Rocky Mountain Prospectors &

Treasure Hunters Newsletter

The News
v. 19, n. 8 August 2015

Going for the Gold

Visit RMPTH On The Internet At http://rmpth.com

Contents
1
2
4
5
6
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
18
19

8.52-Carot White Diamond

About The News
Find Of The Month
Bighorn River Treasure
Relic Hunting Tips
Colorado Treasure Tales
Calendar of Events
Calendars
Getting Permission the Right Way
Nazi-Era Treasure
Advanced Gold Detecting Tips
History Of Gold Placer Mining
Trading Post
2015 Schedule of Events
Contact List

8.52-Carat White
Diamond
Park Visitor from Colorado Finds 8.52-carat
White Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park

n 8.52-carat white diamond was found Wednesday (June 24) by Bobbie Oskarson of Longmont,
Colorado, at Arkansass Crater of Diamonds
State Park, according to park officials. Clear white and
icicle shaped, this gem is the fifth largest diamond found
by a park visitor since the state park was established at
Arkansass diamond site in 1972. Twenty minutes into
her search, she found the diamond in a couple scoops
she had dug from a small mound of dirt.
Oskarson was in the southwest corner of the parks 37
-acre search field in an area known as the Pig Pen,
aptly named because it is the muddiest part of the
search area after a good rain. She named her gem the
Esperanza Diamond, both her nieces name and the
Spanish word for hope. At this time, Oskarson plans to
keep the gem.
Now in the parks record books, this 8.52-carat diamond
is topped in size only by these previous four larger diamonds found by park visitors: the white 16.37-carat
Amarillo Starlight found in 1975 by W.W. Johnson of
Amarillo, Texas; white 8.82-carat Star of Shreveport
found in 1981 by Carroll Blankenship of Shreveport,
Louisiana; white 8.66-carat Illusion Diamond found in
2011 by Beth Gilbertson of Salida, Colorado; and brown
8.61-carat Lamle Diamond found in 1978 by Betty
Lamle of Hitchcock, Oklahoma.

"Banking establishments are more dangerous

than standing armies."
- Thomas Jefferson

[NOTE: The largest diamond ever discovered in the U.S.

was unearthed at Arkansass diamond site in 1924 during an early mining operation prior to becoming an Arkansas state park in 1972. Named the Uncle Sam, this
white diamond with a pink cast weighed 40.23
(Continued on page 3)

About The News

he News is the official newsletter of the Rocky

Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters
Club (RMPTH): our mailing address is 278
Sierra Vista Drive, Fort Collins, CO. 80524.
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 coordinators, 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 prospecting, detecting and treasure hunting topics are
welcome and encouraged. All items submitted for
publication are subject to editing. Submittals for publication 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 editor for information.

Advertising
Classified advertising for topic related items is free
for non-business ads. See the Trading Post section
for donation pricing of camera-ready display ads. Donations for ad makeup from sketches, etc., are available on request.
About RMPTH
RMPTH is an independent nonprofit hobbyist social
club, open to anyone interested 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, as well as offers special
presentations and seminars. Active participants have
voting privileges. The monthly newsletter, The News,
is readily available on the Internet. Annual dues are
$25 payable in June. Applicants joining in any month
other than June pay partial dues of $2 per month for
months remaining prior to following June plus $1.

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 appears is sent at no cost to RMPTH at the above mailing address. Clubs wishing to exchange newsletters
with RMPTH are invited to send a copy of their newsletter together with an exchange request.

CLUB MEMBERS TAKE NOTE

Club Hats, Shirts, Jackets, & Patches are again available.
Ask for info at the club meetings to purchase your club items!
We will be running a 50/50 Drawing at each club meeting. At the end of each
meeting Tom will split the pot 50/50 and a lucky member will go home with more
money than they came with.!
The remaining 50% goes to the club treasury.
Page 2

The News, August 2015

(Continued from page 1)

carats. Another notable gem found at the site prior its

becoming a state park was the 15.33-carat Star of Arkansas, a white diamond found in 1956 by Winifred
Parker, when the site was operated by Howard Millar as
a privately-operated tourist attraction.]
Park Interpreter Waymon Cox said, Ms. Oskarson and
her boyfriend Travis Dillon saw the Crater of Diamonds
State Park on an Arkansas highway map while in the
nearby town of Hot Springs and decided to visit the
park. And what a lucky first visit it was for her! He
noted that Oskarson found the diamond on Wednesday
around noon hunting in the parks 37 -acre search
area that is the eroded top of
the eighth largest diamondbearing deposit in the world in
surface area. It was hot and
sunny at the park, but Ms.
Oskarson was staying cool by
searching in a tree-shaded
area when she found her diamond. Park officials recommend that visitors bring
drinking water and stay in
shade as much as possible
when looking for diamonds
during the summer.

