Rocky Mountain Prospectors &

Treasure Hunters Newsletter

The News
v. 15, n. 1 January, 2011 Going for the Gold
Visit RMPTH On The Internet At http://rmpth.com

Contents Searching For Caches

By Eric L. Nielsen
1 Searching For Caches
2 About The News From the RMPTH Newsletter Archives from
2 Colorado Gold Rush 2004
3 France Seizes Lava Treasure Coins

M
4 Diamond Geologists Find Sunken ost people, including treasure seekers, can-
Treasure not begin to comprehend the number of
5 Find Of The Year Program caches that are available to be found. A
6 The Beep That Made Me Leap cache (pronounced cash) could be considered to be a
8 Iron Age Gold Find stockpile of items hidden to keep unauthorized peo-
9 Good Metal Detecting Etiquette ple from finding and destroying, using or stealing it.
Caches of all kinds exist, however, money and pre-
10 Calendar of Events
cious metals usually evoke the greatest enthusiasm
11 Calendars and excitement when recovered.
12 Some Gold Facts
13 Why Athletes Can’t Have Regular
Jobs (Continued on page 7)

15 Winterizing Your Equipment

16 Trading Post
18 2010 Schedule of Events
19 Contact List Big Changes Are Coming!

Big club changes are coming in February. First, we

will be meeting in a new Loveland location. The new
location is better and brighter with excellent
parking! Next, we are beginning a new club structure,
emphasizing our social club roots, with no club
officers. Instead of a board meeting prior to the
regular monthly meetings we are requesting that all
members with input please attend the pre-meeting to
suggest and agree on upcoming events for the club.

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the
government to restrain the people, it is an instru-
ment for the people to restrain the government -
lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”
- Patrick Henry
Look for more details at the January 5th club
meeting (at the same location within Mountain Range
Shadows). In the meanwhile, please pay particular
attention to the February newsletter for more
details and a map to the new meeting location.
About The News Advertising
he News is the official newsletter of the Rocky

T Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters

Club (RMPTH): our mailing address is P.O. Box
271863, Fort Collins, CO. 80527-1863.
Classified advertising is free to members for non-
business ads.

Opinions expressed in The News are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the
club or its members. Publication of information in
The News constitutes no guarantee of accuracy. Use
of any information found in this publication is at the
sole risk of the user. Neither RMPTH, nor its volun-
teers, nor The News, nor its editors or contributors
assume any liability for damages resulting from use
of information in this publication.
Submissions
Articles, letters and short items of interest on pros-
pecting, detecting and treasure hunting topics are
welcome and encouraged. All items submitted for
publication are subject to editing. Submittals for pub-
lication may be made in writing or, preferably, in
ASCII text format on IBM-compatible disk. If you have
questions about a submission, please contact the edi-
tor for information.
About RMPTH
RMPTH is an independent nonprofit hobbyist club
and is not incorporated. The club open to anyone in-
terested in prospecting, detecting or treasure hunting.
Its purpose is to provide an educational and social
forum of mutual benefit for members. RMPTH holds a
monthly meeting and conducts various field outings,
special presentations and seminars. Members have
voting privileges. Free membership includes access to
The News monthly newsletter, all general meetings
and selected seminars. There are no annual dues and
all expenses are funded through donation.


Copyright

Unless otherwise noted, other nonprofit groups

may reprint or quote from any articles appearing in
The News without prior permission, provided that
proper author and publication credits are given and
that a copy of the publication in which the article ap-
pears is sent at no cost to RMPTH at the above mail-
ing address. Clubs wishing to exchange newsletters
with RMPTH are invited to send a copy of their news-
letter together with an exchange request.

JANUARY MEETING REFRESHMENTS

We have not yet taken volunteers for 2011 meeting refreshments.
Hopefully we all have some Holiday treats remaining.
Please bring a snack to share for the January Meeting!

28 pounds of food goods were collected at the

December RMPTH Meeting. The goods were delivered
to the Larimer County Food Bank. Thanks for sharing!
Page 2 The News, January 2011
France Seizes Lava
what would be expected under the circumstances –
they sold the coins and gold plate illegally into the
black market. Laws that give nothing to the finder en-
Treasure Coins courage such illicit activities, with both archaeology
and collectors suffering from their resulting behavior.
By Richard Giedroyc, World Coin News
According to an Oct. 27 Reuters news report, “One of
the original three Corsican friends, Felix Bian-
December 13, 2010
camaria, told [the] French daily [newspaper] Libera-

