pertain to the USA at all and the remaining pages filled with the most useless information I’ve ever read and to top it off looks like a 6 year old put it together. And all this for the everyday low price of almost $40.00. Oh well - Every lesson worth learning in life costs something. Even if it’s learning what not to do.

If anything this book is not - It’s that!

You’re going to spend some money doing research. You should expect to. Books are research. If you think treasure hunting is without cost and you can use a metal detector you found at a garage sale for $10.00 you’re being unrealistic and need to re-evaluate your approach. There are people who will argue this point but they are hobbyists not serious minded hunters. This book holds many real world secrets that are worth real money and is about real world treasure hunting and metal detecting. So if this is what you’re looking for keep reading - you won’t be disappointed!

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Let’s get Real! Think about it-

Chapter Two

Don’t quit your day job just yet

Self survival - A serious reality check Keeping a reasonable perspective and a level head on your shoulders - gold fever is a condition not a symptom TREASURE HUNTING as a hobby is a great pass time and has it’s own rewards but making it your full time job is going to require some self analysis. Questions have to asked and answered concerning your intensions and level of commitment. Your individual psychological profile, personal finances, marital and family status, zest for adventure, available time and so on are all questions you should ask and answer to yourself before you continue. Perhaps your a daydreamer and just curious about the subject. That’s fine too. BUT FOR THOSE of you with true intentions, understand that treasure hunting can be a cruel mistress that can only be handled by certain types of individuals in a financial position to do so, and only you know your own limitations. This is why so many metal detectors end up collecting dust in the garage. It sure sounds like a good idea at the time but without a certain amount of success you will soon become frustrated, disillusioned and give up the dream. THE TWO REASONS most new business ventures fail are the lack of money to carry them over until a reasonable return is realized and the lack of knowledge or education regarding what they’re doing. I don’t know what your monetary situation is but I do know the information contained in this book will give you a proper education. So let’s begin your education with a reality check: Is lost treasure real or is it just fantasy? Does treasure really exist? How much is it out there? Can people who are looking for treasure actually find it? What are my chances? Can you make a living at it? 11

Real World Treasure

Consider the possibilities! THE ANSWER to these compelling questions is quite simply “yes!” Yes to all of them. It’s not fantasy, it really does exist, there’s an abundance of it that’s not yet been found, people who look for it do indeed find it, and your chances are actually pretty The Lost City of Troy good believe it or not. If you want more encouragement let’s Trojan relic believed to be consider one famous treasure the “death mask” of King hunter by the name of Kip Priam whose reign ended Wagner who doggedly searched with the sacking of the city the eastern shores of Florida’s of Troy by the Greeks lead by rival King Agamemnon beaches for remanence of the along with many Greek 1715 Spanish treasure fleet that heroes of the age like Ajax, went down during a fierce hurriAchilles and Ulysses. cane and found several of those ships just off the coast. To this day, people are still finding gold and silver coins on those same beaches. A WELL KNOWN treasure hunter named Mel Fisher (who worked with Kip Wagner for a time) and his quest for the Spanish treasure ship Nuestra Senora de Atocha brought headlines around the world. How about the real life Indian Jones; archeologist Dr. John Russell who’s exploits of finding and preserving the Treasures of Nineveh in the middle east have brought him fame and fortune or Dr. Robert Ballard who found the Titanic in 1985 and has gone on to find many lost sunken treasure ships across the seven seas. Several other famous treasure hunters are; Art McKee, Gold Heinrich Schliemann (Lost City of Troy), Cork Graham, Reale Pendant Mike Hatcher, Robert Marx, Lee Spence, Bob Weller, from the Bobby Klein, Craig Hamilton, Marty Meylach, and wreck of the Tom Gurr who you may want to read about have all Atocha made their contributions as well. Although these people have had local, national and world wide acclaim there are many others who have found treasure hordes and never mentioned it to anyone - ever. I know this because I’m one of them. 12


Keeping the dream alive

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

WHAT I FOUND in Key West as a young boy is something I’ve never told anyone to this day and I will take it’s secret to my grave. There are treasure hunters out there who don’t want the notoriety or fame just so other people won’t attempt to make claim to it. Inviting the prying eyes of the IRS is not very desirable and there are always those that would relieve you of it in other ways. It’s like hitting the lottery, people come from everywhere. Friends, family, total strangers, investment firms, accountants, lawyers, the list is unending. THOSE THAT HAVE been through it will tell you it just takes any pleasure you might have enjoyed right out of the entire experience. But let’s not put the cart before the horse. You’ve got to find the treasure first! You can deal with your success later. I mentioned that I was going to tell you everything about treasure hunting and this is a very real part of it. So the reality check goes on. BEFORE YOU COMMIT yourself to anything you should know everything about it including yourself. There are lots of people who dream about or even practice treasure hunting or metal detecting on weekends and off hours as a hobby. This satisfies most of their dreams and illusions. It also keeps them level in their world where they may have a larger commitment to their family and putting food on the table. Unless you’re independently wealthy or have a life whereby you are able to devote your time, money and resources to treasure hunting the reality of doing it on a full time basis starts to become very limited. This is the main reason there are so few people that actually do it for a living. THE ONE THING that keeps the dream alive is the distinct possibility that on any given day someone with or without a metal detector will find treasure! Many times when they’re not even looking for it. It may not be a large cache of gold and silver. It might not be more than a coin from more recent times. The point is they found it!

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Real World Treasure

Anything in moderation It’s been lost or forgotten about but it’s been laying there just out of sight, hidden away all the while just waiting to be found. (Not that long ago some lucky fisherman literally stumbled onto a chest of gold on one of the smaller cays near Key West.) SO LET’S GET BACK to knowing yourself by asking some basic questions: Do you have a compulsion to seek out treasure that is an absolute driving force in you life? Is it one that would make you abandon your family, friends, stability, career, or any hope of a secure future? If it is... Then you’ve got the “treasure bug” and I would advise you to control your urges of self destruction and abandonment and get a grip on reality. No, I am not trying to discourage you, not in the least. I’m telling you I’ve seen this happen and it’s not pretty.

YOU NEED TO GET A GRIP DON’T LOOK AT THE WORLD of treasure hunting through a rose colored spyglass. The end result can be devastating. I’m telling you to find a reasonable balance with a realistic plan and goals. This is an absolute must for your own salvation and survival. “Anything in moderation.” You’ve heard that before somewhere right? Don’t sacrifice everything for the possibility of nothing! I would encourage you to act accordingly within the confines of your own particular circumstances and responsibilities in life. Being sensible, patient and moderate is an important part of treasure hunting anyway. Start practicing. ON THE UP SIDE I can tell you that there are individuals that seek treasure as a full time occupation and are very successful. There are a number of treasure hunting, deep sea recovery, and other related companies that derive all of their revenues from finding unclaimed treasure. They are very legitimate companies; some of which are actually traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Don’t ever think treasure hunting is just for dreamers and romantics. 14


What pirates? Don’t say I didn’t warn you! ON THE DOWN SIDE I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you there is the possibility that you may never find anything. It isn’t likely but it is a possibility you have to consider and always keep it in mind. It’s better that I tell you all these things up front so that you can make an informed and intelligent decision about treasure hunting for a living. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE I have to share with you: Believe it or not, pirates still exist and in fact, are on the rise. They are very much active all around the world and continue their age old customs. In recent times more hijackings on the high seas are occurring claiming international attention. Somalian pirates have had the audacity to attack U.S. cargo ships and hold them for ransom. Imagine the fate of the many private vessels with their passengers and crews who have never been heard from again. Truth be told and the devil be damned - piracy has never really ended. The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean have been their home and haunt for centuries and contrary to popular belief, they have not vanished into history. Today, whether it’s drug money, rich cargo, an expensive sailing vessel or scuttling boats for insurance claims, they are constantly on the prowl.

Some other things you didn’t want to know: THERE ARE - and I must tell you, some rather unsavory people in this business. Most people don’t realize there is great competition among treasure hunters which has many times lead to blood shed and death. Fights over treasure, salvage rights or who got there first has sent many a brave soul to his maker. Those few successful treasure hunters of today are closely watched by others. Their movements and activities are monitored constantly by those that would stop at nothing to claim the bounty of treasure including cuttin’ a few throats!

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Real World Treasure

One last thing! Regrettably, I need to warn you about the unthinkable... Booby traps left by people who buried or hid their goods and treasure. Mine shafts have been rigged to collapse or flood by the ancient Aztecs (among others) to protect their precious sources hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Be extremely careful when your digging something up. If you’re not dead certain of what it is you may become just that...

Dead! “The two pan death trap” is the story of a man who buried his treasure in the ground using two cast iron frying pans. He set the first on top of his money then took a WWII hand grenade, pulled the pin, put a rubber band around the trip lever, soaked that with lighter fluid, smashed it into a wad of plumbers putty handle towards the top, set the other frying pan on top of that and filled in the hole. Lighter fluid has an almost immediate degenerating effect on a rubber band so the only thing holding the trip lever down is the weight of the upper frying pan and the dirt.

The neighbor, seeing him burying something in the ground waits patiently for months for the man to take his annual vacation and guess what? It worked perfectly. Protecting the money from the explosion and completely decapitating the neighbor. I want you reap the rewards but this is also part of the reality. So, if you’re still with me and you’re not deterred by the profit of doom and gloom let’s get on with it and learn how to search for and find lost or hidden treasure. 16


Treasure Hunting-

Chapter Three

The last Frontier!