continued, so rainfall slides the dirt off and leaves them

exposed. When the sun comes out, they sparkle.
Over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed here at Arkansass diamond site since the first diamonds found in
1906 by John Huddleston, the farmer who at that time
owned the land, long before the site became an Arkansas
state park in 1972. Pictures and information about notable diamond finds from the site are featured on the
parks website at:
http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/history/
famous-finds.aspx)

At first she thought it might be

a quartz crystal due to its
elongated shape, but park
staff later confirmed that she
had found a diamond. Cox
said, Ms. Oskarsons eightand-a-half carat diamond is
Clear white and icicle shaped, this gem is the fifth largest diamond found since the state park was
established at Arkansass diamond site in 1972.
absolutely stunning, sparkling
with a metallic shine, and appears to be an unbroken, capsule-shaped crystal. It feaCrater of Diamonds State Park is on Ark. 301 in Murtures smooth, curved facets, a characteristic shared by
freesboro. It is one of the 52 state parks administered by
all unbroken diamonds from the Crater of Diamonds.
the State Parks Division of the Arkansas Department of
Parks and Tourism.
He continued, Ms. Oskarsons diamond is about three
quarters of an inch long and as big around as a standard
No. 2 pencil. It was found very near where Carroll
Blankenship found the 8.82-carat white Star of Shreveport in 1981. Now Ms. Oskarsons diamond is a very
special part of the Crater of Diamonds State Parks history, too.
Oskarsons find is the 227th diamond certified by park
staff this year. Cox noted that more than 30 other diamonds have been found on the surface of the search area
so far in 2015, due in part to frequent rains this spring.
Rain, plus the regular plowing of the search field by our
maintenance staff, increases visitors chances of finding
diamonds in the search area. Regular plowing loosens
the soil and brings more diamonds to the surface, and
then rain erosion plays its part. Diamonds are a bit
heavy for their size, and they lack static electricity, Cox
The News, August 2015

Page 3

Find of the Month

Winners
July, 2015
Most Valuable Coin:
Tom Warne - 1905 Indianhead
Cent
Oldest Coin:
Tom Warne - 1867 Shield Nickel
Largest Raw Gold:
Bud Yoder - Clear Creek Nugget
Most Raw Gold:
Bud Yoder - Clear Creek Gold
Best Bottle:
Wayne Sutherland 1945 Laramie, WY Coke Bottle
Best Jewelry:
Tom Warne - Antique Broach Pin
Most Unique Find (Excavated):
Bud Yoder - Military Dog Tag
Most Unique Find (Non-Excavated):
Barb Schuldt - Nail Cross
Rock, Gem, Mineral & Fossil:
Tom Warne - Petrified Wood

15 years ago the USA had Steve

Jobs, Bob Hope and Johnny
Cash.
Now the USA has no Jobs, no
Hope and no Cash.

Gold Glossary
Flumes - Flumes are like sluice boxes, they do not
have riffles though and are used solely to transport
water in areas where a ditch would be impossible
(cliffsides, rocky hillsides). Two flumes were built in
the construction of the China Ditch.

TREASURE HUNTERS
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.

Streams still flooded .. No Gold!

I WILL use thoughtfulness, consideration, and courtesy

at all times.
I WILL build fires in designated or safe places only.
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.

Page 4

The News, August 2015

Bighorn River Treasure

Mineral Specimen Identification

As part of their community outreach, Metropolitan State

College of Denver, Dep. of Earth & Atmospheric
Science, Professional Services Division offers FREE
MINERAL SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION. Participants
will aid in the education of future Geoscientists!

Unfortunately, Custer's men were wiped out before he

got there, and Marsh had to use his vessel to ferry
others back for medical care.

Details and specimen submittal forms with instructions

can be downloaded
from:
SPECIAL OFFER FREE MINERAL SPECIMEN
http://college.earthscienceeducation.net/MINPET/
MINID.pdf

utting valuable metals on a boat seems like a

recipe for disaster, but back in the old days
that was the most reliable way to transport
your treasure. In 1876, Captain Grant Marsh was
sent to relieve embattled general George Armstrong
Custer with men and supplies, taking a riverboat
down the Bighorn River.