F
tion in 2005 how the discovery of what he quickly
rance recently seized an unannounced number
suspected were Roman coins brought him and his
of third century A.D. Roman gold coins as well
fellow divers untold wealth and thrills until the party
as an ancient gold plate allegedly with a pedi-
soured when local police caught wind of their ex-
gree linking the material to the Lava Treasure, ac-
ploits.
cording to an Oct. 27 announcement.
Rather than turn the treasure over to authorities as
The Lava Treasure, consisting primarily of ancient
state property, the divers claimed they had inherited
Roman gold coins, received its name because the find
it and began selling it to dealers. However the flood of
was discovered accidentally by fishermen diving in the
rare Roman coins on the market eventually raised
Gulf of Lava. The gulf is off the west coast of Corsica
questions among collectors.”
in the Mediterranean Sea. Corsica belongs to France.
Biancamaria told Liberation, “People thought we were
The Lava Treasure was first encountered about 25
part of a gang of armed robbers.” He described how
years ago when three Corsicans diving for sea urchins
the three men dove for treasure by day, then spent
spotted gold in the shallow waters there. The rest of
their evenings a little too conspicuously in nightclubs.
the story can likely be nicely summarized by the offi-
cial French national police statement released Oct. 27
In 1994 the three divers were among eight people sen-
in which it says, “This submerged treasure, identified
tenced to between six and 18 months in prison for
as a maritime cultural asset, belongs to the state.”
illegally making money from the find. One of the di-
vers, Marc Contoni, has since died in a shooting in
It is the words “cultural asset,” which could also be
2004. The arrests in October involved five additional
reworded as “cultural patrimony,” that is the key, es-
people, all in Paris.
pecially when it involves coins rather than fine art or
other objects.
“The recently seized coins, together with a prized
golden plate, are estimated to have a value of between
As Ancient Coin Collectors Guild spokesman Wayne
1 million and 2 million euros ($1.38 million to $2.76
G. Sayles commented in the October 2010 issue of
million), police said,” according to Reuters.
The Celator magazine, “[coins are] utilitarian objects
that were created in the millions and are not in any
Agence France-Presse added that a buyer in Belgium
way of significant cultural value to any state.”
was also involved. AFP reported, “After recent suspi-
cions about a secret sale of another piece from the
Had this find been discovered off the coast of Great
Lava Treasure, custom authorities along with the of-
Britain, as an example, the find could have been de-
fice that fights against the trafficking of cultural treas-
clared as treasure trove and the finders could have at
ures and Corsican officials launched an investigation
least received a reward for their efforts. Being that the
which partially ended on Oct. 21 with the transaction
find was on French territory there was to be no im-
in Belgium. The final transaction never took place.
bursement, and likely not even a “thank you.” As the
Police, fearing they might lose their target, moved in
police statement reads, the find “belongs to the state.”
and arrested the intermediary in the sale at the train
station at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport.”
Cyprus, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and a host of
other countries have restrictive laws governing finds
Once again the AFP report includes the ominous com-
of this nature in which the find is automatically
ment, “As a cultural treasure, the golden plate belongs
claimed by a government as that government’s cul-
to the state and should be turned over to the culture
tural patrimony. The finders have no rights to the find
ministry in December.”
and for practical purposes might as well have rebur-
ied the find where it was discovered.

In the case of the Lava Treasure the three divers did
The News, January 2011 Page 3
Diamond Geologists "People sleep peacefully in their bed
Find Sunken Treasure at night, only because rough men
stand ready to do violence on their
AP behalf."
- George Orwell

G
eologists hunting for diamonds off the coast
of Namibia stumbled upon a different sort of
riches when they hit upon a shipwreck full of
copper ingots, elephant tusks and gold coins.
Gold Glossary
The discovery was reported by Namdeb Diamond
Corp, a joint venture between diamond giant De Beers Highbanker - A highbanker is a sluice box with mobility.
and the government of Namibia. Preliminary analysis Instead of being put right in the creek like a sluice, the
indicates the well-worn Spanish or Portuguese ship highbanker uses a water pump to transport the water into
likely went down in stormy weather in the late 1400s higher and sometimes richer placer reserves. In addition to
or early 1500s. Judging from the cargo, researchers the ability to go just about anywhere, the highbanker also
said the ship was likely looking for material to build is able to run more material in less time than the sluice.
cannons or was perhaps trading in ivory. These characteristics make the highbanker a common mod-
ern day mining tool.


TREASURE HUNTER’S
CODE OF ETHICS

I WILL respect private property and do no treasure

hunting without the owner's permission.

I WILL fill all excavations.

I WILL appreciate and protect our heritage of natural

resources, wildlife, and private property.

I WILL use thoughtfulness, consideration, and courtesy

at all times.
This image shows coins and a brass divider recovered in the I WILL build fires in designated or safe places only.
wreckage.
I WILL leave gates as found.

I WILL remove and properly dispose of any trash that I

find.

I WILL NOT litter.

I WILL NOT destroy property, buildings, or what is left

of ghost towns and deserted structures.

I WILL NOT tamper with signs, structural facilities, or

equipment.

Technetics T2
Page 4 The News, January 2011
Find Of The Year
Program

T he Find of the Year Program was held at the

December meeting. Category winners for the
year were as follows:

Best Jewelry: Mike Noll - 2009 High School Gradua-

tion Ring

Oldest Coin: Ed Edwards – 1894 Victorian Half Penny

Most Valuable Coin: Paul Lange – 1918 Wheat Cent

Best Bottle: Mike Noll – Antique Purple Bottle

Most Raw Gold: No Entry

Largest Raw Gold: No Entry

Most Unique Find (Excavated): Dick French -

Antique U.S. Military Helmet Strap Button

Most Unique Find (Non-Excavated): Joe Johnston -

Lamp From 1888 Presidential Model Studebaker Car-
riage

Rock, Gem, Mineral & Fossil: Fred Hart - Impressive

Quartz Crystal Formation

And ……

The 2010 Individual Find Of The Year Winner was:

Most Unique Find (Excavated): Dick French -

Antique U.S. Military Helmet Strap Button

Congrats to all the 2010 Winners!


Property Wanted
Refreshment Volunteers For Detector Hunt

January - *Volunteer Needed The club is looking for private property on

February - *Volunteer Needed
March - *Volunteer Needed
April - Lupe Bobbitt & Anne Nichols
May - *Volunteer Needed
June - Betsy Emond & Mike Noll
July - Bryan & Lucy Morgan
August - *Volunteer Needed
September - Barbara Schuldt
October - *Volunteer Needed
November - *Volunteer Needed
which to hold an organized club detector hunt.
Obviously, it would be most ideal if this prop-
erty is known to have seen some past histori-
cal activity. If you have such property or know
of someone who does, please contact Paul
Lange or Rick Mattingly to plan a club field
outing event.