Setting yourself up for success PEOPLE WHO DECIDE to and are able to pursue treasure hunting as a full time job must be very committed - or should be committed either one. Words of encouragement and words of warning are conflicting but of equal importance when considering treasure hunting as a full time endeavour. Treasure hunting could make you rich but I say this with the same hesitation as I would say losing your job could be the best thing that ever happened to you. USUALLY when people make a dramatic decision to do something as unusual such as go to Hollywood to become a “star,” they are met with a certain negative or at least questionable response from their families and piers. “You’re What?!” They ask. Just saying the phrase “I’ve decided to become a treasure hunter” to most people evokes questions about your sanity and sound judgement making capabilities. So be prepared. This pursuit is so out of the ordinary that most people just can’t get their head around it. It’s fantasy not reality to them. Which means in turn that you don’t live in reality! SO GET USED TO IT if this is what you decide to do. I can tell you from personal experience and a lifetime of naysayers it’s one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. That is of course until you find something. Now you’re for real. You’ve got credibility. You may have celebrity status. These same people now think there might be something to this treasure hunting thing. It doesn’t take much. It doesn’t have to be a large cache of treasure or a horde of gold reales. Just one little thing. Why? Because now the fantasy has become the reality simply by a “show of proof.” 17

Real World Treasure

Do you believe in astrology, Cosmic Intervention? card reading or mediums? Well here’s some rather interesting and helpful information! If ONE LITTLE THING is found, that in itself is proof positive that other things can be found. That’s it! And the same principle should tell you the same thing. Be assured that finding treasure is not a pipe dream. People find it all the time weather they’re looking or not. You’ve heard the old saying: “I’d rather be lucky than skilled.” Well luck is definitely a factor in life. We even call some people “lucky.” They always seem to be there when something good happens. So, what is the luck factor? CALL IT what you want kismet, luck, good fortune, fate, cosmic coincidence, favor of the Gods, whatever. Luck may be intangible, but it cannot be denied. It happens, it’s real and therefor exists. And in the same vein of logic, so does lost treasure. To accentuate the positive side of looking for lost treasure let’s discuss why the odds might be in your favor. Weather or not you believe in things like universal, spiritual or natural law they do indeed exist. Just like the word “pseudoscience” is used in this book there are things in the world that can’t be proven but at the same time can’t be denied either. Here’s a secret for you: The power of positive thinking works. Don’t ever doubt it. It’s better explained and understood if we break it down into THREE PARTS:

MEDITATION - CHI (q’i) - FENG SHUI - CLAIRVOYANCE - INTUITION ...? THE FIRST PART being “focus.” You must focus on the finding aspect by increasing your awareness of the world around you and particularly your immediate surroundings. Heightened awareness is part of developing a “treasure hunting mind set.” THE SECOND PART is a universal law referred to as “the law of attraction.” When you visualize yourself being surrounded by treasure you will attract it into your life. It’s a simple statement but it actually works. 18

Real World Treasure Real World Treasure Here’s a good example of spiritual law: Two equal and opposing armies face each other on the field of battle. Which one wins? - The one with the superior attitude. Why? - The power of positive thinking! THE THIRD PART is what’s called a “spiritual law” that works in harmony with “what ever you focus on, you will attract” and in doing so will further develop the treasure hunting mind set by believing in yourself. I’m not one who believes in mystics, psychics, palm readers or the possibility that God is going to lead me to treasure, but in this business you would be wise use anything and everything that might help! It’s a powerful combination. BUT THAT’S CERTAINLY NOT the only thing you’ve got going for you. Shear numbers - Your largest asset. The amount of treasure that’s been lost and forgotten about is beyond numeric calculation. There are so many factual accounts of people finding walls full of coins, treasures in the attic, personal caches of gold, army payrolls, lost mines, sunken Spanish treasure, bank robbers’ booty, train robbers’ takin’s, gangster loot, pirate plunder and so on, that volumes of books have been written on the subject. BUT HERE’S THE GOOD PART; most estimates based on what’s out there and what’s been found are to say the least very encouraging. There are billions of dollars in currency that are not accounted for. And that’s just currency. Think about that! This kind of information will help you develop a mind set. This is the beginning and essential building block of setting yourself up for success. MORE MONEY has been lost and hidden than there is in circulation today. Try to think in those terms. Better yet try to imagine from the time the first coin was pressed (which is believed to be the Lydian electrum trite minted by King Alyattes in Sardis, Lydia, Asia Minor which is now presentday Turkey, c. 610-600 BC,) until now how many coins have been minted, and then lost, buried, hidden or sunk to the bottom of the ocean. 19

Real World Treasure

Grasping the concept The world has a long historyof lost treasure ... WE COULD NOT conceive the number of wars and battles that raged in every corner of the globe or the raids that were made by foreign invaders in far off lands. Hostile hordes of barbarians, Roman legions and armies of unknown origins have killed tens of millions of people from antiquity to modern times all over the world.

FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES of people fleeing invading armies or attacks by rival tribes have had to hide and bury their valuables so they wouldn’t be taken. Soldiers buried their pay and armies buried their payroll to avoid its capture by the enemy. There are so many case scenarios why people buried their personal treasures it staggers the imagination. What’s more, many of them never returned to collect it. Done in by villains, consumed by fever, killed by wars, shanghaied or put in jail themselves, their treasure still remains right were they left it. FROM Stagecoach hold ups to Lost Dutchman Mines, Mexican Bandits, Moonshiners, Rum Runners, Stick Up Artists, Train Robbers (and the list goes on,) all have hidden or buried treasure and for one reason or another never come back to recover it. Treasure can virtually be anywhere. No matter how the landscape has changed or how much time has gone by someone’s treasure big or small can be right under your feet. This is a real possibility. You can’t rule out or discount any location. 20

The Lost Templar Treasure has never been found!

IN THIS COUNTRY alone from the time of it’s earliest settlers to present day think about the battles and skirmishes with the explorers who encountered the savage Indians and met their end and the many wars that occurred throughout our brief history. All of these events are contributory to the enormous amounts of personal and government treasure that’s been lost.

Real World Treasure Real World Treasure THOSE WHO ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR TREASURE ARE MORE LIKELY TO FIND IT!

Other unique finds...

ODDS ARE there is as much chance of a treasure being under your swing set as there is anywhere else. There’s no way of knowing but mathematically the odds are the same. People as a rule buried things no further down than arms length. That doesn’t sound like much but guess what - it’s still just out of the average present day metal detectors range. Isn’t that a kick in the head. And all of this is just on land. What’s been lost at sea is so beyond human comprehension that Professor Steven Hawking (world-renowned physicist and mathematician,) couldn’t venture a guess. If it was reported that one Spanish treasure ship went down you can bet there were two or possibly three. Their manifests deliberately misreported the amount of gold, silver, precious gems and other valuable items they were carrying. It was always twice as much or more. Thousand of ships have gone down without being reported who were carrying inconceivable riches in their holds. The numbers are staggering but irrelevant. Why? - Be cause to put it in a nutshell, we have barely found a fraction of what’s been lost. I think a conservative es timate of possibly 1-2% would be an exaggerated number and this just applies to what would be considered large treasure hordes. You must also understand that finding the right “penny” with the right date and mintmark could theoretically set you up for life. (A 1943 copper penny minted in San Francisco is worth about $80,000.) THERE ARE OTHER unique finds that can produce the same results. Don’t limit your thinking in this arena to finding caves full of stashed Templar treasure. And, let’s for now, keep our thoughts in realm of reality and strong possibility at least. So what’s the lesson to be learned here? - There’s no shortage of lost treasure believe me, and simply put; those who are actively looking for treasure are more likely to find it. 21

Real World Treasure

Favorable Conditions

Change your luck

THE LUCK FACTOR comes into play by the fact that you are putting yourself in the realm of possibility, circumstance and favorable conditions. Even numerically you increase your odds of finding something simply because you’re looking for it. IF YOU’RE DOING proper research you have put yourself in a certain geographic location or area. That, in and of itself dramatically increases your chance of discovery. This all sounds very simple but when you put all of these things together along with some modern technology like the internet, a good metal detector or side scan sonar you are very likely going to be successful in your search. HERE’S a little known secret for you: Using Google Earth, a Los Angeles-based musician named Nathan Smith thinks he’s found a lost treasure ship that sank in a river somewhere north of Corpus Christi during a hurricane in 1822. Technology has played a major role in finding lost treasure and this is just in the last couple of years. Think about it. Add Google Earth to your arsenal and use it for all it’s worth where ever you can. You will be amazed and astounded at what you can find.

The Spanish or Mexican Barquentine lies somewhere in this Google photo

Although the river has changed course over the years Smith thinks he can clearly see where the ship lies now partially on dry land. The farmer who owns the field would not give Smith permission to dig the site and Smith is seeking legal access through the courts. 22

Real World Treasure Real World Treasure Chapter Four

Discretion - The order of the day in this business!

Shakespear’s Sir John Falstaff claiming “discretion to be the greater part of valour” in the play Henry V.

YOU’VE HEARD the phrase “discretion is the greater part of valor” I’m sure. Well in this business you must be able to act with discretion. If you can’t keep a secret you’re in trouble already. This is a short chapter I decided to include in this book because of its essential observation. Although you may have never heard of me per say, our circles are small and quiet, and as I’ve said, some treasure hunters choose not to be in the limelight but remain anonymous enjoying the rewards of their adventures and the pursuit of the next one. DISCRETION is a valuable asset in this business. Don’t be too quick to tell someone about your finds no matter how small. It opens doors that you will wish you had left closed. A good example is world renowned treasure hunter Mel Fisher who was sued by the State of Florida by which they claimed to have ownership in his discovery of the Spanish treasure ships Nuestra Señora de Atocha, the Santa Margarita, and the Henrietta Marie ( the latter was actually a slaver). THESE SHIPS were found miles outside of Florida waters and if you can believe it, these greedy bureaucrats and politicians were going to try and sidestep hundreds of years of well established international maritime salvage laws to get their fat, sweaty corrupt little hands on it. They lost - this time! But it took 7 years, 141 hearings and went all the way to the Supreme Court to do it. Mr. Fisher still had to agree to give the State of Florida 20% of everything and first pick of what he found.

23

Real World Treasure

Tenochtitlan On July 7, 1521 Hernando Cortez and his conquistadors ransacked and burned the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan destroying thier temples and killing the men, women and children in thier quest for gold and silver.

SPAIN HAS LAID CLAIM to the discovery of three Spanish ships (one called The Black Swan) by noted treasure hunter Dr. Robert Ballard and the discovery ship Odyssey’s crew, claiming that they are of Spanish heritage and therefor any of it’s treasure belongs to Spain. Now let’s not lose sight of the fact that the Spanish tortured and decimated the indigenous people of central America like the Aztecs, Incas, Myans and anyone else who got in their way stole the gold from them in the first place - sold any survivors into slavery and terrorized the Caribbean for many years in their unquenchable thirst for gold. Greed, averice and the lust for gold makes people and countries do very unsavory things even in the light of world news coverage.