The weight of all that humanity was too great, so

Marsh was forced to jettison much of his cargo into
the river, including a reported $375,000 worth of gold
entrusted to him by miners who feared Sioux attacks.
It's supposedly still down there if you feel like diving.

Property Wanted
For Detector Hunt

Refreshment Volunteers
AugustRay & Loralee Hettinger
SeptemberBard Schuldt
OctoberRay McGehee & Ann Nichols
NovemberGeorge & Peggy Stumpf
The News, August 2015

RMPTH is looking for private property on which to hold

an organized club detector hunt. Obviously, it would be
most ideal if this property is known to have seen some
past historical activity. If you have such property or
know of someone who does, please contact Rick
Mattingly to plan a club field outing event.

Page 5

Relic Hunting Tips

ouble check that hole

After digging your hole and retrieving the target. Always double check your hole. Sometimes the first more shallow target can camouflage or
completely hide a deeper target.
Look for big trees
When hunting a property. Look around and take note
of the larger trees. People would sometimes hide valuables under these trees because they were easy landmarks to remember.
Personal trash pits
In the past. Before we had trash pick up. People
would dig pits usually in the back of their property to
dump and sometimes burn their trash. If you start
digging a lot of burnt or broken items. You may be
over one of these pits. This can be a good thing.
Hand towel
A hand towel can come in handy when hunting private
property. Place it beside the hole and use it to place
the dirt and plug on. This does three things. 1. Helps
in retrieving the target. If the target comes out with
the dirt it will be easier to see on a towel. 2. It is easier to fill the hole back in just lift the towel and pour
it in. And it leaves no trace that you were there. 3. If
the land owner is watching. This shows them that you
respect their property. Which can mean a return trip.
Take an overall look around
When metal detecting on private property. Before you
start try to look around and get a feel of how the land
and home might have been laid out. Did they use out
houses? Did they have a barn. Is the property old
enough that there might have been slave quarters.
Where the kids might have played at. All these and
many more questions you should ask yourself or
someone who might know. This can give a relic
hunter good places to start detecting.
Don't wipe it off
When a coin is recovered avoid the temptation to wipe
it clean. Doing this can cause scratches on the coin.
Lowering it's value. Wait till you have water available
Google Earth
Google earth can be a great way to locate future sites
to metal detect. This is a great resource for research.

Research map page

The research map page of this site is pretty handy for
finding a possible site to metal detect. Just use the
map to locate a place. Then you can save the map and
keep your notes with it. You can create multiple research pages as well.
Buried power lines
When metal detecting someone's property be aware of
buried power lines. One way is to ask the property
owner. If that is not possible or they just don't know.
Then look for any light poles and power boxes. Also
check around your signals. When you get a signal
sweep your coil around the target. If the signal disappears your good to dig. If the signal keeps stretching
in length. Chances are it's a power line.
Never dismiss an item
When your out metal detecting and come across an
item of uncertainty. Do NOT throw it away until you
are 100% sure that it is garbage. There are many relics and coins that upon first inspection might seem
like trash. A good cleaning and sometimes some research and you might just have a good item.
Start right at home
When starting the hobby of metal detecting start right
at home. It's a great way to practice with your new
detector. Friends with the neighbors? Then ask them
as well.
Always try never assume
Never assume that an area is hunted out. Metal detectors have gotten a lot more advanced and deeper
penetration. Also we ourselves have become more
technical and tenacious when metal detecting. Many
"hunted out areas" have and are still producing good
treasures.
If you dig it take it, trash
Being in the metal detecting hobby means also digging
a lot of trash. Please take it with you to throw away
later. It keeps children from getting hurt. Keeps our
land clean. Keeps other hunters from digging it again.
And looks good on our hobby.
Places to metal detect.
Anywhere that people have congregated, travelled, is
worth detecting. Just a few to get you thinking.
Churches. Schools. Parks. Beaches. Your own yard.
Your neighbors yard. Farms. Boat ramps. Recreational lakes and rivers. Next to sidewalks. Shoulder of
an old road. Any ground that soldiers battled or travelled on. Many, many more. Good luck.
(Continued on page 7)

Page 6

The News, August 2015

(Continued from page 6)

Worlds largest database of cannon balls:

Ask before you dig

www.Kanonen-kugeln.de

Do NOT make the mistake of metal detecting someone's land before you ask. Permission and respect is
everything. Getting caught illegally detecting someone's property looks bad for all of us in the hobby.