The News, January 2011 Page 5

The Beep That Made
Me Leap
Housewife discovers £250,000
gold treasure after seven years of hunting
with a metal detector
By Dalya Alberge
Last updated at 11:18 PM on 24th June 2009
A fter seven years of combing
fields and beaches with a metal
detector, the only thing house-
wife Mary Hannaby had to show for her
hobby was an old dental plate.
But all those efforts paid off when her
first proper find turned out to be a
15th-century gold treasure valued at
£250,000 or more. The find is thought
to be part of a high-quality reliquary or
pendant, and depicts the Holy Trinity.
Mrs. Hannaby, 57, from Hemel Hemp-
stead, Hertfordshire, heard her metal
detector's tell-tale beep while out on
one of her regular six hour Sunday
detecting walks with her son, wood-
carver Michael, 33.
For 500 years, the treasure had lain buried four inches
below the ground, despite repeated ploughing.
The discovery is all the more astonishing as this was not
the first time the Hannabys had scoured the arable field
between Ashridge and Great Gaddesden.
'You get a buzz every time you get a signal, but chances
are it won't be anything,' said Mrs. Hannaby.
North Carolina became the home of the first
gold rush in 1799, when a 17 pound nugget was
found by 12 year old Conrad Reed, in Little
Meadow Creek. The Reed farm yielded 153
pounds of gold including a 28 pound nugget!
Page 6
'This time, it popped up all of a And the pair struck gold
again when the landowner refused Mrs. Hannaby's offer
to split the money equally and said he wanted only 30
per cent, saying he would never have known about the
treasure if not for her.
Under the Treasure Act of 1996, finders must report
potential treasure such as gold and silver objects more
than 300 years old.
Finders are offered the market value for their discoveries
which museums have first option to buy.
At 2.8cm by 2.3cm, the treasure is
barely larger than a postage stamp, but
its importance is exciting experts.
Roger Bland, head of treasure at the
British Museum, describes it as an
'important find', and regrets that the
museum does not currently have the
funds to buy it.
Carolyn Miner, sculpture specialist at
Sotheby's, was 'awestruck' when the
Hannabys first showed the treasure to
her and will auction it in London on
July 9.
As one of only three of its kind to have
survived, the find could be worth even
more than £250,000, and its engraving
is being compared to that of the Middleham Jewel,
which sold at auction for £1.3million in 1986 and was
later resold to the Yorkshire Museum for £2.5million.
Former pub kitchen worker Mrs. Hannaby hopes the
sale proceeds will pay off her mortgage.

The News, January 2011
(Continued from page 1)
Many novice, as well as seasoned treasure hunters,
who have spent considerable amounts of time search-
ing for individual coins and relics, do not believe that
caches really exist or that they can be found if they do
exist. Many TH'rs think it is just not worth the effort.
That may be good because they do not get in the way
of serious cache hunters who search diligently for the
"big ticket" caches that they know exist.
A little background may be helpful to more fully un-
derstand this facet of treasure hunting. Following
World War II, when military surplus mine detectors
became available, several American vet-
erans who had knowledge and experi-
ence with their use and who had infor-
mation about the locations of some of
the many caches available, purchased
these rather primitive detectors and
searched for and found their intended
targets and quietly embarked on this
new and exciting vocation. With the ad-
vent of more sophisticated and "user
friendly" detectors pioneered by Dr.
Gerhard Fisher, many of those early
TH'rs became very proficient and suc-
cessful at locating caches.
During the 1950's, 60's, and early 70's,
many of those people traveled through-
out the U.S. and worked at various jobs
in communities while quietly gleaning
useful information about people who
had hidden money away that was never found after
they died, or about outlaw loot that had been stashed
after robberies. For many of these people, cache
hunting became a full time and profitable profession.
Actually, locating caches was probably relatively easy
back then because people in general were more gener-
ous with information and landowners were more will-
ing to give permission to enter their property to
search than they are now. They may have been less
greedy because they didn't believe anything would be
found or didn't care.
Most experienced cache hunters made sure they had a
signed agreement with the landowner and shared
their finds with the landowner or at least gave them
some kind of reward. They also commonly gave a re-
ward to the person who provided them with the lead
or initial information that resulted in successfully lo-
cating a cache, without divulging details about what
was recovered. Government entities were also not as
greedy. In fact, during the 1960's and 70's several
State senators and members of Congress were active
participants in very successful private treasure recov-
The News, January 2011
ery associations.
One reason for the great success experienced by the
serious cache hunters during that time period is that
they had direct access to valuable information. Many
"old timers" from the outlaw days were still alive and
could remember events involving robberies of banks
and stage coaches, etc. in vivid detail, especially if
they were part of the posse that caught or killed the
outlaws. They could describe exact landmarks that
probably had not changed very much. Sometimes
they could describe the area in great detail where the
loot was known to have been hidden or they could
take the cache hunter to the location and show him.
There are still too many outlaws, in-
cluding bank robbers, burglars and
other thieves, out there. There are all
kinds of criminals that cache money or
stolen items such as jewelry. The
thieves eventually fence jewelry and
other stolen items and spend the money
unless they are captured or killed.
Drug dealing is rampant around the
world and due to recent laws passed to
control unlawful international exchange
of U.S. currency, gold bullion has be-
come a favorite medium of exchange by
international drug lords. Local drug
dealers still deal in cash, lots and lots of
cash, which they almost always hide
safely away from customers, competi-
tors and the law. Many drug related
murders have resulted in cash left hidden somewhere
just waiting for someone to find. It is not advisable to
recover the cache of a drug dealer who is still alive
because they seem to take the theft of their unlawful
gains very seriously and death is the usual method of
punishment if you are caught. Recovery of hidden
money or other items belonging to anyone, while they
are still alive, without their permission is considered
to be theft and is punishable by law.
Ordinary people who have excess money still squirrel
it away for various reasons. Some people just don=t
want to have it all in the bank. During the last several
thousand years, people around the world have buried
their personal hoards of money in containers in one
or several locations. Years ago when silver coinage
was in common use and before the U.S. government
went off the gold standard and began controlling the
exchange of gold, both silver and gold coins were the
choice to bury since they would not rot and disinte-
grate like paper currency. After 1965 when the U.S.
discontinued circulation of silver coinage, millions of
(Continued on page 14)
Page 7
Iron Age Gold Find Ms Dyer said: "This is a very significant find, the most
important hoard of Iron Age gold ever found in Scot-
Treasure hunter set for Iron Age gold find reward land.