The end of a dynasty UNFORTUNATELY these types of big discoveries are world news events and hard to keep quiet, but any find no matter how large or small can be contested and therefor held by authorities for an indefinite period of time until litigation has run it’s course. There are other incidents but you get the gist of what I’m trying to tell you. Whenever anyone asks “where did you find that?” The answer should always be given with the utmost discretion: “I found it in my backyard.” Or something to that effect. If I am going to pass along this sensitive information you must have an appreciation for it. THIS KIND of information is important. Don’t put yourself in someone’s cross-hairs. Be “discrete” in your treasure hunting activities. There’s nothing worse than finding something and then have to give it up! 24


Making a Choice

Chapter Five

There are many different types of treasure hunting “PERCEPTION IS REALITY.” This phrase has never applied to anything quite like treasure hunting. There are as many different types of treasure hunting as there are perceptions about the word “treasure.” Nature’s Treasures for example are things like seashells and driftwood, that some people think are absolutely priceless and beyond value on a monetary scale. Beachcombing has for hundred of years been one way of treasure hunting for many people looking for seashells, artifacts, gold and silver coins and so on. But we’re not talking about this kind of treasure hunting. We’re talking about the real deal. Pirate plunder, Military payroll gold, private stashes and fabulous hordes of untold wealth. NEVER THE LESS, there are a few other types of treasure hunting worth noting: There are hunters who look for meteorites. They’re extremely valuable and some museums have paid millions for them no bigger than a stone. Some search for dinosaur bones and shark’s teeth. Again very valuable. Panning and mining for gold and silver, Shipwreck and underwater treasure hunting attract some people. Relic hunting is it’s own category with subcategories that are broken down even further to specific kinds like war relics, ancient historical relics and artifacts, religious relics and others. And let’s not leave out the Urban Treasure Hunters who are not seeking any one particular thing but many different types of treasure or valuable artifacts. URBAN TREASURE HUNTING is a very broad and diverse type of modern day treasure hunting adding and melding many aspects archeology, architecture and geography to exploring a city’s hidden under belly, dark passages, back alleys and history as a whole. 25

Real World Treasure Not all treasure is found where you might think - This was found at the bottom of an old well with an underwater camera. The box has long since rotted away but you can still make part of it out.

COIN SHOOTERS, Beach and Shallow Water hunters and Locating Companies that find metal objects like boundary markers, tools, equipment parts, water and gas lines, cable and electrical wires. The list goes on and there are probably some I’m not aware of but there are many to choose from. Different kinds of treasure attract different kinds of treasure hunters. But which ever kind of treasure hunting you choose really doesn’t matter or define you as a human being as long as it fulfills the zest for adventure and the thrill of the hunt.

Think outside the box YOU MAY CHOOSE to engage in only one or all of the aforementioned activities but for the moment we’re trying to narrow down the choice of metal detectors. You can expand your horizons as you go. We will explore all these different types of treasure hunting more in depth as we go on but for now just be aware that there is more than one kind and the words “treasure hunter” are very general and non-defining. Most treasure hunters refer to themselves as “coin shooters,” “wreck divers,” or “relic hunters.” Rarely have I ever heard any real world type refer to themselves as a “treasure hunter.”

26


Different Types of Metal Detectors are used

Chapter Six

for different types of treasure hunting

Selection - Choose your weapon! EVERY DAY new technology impacts and changes our lives. It changes the way we think, live and perceive everything from recreation to work and leisure. It has also influenced the engineering and design of metal detectors and even though fundamentally the concept of operation is still unchanged, they’ve come a long way since I first used one. Although the basic design remains ergonomically similar, there are now more types and models with so many features and functions they almost require a degree to operate with any proficiency. But you’ve got to start somewhere. CHOOSING A METAL DETECTOR, like choosing the type of treasure hunting your going to pursue, takes a considerable amount of time, money and research. It is an infinitely important choice because what you’ve chosen to do will dictate your choice of which metal detector(s) to use. So let’s explore the types and uses of metal detectors. First a little history: The first metal detector was developed by Bell checking the sensitivity of one of his early designs with a bullet Alexander Graham Bell in 1881. It was an electromagnetic devise he called “The Induction Balance.” It was a crude and hastily built unit for the purpose of finding an assassin’s bullet lodged deeply in dying president James Garfield. IN 1925 GERHARD FISCHER invented a portable metal detector. Fischar’s model was first sold commercially in 1931 and Gerhard Fischar was behind the first large-scale production of metal detectors. Basically, they use electromagnetic induction to detect metal. There’s a bit more to it than that, but that’s basically how they work. 27

Real World Treasure

Dowsing for dollars? COMMON REFERENCES to the different types are VLF (Very Low Frequency,) VLF/TR, (TR standing for Transmitter Receiver,) PI (Pulse Induction,) BFO (Beat Frequency Oscillator) and Induction Balance. The BFO and TR metal detectors were once very popular but are no longer being made. The BFO detectors are still manufactured but they are usually made very cheaply and not used by serious treasure hunters. The VLF metal detector is in essence a motion detector. It is by far the most common detector type used and the preferred choice is a VLF/TR motion discriminator that has a silent search feature. These detectors can control the trash and mineralization simultaneously. BEYOND these various types they divided into categories: (General or All Purpose,) (Beach, Surf and Water,) (Gold Metal,) (Relic Metal,) (Professional Land and Water,) (Two Box Deep Searching,) (Long Range Triangulation,) (Deep Process or Ground Penetrating Radar,) (Commercial and Industrial,) (Mag netrometers,) (Side Scan Sonar used as a substitute) and there may be more but I think this just about cover them. More to the point is you must do the required amount of research prior to spending what could be thousands of dollars for a piece of equipment that may not suite your particular needs. Some metal detectors are best suited for land, others for beach and surf, some are completely submersible down to certain depths, some are designed for locating gold or other precious metals, some made for relic metal, others more suited for jewelry and coins. THERE IS ONE other type of detecting and metal detector rarely mentioned. These treasure hunters are referred to a “the quiet profiteers” and this particular method is called “Dowsing.” Contrary to popular belief dowsing is not just about finding water. This lesser known type of detecting has successfully been used to find treasure, oil, underground springs, boundaries, metal, mines, minerals and other hidden things. 28


The Renaissance

THE ART of using the “L” Rod, Forked Twig or the Rod of Jacob as it’s been called is something that would be thought of as a pseudoscience at best but let’s consider the facts. Dowsing is the earliest form of treasure hunting dating back to the time of Moses and Aaron producing water from the rock. (Exodus.) Dowsers are engraved in ancient Egyptian stonework, and on a statue of a Chinese Emperor dated around 2200 BC. IN THE MID 16th century one famous dowser found over 150 large deposits of iron, gold, silver and other minerals but was subsequently arrested by the Church for practicing the “black arts!” There was a book written on it later that same century but any reference to it seems to have died out after that. Probably due to the Church condemning it as part of the occult and the work of the devil. Science gained accreditation and the Church softened it’s position during the renaissance and dowsing became so widely used that entire societies were devoted to its uses and potential. Albert Einstein himself performed some amazing feats with different types of dowsing devises. GOVERNMENTS, industry, Armies and individuals still use dowsing to this day as a dependable method of locating things. During the Vietnam War dowsing skills were taught to Marines to find land mines, booby traps and underground tunnels occupied by the enemy. They are living testament and validation to the practice of dowsing. All right, so we know there is a lot of equipment out there to help you in your search. From a tree branch to satellite technology and every type of metal detector you can imagine. Still the question remains - which one do I choose? ONE REASON that there is still so much treasure left to find is that most people don’t appreciate the process. They don’t follow procedure or take appropriate measures to insure their success. Proper selection of the right equipment is part of the process. 29

Real World Treasure

You’ve got to have a travel plan before you buy a ticket right? You also need to know what you’re going to do before you buy a metal detector BE THANKFUL that most people have never known how to go about finding treasure. They stumble about spending inordinate amounts of money, time and effort only to meet with failure, so they give up and go back to whatever they did or something else. All the better I say. That leaves more for the rest of us to find. I can’t pick out a metal detector for you anymore than some floor walker working at a sporting goods store can. What I can tell you is that all the information you could possibly need is on the internet in abundance. A never ending stream of information that may confuse and confound you in the beginning but will assure the correct choice of a metal detector in the end. YOU CAN’T DO ENOUGH RESEARCH when it comes to choosing your most important tool. As far as using a metal detector, which ever type you choose, I expect you to become proficient with it before you venture into the realm of this book. There are some finer points to learn with their use like: proper swing techniques, gridding an area, search patterns, tone interpretation, volume, ground discrimination, gain, threshold and others. But you will learn how to use most of those things when you buy a metal detector, the rest you will learn from this book. The first thing you have to do is decide on what type of treasure hunting you’re going to do before you can even begin to look at metal detectors. So let’s put firsts things first and finish the book before you do anything else. Prepare yourself for the journey.

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Real World Treasure

Hope is good -

Chapter Seven

Research is far better

It’s a simple concept - But nobody ever tells you about it I’VE WARNED YOU, I’ve tempted you, I’ve encouraged you and now I’m going to tell you something else you may not want to hear: “Treasure Hunting is a full time job!” Yes, you read that right. “A job!” (This is where I will lose many of you.) “A job...!” “What...?!” “Nobody ever said anything about a job!” First of all, if you can’t deal with frustration and disappointment you’re not going to be a successful treasure hunter, period. You will spend most of your time in the field not finding anything. (Right about now is when most people lose interest and put their metal detector on ebay.) But for the rest of you intrepid enthusiasts who just can’t get enough disillusionment, disappointment and discouragement, our journey begins. I’D BE DOING you a disservice if I didn’t impress upon you how important research is in hunting for treasure. If you want to be successful you will be spending the majority of your time doing research. Fundamentally the rest is not that difficult. I read somewhere that finding treasure with a metal detector is easy; “All you have to do is locate it then put your metal detector squarely overtop of it.” That’s an under statement to say the least but there is some truth in it. RESEARCH IS ABOUT homing in on the most likely location so you can do just that, not stumbling around wasting time. You are trying to achieve a balance of time spent searching and success. Efficiency is what counts. You want to limit the amount of time you’re in the field looking and increase the number of items you’re finding. It’s a simple concept but nobody ever tells you about it. This is why it’s so important to become “one” with you metal detector. Your skill with that piece of equipment is all important. It keeps you from wasting valuable time in the field. Making more finds will greatly improve your self esteem and confidence in what you’re doing. 31


You have to have faith and trust your instincts

Go ahead - Have a whack at it

PRACTICING YOUR SKILLS and honing your talents will put you head and shoulders above your competitors and reading this book will do the rest. Mel Fisher spent about 10 years searching for the Nuestra Señora de Atocha and each morning he met the new day and dealt with the previous day’s disappointment by saying; “Today’s the day!” He always maintained a positive outlook. But he didn’t keep his dream alive by just hoping he would find it, he spent years researching in the Spanish shipping archives in Seville Spain and any and all other information he could get his hands on. He begged, borrowed and promised God knows how many investors, who knows what, to achieve his goal. THE POINT IS, it was his endless resolve, dogged determination and positive attitude that eventually brought him success. He didn’t have the advantage of today’s technology either. Imagine the vast amount of ocean bottom and area he must have searched without satellite imagery, side scan sonar or a robotic submersible apparatus. Even with the loss of his son Dirk and Dirk’s wife Angel along with two others who drowned during the search and more obstacles than you can imagine, he stuck to his dream. He was an inspiration to treasure hunters everywhere. SO IF DETERMINATION is not one of your strong suites stop now, close the book, turn on the television and watch “Pirates of the Caribbean” or something. Just don’t pursue the actual job of treasure hunting please! The type of individuals who can accept and embrace this way of life are built of a certain timber. They are built for endurance. They are structurally sound. They never lose sight of the dream. They are the true treasure hunters. Research will always be the key element in setting the course for your treasure hunting expedition. Having faith and trusting your instincts are good qualities but research is always first and foremost. 32

Research has its own rewards

Real World Treasure

Success - It’s a process HOW MANY TIMES have I seen a would be treasure hunter go into a sporting goods store and ask a sales person which metal detector to they should buy. “Are you kidding?!” Ask a sales clerk to determine your success or failure! The very idea that someone has not done adequate research first to determine what type of treasure hunting they’re going to be doing and then dug deeply into the amazing array of metal detectors and their specific uses destines them to failure from the start. I told you not to skip ahead in the earlier chapters. That’s because this is a process. THERE ARE PROCEDURES and steps that must be followed if you want to have any success. Weather you’re a beginner or self proclaimed expert if you follow the steps and procedures outlined in this book you will enjoy a significant amount of success. (By the way, someone wrote there is no such thing as a treasure hunting expert and I’m inclined to agree.) The difference between an “expert” and a “successful” treasure hunter is that the latter works at it twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and they always start with research.