"That these stunning artefacts have been unearthed in

A man who unearthed a hoard of Iron Age gold such excellent condition after being buried for 2,000
the first time he used his new metal detector is years is simply amazing."
set to receive almost £500,000 as a reward for
the discovery. The four torcs were just six inches beneath the sur-
face when Mr. Booth discovered them with his metal
Amateur treasure hunter David Booth found the four detector.
neck ornaments - or torcs - in a field near Stirling in
September 2009. Professor Ian Ralston, chairman of Safap, said: "The
panel is grateful to the finder for reporting these
The gold, worth about £1m, dated from between the highly important finds in good time and for the fur-
1st and 3rd Century BC. ther assistance from the finder during fieldwork by
the National Museum at
National Museums Scot- the site of the discovery.
land will receive the treas-
ure trove, provided they "This has allowed much
pay £462,000 to Mr. greater understanding of
Booth. the archaeological context
of these four exceptional
"I'm going to pay off the items."
credit cards and loans and
buy a new house for the Dr Gordon Rintoul, Na-
family," he said. tional Museums Scotland
director, said he would be
"The landowner will get looking at a number of
his share as well." ways to raise the money
The neck ornaments were found in a field near Stirling
for the reward.
Mr. Booth said he found
the torcs in the first hole he dug after trying out his "These magnificent Iron Age gold torcs are of national
new metal detector last year. and international importance and we are delighted
that National Museums Scotland will now have the
He added: "I can't wait to take my kids along to the opportunity to acquire them for preservation and dis-
museum to show them - and the rest of Scotland can play," he said.
see them too."
"In the context of the current difficult economic cli-
Under Scots law, the Crown can claim any archaeo- mate, we will be exploring a range of sources of fund-
logical objects found in Scotland. ing to secure what is a substantial sum to ensure
these items remain available for future generations
Finders have no ownership rights and must report within the national collections."
any objects to the Treasure Trove Unit.
Since the discovery, Mr. Booth has also found an 800-
'Amazing' find year-old medieval seal near Stirling.

The Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel He said he was still waiting to hear how much the find
(Safap) has recommended the items be handed to the was worth.
National Museums Scotland - provided they make the
ex gratia award to Mr Booth.
BBC Mobile News
The decision was announced by the Queen's and Lord http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-
Treasurer's Remembrancer Catherine Dyer, who as central-11550610
the Crown's representative in Scotland can claim bur-
ied archaeological or historic items.


Page 8 The News, January 2011

Good Metal Detecting Carat and Karat

Etiquette Carat abbreviated "ct." and spelled with a "c" is a measure

of weight used for gemstones. One carat is equal to 1/5 of
From an issue of George Streeter's Treasure a gram (200 milligrams). Stones are measured to the near-
est hundredth of a carat. A hundredth of a carat Is also
Hunter's Gazette ( www.streeter.org )
called a point. Thus a .10 carat stone can be called either 10
1. Always have permission from the landowner before points, or 1/10 of a carat. Small stones like .05, and .10ct
searching. are most often referred to by point designations.
2. No matter where you detect, city or private land, ALWAYS
FILL YOUR HOLES! Karat with a "K" is a measure of the purity of a gold alloy.
3. If you carry it in, carry it out. Don't leave your soda pop
Pure gold is 24 karat and 12 karat gold is 50% gold.
cans, plastic wrappers, or any other trash behind.
4. Be extremely careful about fire. The landowner and
neighbors, livestock and wildlife in the area, are depending 24K 100% gold
on you to make sure all campfires & smoking materials are 18K 75% gold
out. 14K 59% gold
5. Here's a sticky point and one that has, unfortunately, cost 12K 50% gold
a few friendships: If a friend takes you to one of his or her
10K 42% gold
digging spots, it doesn't necessarily become your spot as
well. Check with your friend, then the landowner, before
going back to the spot alone. And definitely check
with them before you bring your friends to the spot as well.
6. I wish this were law rather than etiquette: Keep a careful
record of the particulars of your finds. This record keeping
will help maintain an artifacts' historical context, and the
what and where of an excavated artifact is of great impor-
tance to future historical research.

In short, abide by the law, respect the landowner and his

property, value the friendship of your fellow detectorists,
and maintain a careful record of your finds.

Gold Nugget newsletter, December, 2003

1880’s Alma, Colorado

hydraulic gold mining.

The News, January 2011 Page 9

Calendar of Events
January Meeting
Wednesday, January 5. We will meet at the Mountain
RMPTH DUES
Range Shadows Clubhouse at 7:00PM. Refer to the
adjoining map for directions.

Meeting Agenda
6:00 - 7:00 Social Time & Planning Session ANNUAL DUES ARE
7:00 - 7:30 Business, Announcements & Find of
the Month Program $30 PAYABLE IN
7:30 - 7:45 Break
7:45 - 9:00 Event Planning for 2011. Plus, discus- JULY. NEW
sion of new meeting space and club organization be-
ginning in February.
MEMBER DUES ARE
$2.50 FOR EACH
MONTH UP TO AND
INCLUDING JULY.

Visit the Club Store at the Meetings

Bill Moore, RMPTH Storekeeper, invites all members to visit

the Club Store at the monthly meetings.
Get your very own RMPTH club shirt and hat.