“ Toda y’s the Da y!” oday’s Day!” - Mell Fisher

33


Equipment and tools of the trade

Chapter Eight

wHAT’S Required and WHAT’S Optional

Are you going to need sani-wipes or a tourniquet? AS FAR AS INVESTING in a business is concerned; aside from washing windows, delivering newspapers or cutting lawns which would be minimal yet profitable for some enterprising individuals. I can’t think of any other businesses with this kind of potential you can get into Too much? for such a small investment. I can’t count a vehicle because just about everyone already has one. So buying a metal detector is about it. At least at the entry level of treasure hunting not too much is required. (Entry level being more of a hobbyist.) MOST OF the other things you might need are usually lying around the house. Coolers, buckets, containers, trowels, shovels, hats, bug spray and that kind of thing are in everyone’s household arsenal. So let’s consider that one all important piece of equipment: “Your Metal Detector.” Your metal detector is your most valuable Too little? asset. It’s a tool not to be taken lightly or chosen without careful consideration. If you are going to do something to this level of commitment you better have spent your last dime and any money you could borrow on your metal detector(s). The quality of you equipment will likely determine your success or failure. Don’t skimp on any of your equipment for that matter. YOU MAY NEED a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle, boat, scuba gear or a magnetometer, it depends on your choice of interest and direction you’re taking. You may need more than one type of metal detector. Research the manufacturers and their products. Go to the many forums on the internet, join a local treasure hunting club if there’s one nearby, they will share a lot of information with you. Go on-line and read the comparisons on performance. There is limitless information available to you via the internet when it comes to metal detectors and other essential equipment. 34

Real World Treasure

The middle of nowhere . . .

Can you say: “Oh, sh - t!” I’m going to assume that you have already done this or you’re going to at some point. I also want to share with you the importance of getting to know your equipment and becoming proficient with it. There are books and DVD’s that are dedicated to this subject and I can’t stress it enough. No matter which metal detector(s) you’re using, you absolutely have to become one with them. They all have subtle nuances and tones that you have to be able to interpret precisely. This can take many hours of practice. And by the way, if you happen to be tone deaf you’re going to be limited to certain kinds of metal detectors that are more images on a monitor than tones in a set of headphones. Know your limitations if you have any. Inner ear problems might prohibit you from diving with scuba gear. It won’t stop you from treasure hunting you’ll just have to approach it from another angle. Remember - determination and a positive attitude. If you can’t do it one way - do it another. Other equipment you may need will be solely based on the type of treasure hunting you’re doing. You don’t need to be told you’re going to need a shovel or trowel if you already know you’re going to have to dig things out of the ground. You know what your going to do - plan for it, think about it. Do you need sani-wipes or a tourniquet? If you’re going to be on the beach all day I would suggest some sunscreen but this book isn’t about all that. Deciding on what type of treasure hunting you’re going to do will determine what kind of equipment you will need and how much your initial investment might be. The point is “don’t buy cheap!” Imagine purchasing a questionably sound 4 wheel drive vehicle designed to get you out to the middle of nowhere and then breaking down. Where are you? Yeah, that’s right - the middle of nowhere! OK this is a stretch, but I’m thinking hmmm, middle of nowhere...? No cell towers - No roads - No chance of getting help - Uh oh! A little common sense goes a long way. Don’t put yourself in perilous situations when you’re hunting for treasure. Equipment is all important. Respect and take good care of yours. 35


Common sense will get you back home at the end of the day! MAKE CERTAIN everything you’re using is in good condition and serviceable. If your destination is a long way off take additional or backup equipment. Radios are sometimes more practical than cell phones and a simple canteen full of water could ultimately save your life. So what do you think; first aid kit?, flares?, food?, gun?, you decide. Common sense and sound judgement will get you back home at the end of the day. Some treasure hunters stress the importance of working with a partner for safety’s sake. There again, your choice. Where you’re going and what you’re looking for should give you some indication of the equipment you’re going to need and if a partner or two would be a good idea. Being safety conscious and careful is not just for wimps, it’s good practice like wearing a seat belt. (By the way - If you don’t trust the guy topside watching your air hose with your life, he’s probably a bad choice!) YOU’RE GOING TO BE SURPRISED at some of places treasure hunting will take you. Snake bites are a common occurrence in some locations. Did you bring a snake bite kit? From old mines, to fast running streams, rock ledges, back woods, rip tides and underwater caverns, you can get yourself in a dire situation that you didn’t prepare for. Be cautiously optimistic in your preparation and approach to whatever treasure you seek. The most important thing is that you live to see tomorrow. Use the best equipment you can get your hands on and don’t take unnecessary chances just because you forgot to bring something. The treasure will still be there when you get back. Equipment and safety go hand in hand. Too many treasure hunters have already given up the ghost under safe and secure conditions. Don’t buy discount, cheap or used equipment that’s been untested. 36

Real World Treasure Site Reading: Conceptual Interpret a tion Interpreta

Chapter Nine

•Perception •Imagina tion •Imagination •Instinct

Old Forts, Batteries and Encampments LET’S ASSUME you’ve done your preliminary research and purchased the metal detector appropriate for your particular interest. Now what? It doesn’t matter how much you spent on a metal detector, how well you can use it or where you take it without this little piece of the puzzle.

Eastern view of the remains of Confederate Fort Humbug occupied by Gen, Richard Taylor and his troops

THIS IS SOMETHING that no one has ever written about or bothered to mentioned: Topographical interpretation or, the subtle art of “site reading.” Oh sure, you’re all geared up and ready to go find lost jewelry, coins and relics. The problem is, unless you know about and Southern view of the same area. Research understand site reading you’re basically running will provide you with many similar search around the farm yard like a chicken. (A chicken sites. Check historical archives and maps. can’t take more than two steps in any one direction.) The only thing that might be with you is hope, happenstance and pure luck. (After all, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and again.) You’ve got to narrow down the odds and remove at least one or two of these negative aspects (I’ll take pure luck any day so let’s keep that one,) and bring a little pseudoscience into the mix. “A gold Double Eagle is not Golf terminology!”

WHAT WE’RE DOING here in our procedure is the narrowing down of where to look. You’ve done your research, you’ve found a potential location or site. Great! It might be an old encampment or an old civil war fort that’s long since disappeared. I’m going to give you an example so you can understand and relate these concepts to any other locations you go to. Hypothetically you’ve researched and found the general location of an old civil war era fort. 37


This rare photo of Brandy Station Chief Engineer’s encampment Army of the Patomic 1864 Below is a brass civil war button worn by Connecticut soldiers bearing the state seal which can be extremely valuable in such pristine condition. Relic hunters often find these buttons among other such historical artifacts.

YOU’VE JUST ARRIVED by whatever means possible and what you’re looking at is a rather large tract of land with some trees and nothing else immediately identifiable or recognizable. The very first thing you should do upon arriving at any site is just stay back, take a breath and try to imagine yourself at this place when it was alive with trade and activity. You can’t just willy nilly cover the entire area with any degree of success. You have to develop a search plan with a starting point. So while you’re at a distance with a broad overview of area try to visually determine where the tree line might be different. That is to say a line of trees that might appear to be older and larger. You might be able to see a square area of these older trees even if you’re in a wooded location. Walk around following one line to a corner. These areas of possibly an acre or two were cut down and cleared for the benefit of the forts defenses. A clear line of site for warding off would be attackers. The fort would have been in the middle of this clearing obviously so now we know at least that much. IN YOUR SEARCH of this fort you want to determine where the two closest other forts and towns were that existed and were active at the same time. Why? Because this is what will tell you a couple of things of extreme importance: First the likely direction the fort was facing. This will determine where the front gate was. Or at least which way it faced, north, south, east or west. How do we do this? 38

Real World Treasure

Lasting Impressions

AN ABSOLUTE

IN LOOKING AT AN OLD MAP or sometimes even a new one, we can see where the old towns and other forts were in relationship to where you are. Look at the map. Where would you have put the gate or the main entrance? Which direction would the fort most likely be facing? Most of the time it’s pretty obvious. So with all the traffic coming to and leaving the fort there would have been roads or at least trails that branched off in the direction of the two other forts and towns. (This is an absolute, not speculation. It was standard operational procedure.) Now that you know what you’re looking for it’s a lot easier to see or at the very least, guess. Basic human instincts never change and your instincts are the same as the people from that location durA typical frontier syle fort of it’s day ing those times. USE YOUR INSTINCTS. Even if you’re guessing at it you’re not going to be far off. Finding the exact location of the fort or encampment may be a little more difficult but not You can still see the foot print of where the old fort sat totally impossible. You’ve got an idea where the center of the area is but in those days they didn’t have or use concrete foundations. Possibly stone foundations around houses and other buildings but only trees and wooden planks as a rule were used to build forts. Yes there was some metal like hinges, hasps, locks and nails perhaps but nothing to leave a permanent indication of exactly where the fort’s footprint was. WHAT YOU CAN OFTEN FIND are the impressions or shallow indentions of where the posts were buried in the ground and rotted away leaving these impressions or holes. You may be able to see the entire layout of the fort this way. You can find larger impressions where the root cellars may have been or the unmistakable signs of the outhouses. (Trash pits and outhouses may have been inside or outside the fort’s walls.) 39

Real World Treasure Real World Treasure Notice the older first-growth tree on the right. Now take note of the new saplings and then the original tree line just beyond them. These are definitive boundaries and a good starting point. The inset picture (lower left) is a small cache of gold and silver coins buried under such trees for easy locating when the owner returned to the area.