MAP TO THE MEETING PLACE

Mountain Range
Shadows Clubhouse
between Loveland and
Fort Collins along I-25

Directions:
The Mountain Range Shadows Clubhouse is
located within the Mountain Range Shadows
development on Mummy Range. Exit
Interstate 25 at the Highway 392 exit (Windsor
Exit), and turn south on the SW Frontage
Road (west side of the Interstate).

Page 10 The News, January 2011

 January 2011
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
New Year’s Day

2 3 4 5 6 7 8
RMPTH Social & Plan-
ning Session 6:00PM
Club Meeting 7:00PM

9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Martin Luther King
Jr. Day

23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31

February 2011
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5
RMPTH Social & Board
Meeting 6:00PM
Club Meeting 7:00PM

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Valentine’s Day

20 21 22 23 24 25 26
President’s Day

27 28
The News, January 2011 Page 11
 RMPTH Field Outing Statement
NOTE: The Presentations and Outings Coordinator(s)
and the President stay in touch and continue to review
and plan upcoming presentations and outings for the year
on a monthly basis. Our editor Rick Mattingly needs
timely information for each issue of The News. Please get
information about any particular event to him by the 15th
of the month to meet the printing deadline for the next
issue.
Planned trips, outings, activities, and meeting programs
are in the newsletter and on line at the clubs website.
Planning is a work in progress and additional outings and
activities are added and sometimes deleted on an ongo-
ing basis. Events planned in the upcoming month(s) are
emphasized to the members at the monthly meetings.
Contact the Presentations Coordinator(s), Editor, or the
President if you have any suggestions or ideas through-
out the year for fieldtrips, outings, and programs.
The best made plans may change at the last minute due
to the illness of the Trail Boss, weather, land access, ve-
hicles breaking down, wrong meeting sites, etc. Please
be understanding of extenuating circumstances and con-
tact the coordinator or Trail Boss of a specific event if
there is any question of an event being cancelled or
changed at the last minute.
"A friend is one who
knows you and loves you
just the same."
- Elbert Hubbard
"About the time we can
make the ends meet,
somebody moves the
ends."
- Herbert Hoover
Page 12
Some Gold Facts
This info is eight years old but still interesting.
Just move the decimal places in the values!
I
t is amazing, but the total amount of gold in the
world is a surprisingly small quantity. Here's how
you can calculate the total amount that is available. If
you look at a page like this one, or if you look it up in an
encyclopedia, you will find that the annual worldwide
production of gold is something like 50 million troy
ounces per year. Gold has a specific gravity of 19.3,
meaning that it is 19.3 times heavier than water. So gold
weighs 19.3 kilograms per liter. A liter is a cube that
measures 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) on a side.
There are 32.15 troy ounces in a kilogram. Therefore,
the world produces a cube of gold that is about 4.3 me-
ters (about 14 feet) on each side every year. In other
words, all of the gold produced worldwide in one year
could just about fit in the average person's living room!
This cube weighs 1,555,210 kilograms (3,110,420
pounds). A recent spot price for gold was $256.10 U.S. --
using that number, all of the gold produced in a year is
worth $12,805,000,000. That's a lot of money, but not
an unimaginable amount. For example, that's about how
much the Pentagon spent launching the GPS satellite
system. NASA's budget in 1998 was $13.6 billion. Figur-
ing out the total amount of gold that has been produced
by man is a little harder. To get at some kind of esti-
mate, let's figure that the world has been producing gold
at 50 million ounces a year for 200 years.
That number is probably a little high, but when you fig-
ure that the Aztecs and the Egyptians produced a fair
amount of gold for a long time, it's probably not too far
off. Fifty million ounces * 200 years = 10 billion ounces.
Ten billion ounces of gold would fit into a cube roughly
25 meters (about 82 feet) on a side. Consider that the
Washington Monument measures 55 feet by 55 feet at its
base and is 555 feet tall (17 x 17 x 170 m). That means
that if you could somehow gather every scrap of gold that
man has ever mined into one place, you could only build
about one-third of the Washington Monument. Platinum
is even more scarce than gold. Only 3.6 million troy
ounces are produced per year. Its specific gravity is
21.45, and it was discovered in the 18th century, not in
3,000 B.C. If you assume that the world has produced
3.6 million ounces per year for 50 years to estimate the
total worldwide supply, all of the platinum in the world
would fit in a cube that is 6.3 meters (about 20 feet) on a
side. In other words, all of the platinum in the entire
world would easily fit in the average home!

The News, January 2011
Why Athletes Can’t
"Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter?
He went to prison for three years, not Princeton ."

Have Regular Jobs 9. Stu Grimson, Chicago Blackhawks left wing, ex-
plaining why he keeps a color photo of himself above

T
his locker:
o darn funny to not pass along!
"That's so when I forget how to spell my name, I can
still find my clothes."

10. Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer, on the Spartan

1. Chicago Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson on being a
training regimen of heavyweight Andrew Golota:
role model:
"He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the morn-
"I wan' all dem kids to do what I do, to look up to
ing, regardless of what time it is."
me. I wan' all the kids to copulate me."
11. Chuck Nevitt , North Carolina State basketball
2. New Orleans Saint RB George Rogers when asked
player, explaining to Coach Jim Valvano why he ap-
about the upcoming season:
peared nervous at practice:
"I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever
"My sister's expecting a
comes first."
baby, and I don't know if
I'm going to be an uncle or
3. And, upon
an aunt.
hearing Joe
(I wonder if his IQ ever
Jacobi of the
hit room temperature in
'Skin's say:
January)
"I'd run over
my own mother
12. Frank Layden , Utah
to win the Su-
Jazz president, on a for-
per Bowl,"
mer player:
Matt Millen of
"I asked him, 'Son, what
the Raiders
is it with you? Is it igno-
said: "To win,
rance or apathy?'
I'd run over
He said, 'Coach, I
Joe's Mom,
don't know and I don't
too."
care.'"
4. Torrin Polk,
13. Shelby Metcalf, basket-
University of
ball coach at Texas A&M,
Houston re-
recounting what he told a player who received four F's
ceiver, on his coach, John Jenkins:
and one D:
"He treat us like mens. He let us wear earrings."
"Son, looks to me like you're spending too much
time on one subject."
5. Football commentator and former player Joe The-
ismann:
14. In the words of NC State great Charles
"Nobody in football should be called a genius. A gen-
Shackelford:
ius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
"I can go to my left or right, I am amphibious."
6. Senior basketball player at the University of Pitts-
15. Former Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips when
burgh :
asked by Bob Costas why he takes his wife on all the
"I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it
road trips, Phillips responded: "Because she's too
takes." (Now that is beautiful)
damn ugly to kiss good-bye."
7. Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach:
"You guys line up alphabetically by height.."
Thanks to Don Steele
And, "You guys pair up in groups of three, and then
line up in a circle." 
8. Boxing promoter Dan Duva on Mike Tyson going to
prison:
The News, January 2011 Page 13
(Continued from page 7)
dollars worth of silver coins were collected from cir-
culation and hoarded by individuals who realized that
the newly minted clad coins had little real value.
Some of this money was put in safe deposit boxes in
banks, but most of this hoarded silver was probably
hidden at home with a good portion of it safely buried
in the ground where plenty of it still resides to this
day.
Many people who lived through the depression and
lost their entire savings in the bank closures vowed
never to put their money in another bank, which led
to a multitude of "posthole banks", so named because
a quart jar would just fit down a post hole and could
easily be retrieved when a withdrawal was necessary
simply by pulling the staples and re-
moving the post. People became very
inventive with methods for hiding
away their money. Many men never
told their spouse or family where their
wealth was hidden and much of it is
still hidden right where they put it be-
fore they died. Those early cache
hunters could often obtain vital infor-
mation simply by talking to friends
and relatives of the deceased and
learning pertinent details that many
times led them directly to the caches
with little effort.
Present day cache hunters must work harder to ferret
out facts that will lead them to success. Obtaining
permission to search takes more ingenuity and per-
suasion than in the past. On the brighter side, we
have much, much better equipment available with
which to search and can locate the deeply buried
caches more readily than could our predecessors.
Also, believe it or not, there are more caches out there
now than ever before. .
Business people who are commonly paid with cash
often hide money to avoid paying taxes. Imminent
bankruptcy, divorce or other setback has caused peo-
ple to hide money to have something remaining when
everything else that they are known to possess is
taken from them. Many people have purchased gold
and silver bullion and coins which they have buried
for safe keeping and some of these people didn't mark
the spot well enough or their memories fade with age.
There are millions of dollars that have been left safely
hidden away due to sudden and unexpected deaths of
the people who hid them.
Wars have resulted in many caches of money, pre-
cious metals and gemstones, and artwork, as well as
armaments of war left behind when the people who
Page 14
hid them were killed or permanently displaced. The
present war in Iraq is a good example. It is mind bog-
gling to think about the millions of dollars worth of
gold, silver and American currency, which were mis-
appropriated or stolen by Saddam Hussein and his
family, that have been recovered there after our
troops took control. How many billions more are hid-
den away which have not been recovered? Our troops
also continue to find caches of weapons and ammuni-
tion.
For thousands of years conquering armies have plun-
dered and pillaged, believing that to the victors belong
the spoils and when they could no longer carry all
they plundered, they generally hid it with the intention
of returning at some future date. This seldom was
possible, which left behind many lost caches.
In an excellent article in the August
and September 2001 issues of "The
News", the RMPTH newsletter,
RMPTH member, Ken Oyler discusses
several very large and valuable caches
hidden by the retreating Japanese in
the Philippines during World War II.
There were probably thousands of
small caches of valuables resulting
from the Japanese occupation of the
Philippines, hidden by people to pre-
vent the Japanese from seizing them.
The Japanese were so ruthless that many of the peo-
ple who hid those valuables were probably killed,
leaving the caches for someone more fortunate to
find.
Every year caches are unearthed around the world.
Some are reported by the news media but most are
quietly recovered in secret with no one the wiser.
Some are found accidentally but many are recovered
by people who researched the facts and analyzed the
information, determined the probable locations and
made on site searches leading to the successful recov-
eries of the targeted caches.
There are so many caches which remain hidden, lost
and forgotten that the serious cache hunter could
spend a lifetime and not even begin to investigate all
of the available leads. This author has acquired doz-
ens of good leads, any of which could potentially re-
sult in recovery of a valuable cache. If there is enough
interest in this subject the author will discuss some of
the intricacies of cache hunting in future articles,
which should benefit anyone seriously interested in
participating in this fascinating endeavor.

The News, January 2011
Winterizing Your Equipment Gold Glossary

W inter is upon us, and its time to prepare your equipment for the
winter ahead, look for damaged parts, and think about modifica-
tions.
Hard Rock Mine - A hard rock mine is a
tunnel that is dug into solid rock for the
sole purpose of finding valuable or precious
GOLD PANS - Wash them off, do not leave them to sit all winter caked rocks, minerals, or metals. Gold originates
with dirt. The dirt will pull moisture from the pan overtime causing the pan deep within the earth in places called Pock-
to become hard, brittle, and eventfully crack. Next summer, when you get ets. The pockets are filled with gold, heavy
out your gold pan, take a piece of 60 grit sand paper, and sand the bottom
ore, and quartz.
of the pan in a circular motion. The fresh scratches will grab the flour gold.

SLUICE BOXES - This applies to the sluice box that you throw down in
the river, and sluice boxes that are on high-bankers, and dredges.