THE PRESENCE OF PEOPLE always leaves it’s mark in one form or another and a trained eye can always spot them. Remember - It’s easy to see something if you know what you’re looking for. Use “conceptual interpretation.” It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for or where you are just put your instincts and imagination to work. Think of what you would do if you were there living in those times. Where would you hide something? There were no banks, no safe deposit boxes and you had to be able to find what you hid even if you were gone for many years. There is usually one tree in the area that is distinctive. One that is unmistakable from the others. It may be hundreds of years old or it might be a tree that is not indigenous to the area. It may have been brought there and planted for fruit or nuts or shade. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. Using conceptual interpretation will always prove itself to be one of your most useful tools. Maybe that pond you’re looking at in the middle of your site isn’t a pond at all but a depression left in the ground of what used to be a basement or cellar that’s filled with rain water. Don’t just think in one dimension. Well now that you’ve found some remanence and possibly a trail or two, scouted the area with careful observation and noted any unusual deformities in the earth, stone walls, landmarks of any kind and the most likely direction of travel in and out of the area you can start “gridding” and narrowing down your search even further. Gridding is simply breaking down a large area into smaller quadrants or sections. THINK OF TRYING to search an area about an acre in size. A daunting task to say the least. But being thorough in your search is critical. It doesn’t take but one poor swing with your detector to miss a potential fortune. 40

Real World Treasure

Systematic, Calculating and Thorough

Gridding & Plotting

LOW AND SLOW is a phrase that’s used in cooking to assure something turns out right. The phrase also applies to metal detecting technique. These people who swing their metal detectors with wild abandon rarely find much of anything. I’m always happy to see them because I know that their presence has had little or no effect on the potential finds in that area. Keep your metal detector no more than 1 or 2 inches at the most off the ground and be slow about it. Some metal detectors go so deep into the ground and it takes time for the signal to bounce back to the coil. If you’re moving too fast the coil is no longer over the spot you just swept and misses the return signal all together. I’m not going to belabor the proper use and techniques of metal detecting. The assumption that you know how to use it is already there. So, back to “gridding.” I FIND THE BEST WAY to grid any area is to use those orange flags you find in the home stores for landscape, irrigation or marking out sprinkler heads. (Any color will do.) After choosing a starting point, mark out an area of say 10’x10’ or 20’x20’ and “flag it.” Only after thoroughly searching that area should you move on to the next. If you’re going to be working this site for days, weeks or months you’re going to have to keep a log or journal of some kind drawing a map of what sections or grids you’ve already searched. It’s not a good idea to leave the flags in the ground for obvious reasons. Once you have gridded and worked the internal center you can do a couple of things: You can start walking an ever enlarging circle (an outward spiral) around the site until you’re satisfied. YOU CAN START “trailing” if you can see or imagine where trails and roads might have been. These are terrific areas to search. 41


The Reader’s Digest version

Getting the edge

OR, YOU CAN CHECK some of the unique (non-indigenous) or firstgrowth trees or other landmarks and their immediate perimeters. Being systematic, calculating and thorough are tools that are extremely valuable, don’t cost anything and will never fail you. Other similar concepts apply to other types of sites. I want you to understand this type of thinking and how it puts you ahead of your competition. Metal detecting has had a remarkable surge of interest over the last couple of years that’s presented intense competition that was never there before. It was a very small community for a very long time. FINDING A VIRGIN SITE is getting harder and only through your superior skills and techniques will you be able to find treasure where others cannot. This type of site is just one example but a comprehensive example you should easily be able to expound on. All things being equal you still want to be the one who prevails. You’re getting the edge right now! What I’m trying to teach you should in all honesty be about a four year course. I’m giving you the readers digest condensed version of it to increase your edge as quickly as possible. You are not going to learn everything all at once. This will take time and patience. Nothing worth learning comes easy. Stay the course and pay attention. I’m just getting warmed up Some Metal Detectors work old trails in the woods exclusively claiming they have the most potential finds!

There’s no such thing as a road to nowhere - Old Trails are great prospects for finding treasure of all kinds and they always lead somewhere!

42

Real World Treasure

Site Reading: Conceptual Interpretation

Chapter Ten

•Perception •Imagination •Instinct

Ghost Towns and Old Homesteads THERE ARE SOME ghost towns where buildings are still standing and some where there’s nothing to be seen. Much depends on how long ago the town was abandoned and how structures were built during that period. Most of the time you can find remanence of stone foundations, walls or with any luck at all chimneys. Just about every building had a chimney whether it was a house or place of business. The best thing about finding stone structures is that they were frequently used to hide cashes of coins and other valuables. There was almost always a “loose stone” in a fireplace (inside or out) for stashing things. Lose stones could also be in a well surrounds, foundations or smoke pits. THE SAME APPLIES to other stone structures. Stone walls were often used by people to hide things. They could identify their spot by a certain color or shape of stone or by counting a certain number of stones from a permanent marker such as a tree across and down kind of like a treasure map or combination safe. Where ever you find a pile of stones or a chimney (standing or fallen,) check it thoroughly with your metal detector. People buried their possessions and money for more reasons than you can shake a stick at but the obvious and most common reason was simply secrecy. The pictures above show what was once a thriving town with a train station and hotel fading into the past and sitting as a quiet reminder of better times. Lower right is just one example of the thousands of abandoned old homesteads ripe for treasure hunters with their metal detectors. 43


Many reasons why MOST FOLKS would hide their stash inside or outside their home within close proximity. Somewhere they could see it when they looked out their window. I mentioned before about “firstgrowth trees.” Did you ever notice how often you would see a farm field and there would be this giant oak tree in the middle of it? Whether they were left there for shade, aesthetics or the farmers didn’t have enough dynamite to blow it out of the ground remains unknown. But you can be certain that many of these locations served as a gathering point and a hiding place. If you ever find yourself staring at a field with an old tree in the middle of it and the opportunity presents itself, go check it out with your metal detector. There is an extremely good possibility you’ll find something! FOR AS MANY REASONS as people have died and never told anyone where they hid their valuables I can give you reasons for looking. Suffice it to say that millions of people hoarding great wealth have died never retrieving their cashes or telling anyone where it was. Again, this is an absolute - not speculation. Think about how living with the hardships of days-gone-by must have been. Many people died of things we would think impossible by today’s standards. A mere infection could kill you. There were no inoculations or antibiotics so things like yellow fever, typhus, diphtheria, cholera, consumption, pneumonia, small pox, chicken pox, mumps and measles could all lead to your death. Combine that with such things as accidents, the complications from natural child birth and the overall unsafe and unsanitary conditions they lived in, starvation, unsurvivable winters, murder, Indian attacks or just plain old-age. SO HOW DOES ALL THIS RELATE to site reading? Because sometimes disease wiped out entire towns leaving many forgotten hordes or caches of treasure. So again conceptual perception comes into play. Conceptual perception, imagination and instincts are tools that are every bit as valuable as your metal detector - Sometimes more so. Where would you hide something of great value if you were there? 44

Real World Treasure

It’s Great Adventure IF GHOST TOWNS and old homesteads are your thing you have to imagine yourself being there when it was alive and where possible, in your minds eye, see the structure(s) as it/they might have been. This will give you a “reference point.” Knowing where you’re standing in reference to the building can provide you with useful information. Finding things like door hinges, latches and window locks with your metal detector can give you the “footprint” of the building thus giving you an overview and a starting point for mapping or gridding. Look over the entire site and try to imagine how it was back then. Paths, roads, trails, railway spurs are terrific indicators. Some metal detectorists (if that’s really a word,) only work old roads and paths in the woods. They find a substantial amounts of old coins, pendants, buttons, relics and artifacts. Personally, I LOVE A GOOD GHOST TOWN. The prospects of finding a cache are extremely good and its a great adventure in itself. All ghost towns are not listed on maps or even in state archives but they are plentiful and easy to find.

45


•Perception Site Reading: Chapter Eleven •Imagination Conceptual •Instinct Interpretation Beaches, Shore Lines, Shallow Water and Deep Water THIS IS THE MOST written about type of treasure hunting. It’s what a lot of us envision when we think about it. The pictures of a tropical shore and the lone beach hunter swinging his trusty metal detector are images that we have all seen or at least imagined. The most information and books about treasure hunting cover this one particular arena. Some authors get a little too technical in their approach to what should be relatively easy and rewarding. A little good information goes a long way and a lot highly technical engineering data is just confusing and unnecessary for our purpose. SOME BOOKS drone on about how to dig your finds and dressing for cold weather. Others go so far in the other direction with technical data so in depth like hiring a “Pitch Coach” for better signal interpretation it just takes all the fun out of it. I want to keep the fun and adventure alive while keeping it simple and telling you what really matters and how you can get the most out of treasure hunting as a whole. Beach, shore line and shallow water detecting is not as complicated as some authors would have you believe. THE BEACH is one zone - that’s the sandy powdery part. The next is the shore line. That’s the hard wet sand area from the low tide edge of the water to the high tide mark. And the third of course is the shallow water. The shallow water zone is from ankle deep to neck deep water regardless of the tide. The entire shallow water zone is in actually two separate zones. The first being from ankle to waist and the second from waist to neck. There’s a reason for this that I’ll tell you about later in the chapter. Each one of these areas or zones require a little know how and different techniques. Even though together they seem as one entity (the beach) they are indeed broken down and searched in different ways. 46

Real World Treasure

The beach bank $$$

Let’s make a withdraw

SO LET’S FIRST DISCUSS the sandy or powdery area I refer to as the “blanket zone.” This of course is where people lay their respective towels, blankets and what have you. The patch of white stuff where you stake out your territory, drop your gear, bask in the sun and enjoy the day. Now oddly enough, and you’ve seen this but probably never paid much attention to it, the first beach go-ers to arrive always line up with the lifeguard stand up and down the beach. Perfect lines of towels and beach chairs. It’s called a “line mentality.” It has to do with people unconsciously following the “natural order of the cosmos.” WHY I MENTION THIS is that one line of early arrivals are the ones most likely to loose money and jewelry during the day. When you’re doing your searching at the end of the day after most of them have gone you’ll want to concentrate on this thin strip of the beach. This thin line of beach is the one area that will produce the most finds. Let me expand on this. People don’t always think things through. They go to the beach with their jewelry on. They also bring wallets, purses, coin holders, beach bags, pocketbooks and all sorts of other things to keep their possessions in. Well, where are you? Your at the beach, right? If you want to go in the water what do you do with your “stuff?” There’s no locker or safe deposit box handy. So what do most people do? They sometimes put it on their blanket and cover it with a towel but the most common thing they do is burry it in the sand under the corner of their blanket. I CAN’T TELL YOU how many times I’ve found crushed Dixie cups holding someone’s jewelry in it that they buried and forgot about when they left. The sand becomes the repository for money and jewelry. Now not everyone removes their jewelry when they go in the water which is now where they loose it. Why? These early arrivals go through the most “phases” during the day. They lay in the sun literally baking like a roast of ham, swelling and contracting from the radiant heat of the sun. Dehydrating and rehydrating all day. When they hit the water which is a lot cooler than their body their fingers and toes shrink significantly. 47


The Beach Zone

It is gone baby, gone!