Open it up, check all the riffles for damage, and repair as needed. Gold Facts
If you have the standard blue ribbed carpet, usually covered with expanded Symbol: AU
metal, carefully take out the carpet. it should be dry by now, hold it over a
wheel barrow box, or plastic, and beat the hell out of it. You wouldn't be- Atomic Number: 79
lieve all the fine facial powder gold that will come out. The gripping power Atomic Weight: 196.967
of the water previously held it in place. Now that it is dry the gold will come Melting Point: 1063° (1945° F)
out with no need to burn the carpet.
Specific Gravity: 19.2
Now is also a good time to think about replacing it with “miners moss“, 3M MOH’s Scale of Hardness:
Nomad carpeting. The miners moss will capture the finest gold and it 2.5 - 3
washes out every time with incredible ease. It holds more material than the
standard ribbed carpet and you will not need the expanded metal anymore.
Miners Moss cost about twenty bucks for a piece to fit a large sluice box. It
Karat
is worth the money the first time you use it.
24K = 100% Pure Gold
The winter is a good time to look your equipment over and decide what 18K = 75% Pure Gold
modifications to make on your dredge or high-banker. As you have figured
out by now, when you buy one of these pieces of equipment, they are ready 14K = 58% Pure Gold
to run, but they are the bare minimum. So you need to modify, or improve 10K = 42% Pure Gold
them. You have been using it all summer, you know what is wrong, or what
could be improved. So pull out your machine, set it up and look. Bring
your pen and paper.
Troy Weights

HIGH BANKERS - What about that grizzly that has every other wire 1 grain = 0.0648 grams
wielded, sometimes not at all. on the bottom edge. I recommend welding 24 grains = 1 penny
them all. It keeps the bigger rocks from clogging up the sluice and it rarely weight (DWT) = 1.552 grams
jams up the grizzly. Look and write down all the things you need to do to it
to make it work better. 20 DWT = 1 ounce =
480 grains = 31.10 grams
Check your hoses. Intake on the pump - is it dry rotting, is it cracking?
Pressure hose, the blue lay-flat hose, wears out fast. If it needs replacing,
replace it with gray lay-flat. It's a few cents more, but you get two, three,

YOUR
four times the life. Did you have enough lay-flat hose? 200 to 300 feet is a
good length to have. Cut into 50 foot lengths. Anything over 50' is too hard
to roll and manage. Do you still have the old lug-n-pin type connectors? You
might want to think about cam-lock, quick release connectors. They can ADVERTISEMENT
knock a half hour off your setup and take-down times.

You should have quite a list now. This will make a good winter project and
COULD BE HERE!
when spring comes you will be ready to roar! Call Rick Mattingly
DREDGES - Check those hoses as above. If your suction hose has a crack
in it, it will be breaking through soon. Duck tape will make for a quick re-
at 970-613-8968
(Continued on page 17)
or rickmatt@q.com
The News, January 2011 Page 15
 Trading Post - (free to members)
FOR SALE: Trout Unlimited Colorado Pontoon Boat
with 8'-6" pontoons and motor mount. Brand new and
never used. Perfect for lake or river fishing and pros-
pecting. New price $575. Sell price $350. Contact Tim About Trading Post
Cline in Frederick at (303) 833-3372.

FOR SALE: Price Reduction - 18” DOUBLE DECK VI-

BRATING LAP by Diamond Pacific. You can do rough
The News runs classified
grinding and finish polishing at the same time! The ads in Trading Post for three
machine is made of non-rusting aluminum castings. It
weighs 50 lbs. It has never been used – is in its origi-
consecutive issues. Trading
nal crate. It is assembled and ready to run. List price Post ads up to 10 lines (or 70
is $1290. Will sell for $849 – a savings of $441 (a re-
duction of 34%)! Call Bob at (303) 819-3523. words) long are free to
RMPTH members; donation
FOR SALE: Keene High Banker, includes stand, hose
and 5 HP Briggs and Stratton pump. Great condition, of $5 for non-members.
$900.00 or Best Offer. Contact Cindy Bone at (970)
669-8247.
To place an ad in Trading
FOR SALE: Prospecting equipment: 4" Dredge and
more plus Whites VSAT Gold Detector. Contact Post contact Rick Mattingly at
Homer at (970) 224-4244 (970) 613-8968 evenings or
FOR SALE: Two CoilTec coils for MineLab GP or SD e-mail at:
Series: 14" Round Mono, $150.00. 5" x 10" Joey
Mono, $75.00. Like New. Plus Shipping. Call (307)
rickmatt@q.com
886-3937 or Cell (307) 654-1432.

WANTED: Federal or state duck stamps; mint or

used. Contact John Hart at (307) 778-3993.

FOR SALE: Garret Treasure Ace 300 Detector.- $225

OBO. Contact Roger at (970) 622-0821. All mistakes and
misspellings were
intentionally made so
that you could have the
pleasure of finding them.

Page 16 The News, January 2011


WEEKEND & SMALL-SCALE
MINER’S CODE OF ETHICS
I WILL respect other prospector’s claims and not work
those claims without the owner’s permission
I WILL have on-site all necessary permits and licenses
I WILL build fires in designated or safe places only, and
in accordance with current State and Federal guidelines
I WILL be careful with fuels and motor oils and be cog-
nizant of their potential destructive effect on the envi-
ronment
I WILL remove and properly dispose of all trash and
debris that I find - I will not litter
I WILL be thoughtful, considerate and courteous to
those around me at all time
I WILL appreciate and protect our heritage of natural
resources, wildlife, fisheries and private property, and
respect all laws or ordinances governing prospecting
and mining
I WILL NOT remove stream bank material, destroy
natural vegetation or woody debris dams, nor discharge
excess silt into the waterways
I WILL NOT refuel motorized equipment in the stream
I WILL NOT allow oil from motorized
equipment to drip onto the ground or into the water
I WILL NOT prospect in areas closed to prospecting
and mining
Offer Your Assistance To Any
Of Our Program Coordinators
The News, January 2011
(Continued from page 15)
pair, but replacement time is here. 15' is a good length. Do
you have a swivel nozzle? Do you have a crevice suction tip?
How about a quick release on the power jet, or on the pres-
sure hose. What about replacing all those cheap screw
driver hose clamps with real hose clamps that take a
wrench to tighten down. Wield a tee handle on the hose
clamp for the dredge box/power jet connection. Eagle Hard-
ware has lots of parts and pieces and small 1/2" boat plug
works great in the pontoons to help drain them. So there's a
few ideas, you should come up with more.
THE ENGINE - The most important thing to winterize!
This is what its all about. Without that engine, your
through. I have seen people come out and go home because
of an engine that they did not maintain properly. Some of
you are not so mechanically inclined. If this is the case,
take your engine to Golden Small Engine 25th & Kipling,
237-5680 and have them winterize it for you. The good
prospector will let his engine run out of gas the last time he
goes out and leave it that way. Now the gas tank, hoses, and
carburetor are all clear. If you didn't do that, you can pull
the hose from the gas tank and drain the gas. Reattach the
hose. Take your garden hose and run water through the
pump. Start the engine. It will run only a short time, and
the garden hose will cool the seals in the pump. Gas will
start to break down after 3 months of above-ground stor-
age, so do not leave gas in your engine over the winter!
Drain the pump of water. Drain the oil and fill it with a
straight 30 weight good grade oil. Pull your spark plug and
replace it with a new one. Be sure to gap the new plug. Pour
1/2 ounce oil for a 3.5 hp, 3/4 ounce oil for a 5 hp, and 1
ounce for a 8 hp engine through the spark plug hole. Wait a
minute, then pull the cord two times. That will coat the pis-
ton head and cylinder with oil. Put in the new plug. Take off
the air cleaner. If it is a paper cartridge, replace it. If it is
the oiled foam type, take it to the sink, and wash it by hand
with a good liquid soap in warm water. Ring it out and let
thoroughly dry overnight. You can pour the same oil
through the foam filter that you put in the engine. Wrap the
foam with paper towel and squeeze out the excess oil. Then
put it back on your engine. You've just done a major tune up
on your engine, and you've winterized it too. Store it in a dry
place. Next year, fill it up with a good, mid-grade gas, 87
octane. Change that oil every 25 hours and you'll have a
good running engine all summer long!
METAL DETECTORS - Many coin detectorist can go out
all winter long because the snow comes and melts. The gold
detectorist usually has to go to the high country and that is
snowed in. So pull those batteries out of your detector.
Even ni-cads leak. Take out those batteries and put new
ones in next year. How’s your coil cover? If its ready to wear
through, replace it. Only this time, put some silicone on the
top crack. This will keep dirt and black-sands from working
in between the coil and the coil cover.
Gold Prospectors of the Rockies
The Gold Nugget newsletter
Volume 2 Number 11 November/December 1997


Page 17
 Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club
2010 Schedule of Events

Month Meeting Program Trip/Activity

January Club Business and Open Forum No Trip/Activity Scheduled

RMPTH Gold Prospecting DVD Presenta-

February tion by Bob Smith & Rick Mattingly
No Trip/Activity Scheduled

Wyoming Railroad History

March No Trip/Activity Scheduled
By Ben Trujillo

POW Camp 202

April Clear Creek Gold Panning
By Paul Lange

‘Let’s Go Gold Panning On The Arkansas’ Event

ER
African Diamond Mining

D
May Prospecting, Detecting & More Clinic at Lions Park

N
By Jose Santana

U
Greeley Gold Panning Demo at Rail Depot

D L E
U Nugget Shooting Clinic at Lions Park
C H E O N
S I
Local History
June

20 1 1
By Peggy Ford Waldo -

RU CT Phoenix Mine Tour

S T
Greeley Research Curator Eldora Ski Resort Detector Outing

CON
Gold and Platinum in Wyoming
July Schedule Under Construction!
By Wayne Sutherland, WGS

Cache Hunting
August Schedule Under Construction!
By Rick Mattingly

Annual Coin & Prize Hunt

The South African Gold Mines
September Colorado Mineral & Fossil Show—Denver
By Dr. Robert Brownlee
Lucite Hills Wyoming Gem Outing

“The Cliff Dwellings Speak” Presentation

October Off-Road Detector & Cache Hunt
By Bill and Beth Sagstetter

Annual Show & Tell &

November Local Detector Outing
Silent Auction

Annual Find of the Year Awards &

December Flatirons Mineral Club & Model Train Show
Christmas Party

Good Hunting in 2010!

Page 18 The News, January 2011
 Rocky Mountain
Prospectors & Treasure Hunters
Contact List

T I S
T LIS R
TA C F O
C O N U R ED
THE N F IG
R ECO K T HE
E IN G H EC E R.
B . C ET T
2011 N EW S L
A R Y
RU
FEB

Colorado Gold Rush

T rappers and explorers had previously noticed gold in what is now Colorado including
prospectors on their way to California in 1849. In 1858 a party of prospectors from
Georgia returned and found small quantities of gold in Cherry Creek, near the present
site of Denver, Colorado. When word got back east, the rush was on; Pike's Peak or Bust! was
the slogan. By 1859 large numbers of prospective miners and settlers had come to the Denver
area. At first there was only the slight show-
ing in Cherry Creek and the South Platte
River, but soon paying quantities of gold
were discovered at Idaho Springs and Cen-
tral City. By 1860 Central City had a popula-
tion of 60,000 people and Denver and
Golden were substantial towns serving the
mines.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Gold_Rush

The News, January 2011 Page 19

The News
Rocky Mountain Prospectors &
Treasure Hunters Club
P.O. Box 271863
Fort Collins, CO. 80527-1863

JANUARY, 2011 ISSUE