THIS SOMEWHAT DRAMATIC contraction combined with the copious amount of tanning oil and sun screen cause finger rings and toe rings to fall off. The ones that had the foresight to remove their jewelry and bury it have gone through so many phases by the end of the day the dehydration and rehydration along with the effects of the sun have caused a loss of focus. The neurotransmitters in the brain are sluggish and misfiring. The effects may only be momentary but it has the same result. They get up and pick up their towel or blanket instantly losing their reference point in the ground. What was just a split second ago easy to find and access under the corner of their towel has disappeared into the vastness of all the other sand. WHERE YOU WERE becomes at best a guessing game. If you even looked away from where you were or took just a couple of steps your valuables are lost in a sea of sand. If you take and average engagement ring and drop it from about 12 inches above the sand it will be swallowed up instantly and if you’re not staring at the exact spot it landed, it is “gone baby, gone!” Another thing that happens in the moment is people who are leaving will just pick up their towel or blanket and shake it. Any jewelry that was laying on that blanket or towel just vanished into the sand and will not likely be found without a metal detector. I’VE HAD TOO MANY people hunt me down on the beach when I’m there to find their jewelry that confirms and re-enforces this little know fact. You’re going to want to use a VLF (motion detector) or better yet, a water proof Multi-Frequency type of metal detector in this area as they respond more favorably in loose soil or powdery sand. You can use other types but this is what I would recommend. Now that’s just the most productive strip of the beach. You’ve still got an entire beach to cover if you want. There’s plenty of opportunity just in the beach zone.

48

Real World Treasure

The Hard-pack Zone

Davey Jones’ Locker

MOVING CLOSER to the water we come to the “wet or hard-pack zone.” This is the area that changes width with the tide and obviously a low tide reveals more of it. It extends from the lower beach zone or the “high tide mark” down to the water where ever the current tide level is. This is a productive area in its own right. It serves as a natural trap. I like to think of it as nature’s jewelry box. Gold is heavy. It’s about 9 times heavier than sand and all it wants to do is sink. In water or sand gold acts the same. It will only stop when it hits a solid bottom. Sand itself is only about one or two feet deep depending on the geology of the area and rides or “floats” on top of the geological strata called “hard pan” which is usually sandstone or some other type of rock The gold is stopped by the hard pan. It’s trapped. That doesn’t mean its not going anywhere just not down any further. A gold ring for example can be moved by the natural geological action of the sand a half a mile or more in a years time. THIS AREA is going to require another type of metal detector called a “Pulse Induction.” They are better suited for hard packed wet sand and underwater environments, but their biggest advantage is that they have better ground penetration and send their signals deeper than the others. You could use a Multi-Frequency but in this zone every inch of signal counts. As technology improves so does the depth and accuracy of metal detectors. Any items that are not able to be found this year might be next year. That’s why there is no such thing as an infertile or “sterile beach.” Wave action, shifting sand, beach erosion, weather, dredging and re-nourishment are many of the contributing factors to the ever changing contours of any shoreline. What the natural erosion of wind, water and weather may have caused could just be the one or two inches of depth your metal detector needed to hit bottom - The Davey Jones’ locker of lost jewelry.

You can clearly see all the “Zones” in htis picture

49


The Shallows Zone

Nature’s holding area

HERE’S A TIP: Before you set out to explore any beach, find out if there has been any re-nourishment projects there in the last few years. Because unless they dredged up some sunken treasure and distributed it on the beach, you’re not likely to find anything. What took decades of beach goers making deposits in the beach bank is now buried beyond the limits any conventional metal detector. This is the kind of research that will pay off by not wasting your time or causing disappointment and frustration. WE NOW WADE into the shallow depths of the water sometimes referred to as “the shallows,” or “the splash area.” This is the first of those two parts of shallow water we discussed earlier and is probably the least productive area. Parents play with their small children and limit their younger children to this part. There’s usually not any rough activity going on to cause jewelry to go flying off and when someone does loose something it’s pretty easy to spot it. A little splashing and cooling off, that’s about it. You are also likely to find the most trash here as toys, safety pins, foil, pop tops, pull tabs, bottle caps and other light metal objects are actually pulled down to this area by tide and sand action. THE FURTHER OUT into the water an object goes the less it moves so wave action in deeper water has little or no effect on things and they usually stay where they are. The same applies to lakes and ponds, there’s no wave action so things don’t move. This first part of the shallow water acts as a “holding area” where trash and treasure mix but there’s a whole lot more trash than treasure. The next part of this zone is where the wave action occurs. It’s also where the money is! Don’t ever doubt it. From waste to neck deep water is where all the activity is both natural and human. How heavy the wave activity is will be determined by whatever beach you’re on. Geology, underwater terrain, prevailing winds all play a part. THE ATLANTIC SIDE of Florida for example is completely different from the Gulf side. Wave action in the Gulf of Mexico is more like a lake than an ocean. But wave action on most beaches can be rough, and I mean knock you over rough! 50

Real World Treasure

The Activity Zone

In greater abundance

This is A POSITIVE FORCE OF NATURE that works to our advantage. This is where most people loose their jewelry. It’s knocked off by waves and they don’t even realize it. This is also where “the big kids” play. Horseplay among teenagers and young adults is by far the largest contributor to lost jewelry in the water. Another thing to consider is that older people actually have jewelry to loose. That can be broken down even further by age group relative to the quality or quantity of jewelry they’re wearing. Simply put, the older you are the more likely it is that you can afford more expensive jewelry in greater abundance. Watches, rings, bracelets, necklaces, you name it are wrenched, pulled, yanked or otherwise broken during these fun loving frolics and sink directly to the bottom lost forever in the murky depths - or at least until some enterprising individual with a metal detector comes along and retrieves it! EVEN WHEN SOMEONE is aware they’ve just lost something there’s little or no chance of them ever finding it. Not at this depth anyway. Age, activity and depth are other useful indicators for site reading beaches. Be aware of people and their movements. Use nature and common sense to improve your success. Understand that everybody comes from the parking lot, everybody goes to the public rest rooms, most everybody goes to the concession stand. These are pathways just like all other roads. Walt Whitman suggested we all “take the road less traveled.” For the treasure hunter the opposite is true. The more people coming and going the more things are lost. You’re not going to find much at some remote beach no matter how nice it is if people never went there. Even lakes, ponds and swimming holes that were frequented mostly by the “working class” are not going to be very productive for obvious reasons. The METAL DETECTOR OF CHOICE in this area would be the water proof “Pulse Induction” type. You could use a “Multi-Frequency” but the Pulse Induction is more stable and unaffected by the salt water and it also goes deeper. Either one must be water proof.

51


The Deep Zone

Where the big money is

WE’VE JUST COVERED “shallow water” hunting but I don’t want to leave out the one area just beyond “neck deep” which would require snorkeling or scuba gear. This area is what I call the “outer limits.” This is normally used by the “swimmers.” These are the guys with more hair on their back than on their head and wear about 3 to 4 pounds of gold around their neck. The only thing that fits snugly any more is that tiny little black speedo bathing suit they’re wearing. Everything else, and I do mean everything, is flopping around. But I love these guys. They loose more expensive watches and jewelry than you can imagine. Don’t think finding a Rolex or an Omega watch won’t make your day. So if you’re so inclined to this type of hunting. Go for it. It’s worth the extra effort. When you’re scuba diving or exploring shipwrecks you can use any of the different types of metal detectors as long as they are water proof and are rated for the depth you’re using them. THERE’S MORE ABOUT shallow water hunting you should know. Some treasure hunters think of shallow water hunting as a science and the most difficult kinds of metal detecting. Their logic is that the sand and shorelines are always on the move and that wind, currents and tides are continuously changing its face and shape. I believe that those same elements offer new possibilities and opportunities. Where beaches are loosing sand in some places that same sand is being deposited elsewhere. Where the beach is loosing sand is where you want to focus your efforts. Remember - less sand uncovers more targets. A trained eye will always look for areas on a beach that have less sand. You’ll notice that these areas have shells, pebbles and small rocks that are left because they are heavier than the grains of sand that have been swept away. Gold jewelry is even heavier and likely to be underneath these washed out areas. OTHER GOOD AREAS are where the sand is rippled like a still shot of the ocean’s surface. Scour these rippled areas carefully. Both of these areas are in the wet hard-packed zone. I’m going to briefly talk about “channels” and “cuts” as they’re commonly referred to. These are features that are carved into the face of a beach by wind, rain and wave action. 52

Real World Treasure

Cuts and Channels

Prime jewelry territory

STORMS AND HEAVY RAINS etch out these channels or “cuts” and sometimes cause long deep drops in the overall level of the beach. These vast swaths of eroded and newly exposed beach caused by winter storms or hurricanes are what excite a lot of metal detectors. These weather anomalies can uncover some unbelievable finds. But even a good heavy rain will create troughs or “channels” from the land’s edge, down the beach and into the water. These too are highly productive areas, just on a smaller scale. Heavy or saturating rains do something else for metal detectors, even up on land. It increases their performance. The ground has more conductivity, signal is improved and your metal detector can find deeper targets when the ground is wet. LET’S CONTINUE with the when and where of it. Tracking the tides in you area is essential. You will read this in every book written about shallow water detecting. Be there about two hours before the tide is out completely so you can work your way out with the tide to its deepest ebb. This allows you to go out farther and hit more targets while still keeping your head above water. Working with the tide will give about 4 hours of deep water access in the most productive area of any beach. The last 2 hours going out and the first 2 hours coming in. There are times of the month when the tide is out to an extreme. This is called a “Spring Tide.” Not having anything to do with the seasons. Its origins have to do with the springing motion or full extension of something. If you’re out “neck deep” in the lowest tide of the month, you’re able to actually work in that outer limit swimming zone without scuba gear. Another little secret you can take advantage of. Check you local tide charts. They’re available on-line and on your local weather channel. I want to give you a couple of WORDS OF WARNING at this point. First of all be very aware of eddies, rip currents, rip tides and undertows when you’re out this far. They can occur at any point during the outgoing or incoming tide and it is not likely you will be able to escape their forces. You will be dragged helplessly out to sea. Your equipment along with any weight belt (if you’re wearing one,) will have to be sacrificed in your struggle to keep your head above water. 53


Running wide open

How cool is this?

HERE’S ANOTHER WARNING you would do well to head: I’ve been with people who like to metal detect in the water at night. In my considered opinion this is not a good idea for any number of reasons. The first is; on my side of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico “it’s feeding time!” That’s right, “feeding time!” All those denizens of the deep with Hollywood theme songs come in from the blue water (deeper) from dusk to dawn and sometimes longer. In days gone by this didn’t seem to be a problem but in recent years apparently the menu has been extended to include more human appetizers on the half shell. The one experience I had at night, I was neck deep in the gulf when I sensed and felt movement in the water. By the light of the moon I could make out a dorsal fin, (and a large one at that,) within two feet of me which sent a bolt of adrenaline surging through me that felt like I was just hit by lightening. The next sensation was a great explosion of sound and water hitting me so hard it stung. THIS SECOND TRAUMA caused what I’m certain to this day was a massive heart attack or some other primal response to intense fear. Kind of like a deer goes into shock and convulses when it’s got a cougars jaws gripped firmly around its throat. I completely resigned myself to the worst kind of death imaginable - being eaten alive by a shark! It may sound funny now but I can assure you at the time I filled the immediate gulf waters with bodily fluids and solids. In seconds that seemed like an eternity of impending doom it turned out to be a dolphin breaking the surface to expel and fill its lungs with air through its blow hole. I’m here (thank God) to tell you it didn’t matter one iota and it was the last time I went in the water at night! Another good reason is you can’t see anything and no one can see you either for that matter. There are people out there with jet skis and boats that are that are running wide open and way to close to shore. Some moron was out there on a sail board yelling to his buddy: “how cool is this?!” Just prior to running into him. Your senses are so heightened you can’t even begin to focus on what you’re doing so just stick to the light of day, it offers enough challenges. 54

Real World Treasure

The Beach Bank

In conclusion...

WHEN, WHERE, WHY AND HOW. I’ve just given you enough information to get you started on any beach and keep you busy for a lifetime. You could theoretically spend the rest of your days just working the beach and you still wouldn’t have enough time to cover all of it. And I’m just talking about one local beach. Some enthusiasts travel all over the country and the world treasure hunting on sunny Caribbean beaches and tropical foreign shores. Traveling with a metal detector has some draw backs these days with airport security being what it is but there are ways to make it easier. Keep it in a “hard case” like you would golf clubs with all the parts neatly broken down and displayed. Any hard to spot or hidden compartments should be readily pointed out and opened. Keep your owners manual handy that clearly shows all the parts. That way there’s no doubt about what else these parts might be assembled into. Be prepared for some inconvenience. Metal detectors don’t come through airports that often and some security people may have never seen one prior to yours. And one last point: Do check any destination concerning the use of metal detectors where ever you’re going. There are some places that have a ban on their use like Cuba, St. Thomas and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is not a complete list by the way, there are many more. There are some countries that frown upon metal detecting enthusiasts and others that carry heavy fines and even lengthy prison sentences. Be sure to check with the local Tourism Bureau or Department of the Interior prior to your visiting any foreign destinations 55


Sub-Chapter Eleven Shipwrecks: Scuba Diving with Metal Detectors This is a WORLD OF TREASURE HUNTING that is set apart from the normal land based to neck deep shallow water detecting. This is a whole different thing. This type of treasure hunting requires (and excuse the expression,) a boat load of money and a seasoned crew of people with diversified talents and skills. The equipment alone is cost prohibitive to all but a few. There’s not a whole lot of information out there regarding shipwreck diving except that it’s costly and dangerous. When I was young I use to go out in a dingy by myself and dive off the keys looking for sunken ships. I had no training, no supervision obviously and due to the nature of ocean bottoms swallowing ships whole, very little success. I had no ideal what I was looking for. I just assumed that entire sunken galleons, fully intact and sitting upright on the sea floor, were there waiting for my arrival and inspection. Much like the one in my aquarium at home. It’s a wonder I’m not resting in Davey Jones’ locker myself. I took some amazing risks when I think back. Ahh, the stupidity of youth. It is only by the grace of God I walk this earth today such was my appetite for treasure and adventure. THE FEW TIMES I was part of a team of treasure hunters, finding and diving on shipwrecks were more misadventures than anything else and quite expensive. But alas and alack, there wasn’t the technology that exists today and I regret to think about what might have been had I had access to any of it. If you are interested in this field I would suggest first getting certified as a scuba diver by someone who is a recognized and certified themselves by PADI. (Professional Association of Diving Instructors.) It would better serve you to have some military training as well. Seek out forums on the internet where real world treasure hunters may be trying to put together a group of people for such an expedition. There are few ways to gain this kind of experience and knowledge but it can be done. You may have to intern or volunteer on research vessels or local shipwreck diving groups. You can easily obtain maps of the actual locations of hundreds of shipwrecks on-line and gain valuable experience from diving on these. But for the love of the Cracken don’t go without a partner or two. This kind of passion for adventure can easily be the end of you. 56

Real World Treasure

Sub-Chapter Eleven

Water hides a vast amount of treasure

OCEANS, GULFS, BAYS AND INLETS are only a part of metal detecting in water. These are just the salt water cousins to the rest of the many other bodies and tributaries of fresh water. Lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, swimming holes, quarry pits, reservoirs, streams and so on can be just as bountiful as their salt water counterparts. When you look at a small lake in a forest imagine how many pioneers, frontiersmen, traders, explorers, trackers, settlers, trappers, soldiers, Indians, payroll wagons, survey crews, railway builders, road workers and passersby have been there over the years. That one body of water was a welcome sight and respite to many people. Think of the items they may have dropped in their travels and how old some of those items could be. The shores of lakes and rivers are littered with the relics, money and artifacts from all these people. Lakes, ponds, rivers and streams are a natural attraction to humans that provide life giving water and food. People from prehistoric times till present day lived around, hunted, fished and even played in just about every body of water on the planet. DON’T JUST LOOK at a lake and think of it in the present day. Think about all the visitors it had over the years. Colonies of people could have been there for years trying to settle and farm the land around it making daily trips to gather water, wash cloths, take baths, fish or swim. Lakes were often used to hide confederate and union payroll and gold to keep the enemy from capturing it and furthering their own war effort. They are the obvious choice when it comes to hiding something quickly. When there’s no time to dig, tossing it in the lake was the next best thing. Many stories of lost gold in rivers, creeks and streams clutter history books and the internet. Most of which are historical fact. Boats sunk in them too. Some were deliberately scuttled to avoid enemy capture or were attacked and sunk by enemy flotillas. THE POINT BEING: working the shores of a lake or bank of a river can pay off big time. Treasure was thrown into sink holes in rivers and quagmires in swampy areas never to be seen again but they’re still there. It’s not really a secret to know that Water hides a vast amount of treasure. 57

Real World Treasure

Water hides a vast amount of treasure

Sub-Chapter Eleven

BELOW IS A LIST of wet places you may or may not have thought of. If you’re in a drought area or go to one, you will be able to access land where the water has receded that you never could before. HERE ARE SOME CONDITIONS AND SITUATIONS TO LOOK FOR:

•Drained or shrinking lakes. •Reservoirs lowered for repair reasons or no longer in use. •Streams and rivers diverted for construction purposes or farm irrigation. •Dry creek beds or streams. •Any swimming areas at times of low water. •Ponds on golf courses that are drained to make changes or improvements. •Agricultural ditches that dry up during droughts or seasonally. •Exposed Lake-bottoms near boat docks when the water levels are low. HERE’S ANOTHER SECRET FOR YOU: In Florida during a freeze or freeze warning the farmers draw so much water out of the ground for irrigation trying to protect their crops it causes sink holes - but it also dramatically lowers and sometimes completely empties the lakes and ponds in the area. The lakes and ponds slowly recover naturally by surrounding ground water intrusion but what a great opportunity for metal detecting. You only have a small window of time but you can cover a lot of territory and make some amazing finds in a couple of days.

Is this an opportunity or what? Boats lying high and dry on a lake emptied by Florida Citrus Growers in central Florida and not a metal detector in sight! Are you kidding? 58

Real World Treasure

Search Techniques

Chapter Twelve

Grids and Search patterns

SOMEWHERE IN THIS BOOK I have to tell you about search patterns. They are an absolute part of the search procedure and important to your success. We’ve discussed gridding in the previous chapters. Narrowing down your search area and working it in 10’ x 10’ or 20’ x 20’ sections or grids. It doesn’t matter what size you make them as long as they are a clear reference to areas you’ve already covered using a thorough search pattern. I know we’ve already covered some of this in earlier chapters however, overlapping your swings is something you should always take great care in doing. Considering the size of a ring or a coin, one bad swing could easily cause you to miss it and would constitute a poorly covered grid as a whole. A METAL DETECTOR sends a signal down from its coil in an inverted cone shape. The signal closest to the coil being at its largest and narrowing down to its furthest depth of say 1 to 2 feet. (It depends on your metal detector how far down the signal goes.) The signal nearest the coil could be 12 or more inches in diameter but only 1 or 2 inches in diameter at its lowest point. In that foot or two of depth just imagine from the top to the bottom of that signal how much ground area is missed. We miss enough targets that are just out of reach in depth without adding to our failure rate by not overlapping. We also talked about going low and slow. You are missing targets when moving too fast for your metal detector to keep up. If you find yourself in an extremely productive area I strongly recommended as your swing your coil don’t move it forward more than an inch or two per swing. This little used secret will produce more finds than you can imagine. WE LIVE IN an “instant - right now” world and we’re accustomed to things responding right away but when it comes to increasing your success rate and finding more targets you absolutely must slow down your swing. 59

Real World Treasure

S

Your’re in the Zone

ome people suggest that one full swing (that’s back and forth,) should take about 4 seconds. How fast your swing is should be, at least in part, determined by the metal detector you’re using. How deep it goes will determine how fast the signal comes back to the coil. Some of the common search patterns are zig zags, circles, spirals and straight lines. If you’ve got some other way like from corner to corner that’s fine. But let’s say you’re working the beach. Take one section that’s not too long. Let’s say 40 to 50 feet of beach right in front of where the most people congregate on a regular basis. From where ever the tide is - from about knee deep up to the sandy zone (that’s the wet hard packed zone and a little more into the shallows) start walking in an up and down zig zag pattern with overlapping swings until you’ve covered that section of beach. KEEP TRACK of what you’ve done by dragging your scoop or something other to mark in the sand where you’ve already been. I’ve read that this is a deterrent to other metal detectorists in that they can see that someone has already “gridded” the beach so they turn around and go home. I can assure you it wouldn’t stop me, but that’s why I’m writing this book. Most detectorists are so sloppy and without discipline of any kind in their search techniques they rarely if ever find anything. So don’t worry if you ever see “gridding” on the beach. Many times I’ve followed right behind someone else and made great finds! Don’t let it put you off. BACK TO SEARCH PATTERNS: You could take this same strip of beach and walk in a straight line back and forth lengthwise looking at your own footsteps to guide you and accomplish the same thing. It really doesn’t matter what pattern you use as long as you’re thorough in your search. The spiral pattern we’ve discussed. That is better used and suited for finding cashes in a field or working an area from its internal center. Again, just be thorough in your search. FYI the zig zag search pattern is used by underwater treasure hunters using side scan sonar to map out potential targets on large areas of the ocean bottom. 60

Real World Treasure

Working the Beach Zone at the end of the day will pay off in more ways than one. Relax and enjoy it. It’s good therapy! WHEN YOU’RE WORKING a beach using an up and down zig zag pattern you will notice at a certain point between the water and the sand an area that has coins or other targets. This particular area is where nature has deposited these items based on their weight in relationship to the sand and solid content. You can stop at this point and direct your search at this latitude up and down the beach. This is the beach’s natural repository line. You used the zig zag search pattern and found this area now using this spot on the beach work that on the parallel to the beach. You will dig some trash along with coins and jewelry, mostly trash. But trash and treasure are always together here and digging trash is part of the deal. Nature will deposit just about everything in one parallel line due to the geography and make up of the sand and soil. It fits and settles in the ground dynamically with the size and weight of everything around it. HERE’S ANOTHER little secret for you: Sometimes you will find pockets of coins all in the same place. Again nature has deposited them there along with things like rings and other jewelry. The gold is heavier so in most cases you can anticipate finding a ring or two underneath these pockets of coins when you hit them. It would not be unusual to find as many as 100 coins. Keep checking the hole to make sure you haven’t left anything and use a spiral search pattern around the area to confirm.

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OldeWorld Maps

Chapter Thirteen

hold unlimited potential and so do new ones

Old Beer’s Maps are still available and a great source for locating treasure

MAPS CAN BE one of your greatest assets. Old maps can be the key to treasure hunting success. Learn about all of the different types of maps and where to get them for your area. There are dozens of resources. Research old maps in your local library, historical society or the internet. They can actually show you where old towns used to be and in some cases you can even find old photographs, drawings and pictures of old towns so you can actually see where the buildings were. This is as good as it gets! Research is the key to success. Learn to use maps and you’ll learn to find treasure. KNOW THE MANY different types of maps as well. These interesting old maps are called by many names: property-owner maps, homeowner maps, cadastral maps, landowner maps or Beer’s maps (the Beers family were engaged in the business of map making in the late 1800’s) These old maps detail historical towns showing the location of homes with the names of the homeowner, school-houses, churches, the jailhouse, businesses, blacksmith shops, sawmills and gristmills, quarries, livery stables, railroad tracks and stations, telegraph offices, ponds, and many other features. ALL MAPS, no matter what type, show blank areas or voids. Sometimes these were baron areas, swamps, considered uninhabitable or impassable. These blank areas sometimes called white areas are potential targets. There may have been a town there once but has long been forgotten about and never put on any map. This is more common than you think. Perhaps it was just one building like a sawmill or brick foundry or ice house. The point is more often than not something was there. If you ever see an old road or path no matter how overgrown, follow it. It lead somewhere. There’s no such thing as a “dead end” when you’re treasure hunting. By using the benefit of maps old and new you can easily see discrepancies where things on an old map are no longer on a new one. Bingo..! A target in your sites. No pun intended. 62

Real World Treasure

Maps hold secrets

...and a lot of them too!

IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY that you will ever run across an old treasure map but they do still turn up every now and again. Sometimes they go up for sale at auctions or even on ebay. They may or may not have any credibility or validation and their origins are questionable at best. But guess what..? It could also be real. For as many people who could remember where they hid their loot there were as many who had to make a map simply because they were forgetful or the place they buried it was unfamiliar or foreign. Landmarks that the maps were based on may have changed dramatically or been erased completely by development. Be cautious if you’re looking to purchase an “authentic treasure map” because even if it’s real it could probably only be interpreted by the individual who designed and constructed it. But let’s not be too hasty, there is one other situation. Take into account the treasure map that was found in the state of Maryland at a yard sale between a tintype photo of some old geezer and the mat on the back. This map was hidden. Not meant to be found. Now we’re talking treasure! What happened is anybody’s guess. The man that found it hasn’t been heard from since and that was back in the late 1980’s. THAT DOESN’T MEAN something evil befell him. It just means he probably found what he was looking for and did the smart thing. He became anonymous and lives a quiet and very comfortable life somewhere tropical and breezy, spending most of his time in a hammock sipping little drinks with umbrellas in them. (Whoops! Sorry, I got carried away there.) That’s what I would do anyway. So be careful when it comes to buying treasure maps it’s a risky throw of the dice. But hey, some people like a good puzzle, so if you’re on of them - go for it! You can discover forgotten places ripe for finding treasure just by learning about and using maps. And by the way, most of the time they’re free or you might have to pay .25 cents for a copy. Here’s another secret: Using old and new maps along with google earth you can easily find lakes, ponds and even entire sections of rivers (diverted by the Army Corps of Engineers for example,) that are drained or just gone for one reason or another. The reason doesn’t matter, they’re painfully easy geographic sites to locate and fantastic sites to metal detect in. You can thank me later. 63

Real World Treasure

Summary Review LET’S REVIEW what you should know and understand at this point. This should make easier to take in and digest all this information. You will probably have to read this book a few times to take it all in. I expect you to read everything you can get your hands on, not just this book. I also expect you to investigate any and all resources available to you in order to maximize the chances of your success. I want you to succeed and become famous so when you’re asked about your good fortune you can say I owe my success to a book written by Jack Thompson. That way I’m never forgotten about I’ve become immortal and it mattered that I was here once upon a time.

Hopefully you understand that this book is the “no nonsense” approach to finding treasure no matter what type you seek. Fundamental concepts, ideas and understandings you should have derived from this book. Choices, commitments and decisions have to be made and held to. You must know and understand the following: •You must choose your particular path. •It can be approached as a hobby or a career. •Know your limitations. •Be safety conscious. •Exercise common sense. •Know that treasure exists. •You should be driven but not obsessed. •There are different levels of commitment. •Work is required on your part. •Success is real and attainable. •There are procedures to follow. •Research is necessary. •Risk is involved. •You must be realistic. •You must have a proper mind set. •Use all the laws of the universe to your advantage. •You must be discrete. •Be thorough, methodical and patient.

•Use the metal detector best suited for your purpose. •Use only the best equipment and learn how to use it with proficiency. •Use conceptual perception. •Use site reading techniques. •Use maps, GPS’s and satellite imagery (google.) •Use libraries, State Archives and Historical Societies. •Know how to properly search an area by gridding and using search patterns. •Narrow down your search. •Increase your odds. •Visualize (put yourself there.) •Use your imagination as a tool. •How to work ghost towns, old homesteads, encampments, fields, old roads to nowhere, derelict buildings, old outhouses, freshwater lakes and ponds, and the three zones of salt water beaches (working the tides.)

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Real World Treasure

In Conclusion

...and one more secret!

I’VE JUST TOLD YOU EVERYTHING I KNOW THAT’S TAKEN ME A LIFETIME TO ACQUIRE. Well, maybe not everything... I never did tell you what I found in Key West as a boy. Suffice it to say that some things just can’t be told and what I found could never be shared for a thousand reasons. Not in my lifetime anyway. I never told my father, my wife, my best friend or my priest - No one! Even as a boy when I discovered it I knew it was never meant to be found and I was compelled to honor its very existence and hide its location once again. Ancient scholars have speculated its existence for hundreds of years never really knowing if it was fact or fiction. As much as I would like to have told somebody, the discovery itself prohibits the telling by centuries of trust and secrecy. I have left information regarding this amazing find in my last will and testament and for those who purchased this book, you will be sent via email or home address, all the details regarding this discovery of a lifetime and understand for yourself why its secret had to be kept and I had to remain anonymous all these years. The secret to its present location will die with me but maybe someone else will stumble on it one day. If they do I hope they have the courage and the strength of character to do the right thing the next time. I hope you enjoyed this book and the many secrets it had to offer. May they give you the success you’re looking for.

Good Luck, Good Fortune and Happy Hunting!

Do your research!

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Real World Treasure BELOW IS AN ENTIRE LIST of places you can go to get in some all important practice and insight. You may run into other enthusiasts. Talk to them. Ask them what equipment they use and why. You have a lot in common so be outgoing and forthcoming with information. It’ll broaden your horizons. I also get tired of hearing people complain about having nowhere to hunt with their metal detectors: Abandoned Structures - Old Abandoned Cemeteries - Old Amusement Parks - Under Boardwalks Areas Around Skating Ponds Band Stands or Shells - Old Barns & Outbuildings - Old Battle Sites - Old Beaches Bridges Campgrounds Churches - Old Church Revival Areas City & County Parks Circus, Carnival and Fair Sites College Campuses Disaster Sites Drive Ins - Old Farmers Market Areas Fence Posts or Markers Fishing Holes Fishing Camps Flea Market Areas Forts & Encampment Sites - Old Garbage Dumps & Trash Pits Gas Stations & General Stores - Old Ghost Towns Hiking Trails Historical Markers Homestead Sites - Old

Hunting Lodges & Camp Grounds Mailboxes (In rural areas) Military Camp & Bivouac Sites - Old Mining Camps - Old Motels - Old Newly Graded Construction Sites Parking Spots or Lover’s Lanes Picnic Grounds Playgrounds Racetracks Railroad Stations and Junctions Roads or Paths - Old Rodeo Arenas Roadside Fruit & Vegetable Stands Roadside Rest Stops Town Squares Scenic Overlook Sites School Yards - Old Scout Camps Sidewalk Grassy Areas Ski Slopes Sports & Athletic Fields Stone or Rock Quarries Stone Walls or Boundary Walls Swimming Holes, Lakes and Reservoirs - Old Urban Lots and Scapes Vacant Lots Wells & Outhouses - Old Winter Sledding Areas

This is certainly not all the places you can look but it should get you started. Once again do your research. Find and look at old maps, talk to older local residents, check the local library, the Historical Societies, State and local archives, The Library of Congress etc. 66

Treasure Hunter eBook 2010a11

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