Good coin sites for Wheaties:

www.sammler.com www.whitman.com/redbook
www.cointrackers.com www.numismedia.com

Allow your swing

Great coin site:

When metal detecting for relics. Keep a slow swing.

This will help you locate deeper targets that many
people have missed.

www.sedwickcoins.com

Grid small areas

www.tokencatalog.com is a good site for researching

token prices and rarity.

When metal detecting. Large property or fields can

seem a bit overwhelming. Don't let it be. Just look at
it as ammunition for future hunts. Take your time
and grid out small sections at a time. This will make
it easier. And before you know it you will have huge
areas covered.
Real trashy areas
When or if you plan on metal detecting an area that
you know to be very trashy. Try to rake the area first.
Even if it's a section at a time. You can run a rake
with a large magnet attached over the ground as well.
Between the two. Most or all of your surface junk
should be moved
Bombs, explosives
If.... You happen to uncover any sort of explosive device and you are unsure if it is live or not. LEAVE IT
BE. DO NOT MOVE IT OR CONTINUE DIGGING.
Stop right where you are. Do not be curious. Do not
even touch it. Contact your local sheriff department.
They can have a professional come out to handle it.
Old bombs and land minds can still explode.

A good token website:

Cash for your trash

Any treasure hunter knows that digging trash is a huge
part of metal detecting. It's always easy to return home
with a pouch full of trash. 99% of this trash is recyclable for cash. Collect a few bins to separate the metals
steel, aluminum, brass, copper, stainless steel. As they
fill up take them in to your local recycling center for
cash.
Ron's Relic Program for Minelab CTX-3030
Modern - #1 Pattern 2 all metal Tone ID Profile - Combined Response - normal Recovery fast - on Recovery
deep - off Sea Water - off Target Separation - Ferrous
Coin Pinpoint - normal Volume Gain - 30 Threshold
level - just audible Volume limit - 20 Threshold pitch 15 Sensitivity type - Auto Sensitivity level - +3 or +2
Ground balance - off Noise Cancel - auto GPS - off
From the Internet:
http://www.mytreasurejournal.com/tips/results/
relic_hunting

Ask the right people

When searching for places to metal detect. It can be
helpful to ask around with your friends and family.
Not just to hunt their property. But what they may
know. Maybe they know of a lake, river, field, fire
tower, abandoned home site, or somewhere else.
Where people use to hang out. These can produce
very good leads in finding treasure. Or even the start
of finding new places from further research. This type
of hands on research can also be fun in itself.
Tree roots
When relic hunting make sure to check around large
trees. Large trees provided shade as well as a place to
sit and rest. Many items will fall out of pockets when
sitting. Also as a tree grows the roots can push items
closer to the surface making them easier to detect.

The News, August 2015

Never
underestimate
the power of
stupid people in
large groups.
Page 7

Colorado Treasure
Tales
More Colorado Treasures Just Waiting
to Be Found
Arapahoe County - A cache of gold ore worth $10,000
was buried somewhere in Pat's Hole within today's
Dinosaur National Monument. Worth many times that
value today, the treasure has never been recovered.
Costilla County The treasure of the paymaster of
Fort Garland was stashed on Trinchera Creek.
El Paso County - Near Monument, between Colorado
Springs and Denver, the Butch Cassidy gang is said to
have stashed $100,000 from their bank robberies.
El Paso County An outlaw gang called the "Bloody
Espinosas" terrorized the San Luis Valley in 1863.
Supposedly, the gang had received a vision from the
Virgin Mary and tried to drive the Anglos out by robbing them. They were said to have buried their treasure near the present-day town of Cascade in Ute Pass
on the slopes of Pikes Peak. For a time, the gang
eluded capture but were finally conquered by an army
scout from Fort Garland who rode back to the fort
with their heads in a sack.
Garfield County - Train robbery loot hidden near
Grand Valley remains undiscovered.

ity, they were said to have killed at least twelve people

during their raids. However, Colorado lawman Dave
Cook went after the gang, and one-by-one, either
killed or arrested each and every one of them. Lee
Musgrove was finally caught by Cook in Wyoming
Territory and was jailed in Denver. On November 23,
1868 a crowd stormed the jail and lynched the outlaw. The Musgrove Corral Treasure of gold and silver
coins is said to remain buried along the Cache la
Poudre River.
Otero County - The site of Bent's Fort on the old
Santa Fe Trail is supposed to be where much Treasure is buried.
Lincoln County -- In 1847, $100,000 was stolen by
bandits in Sacramento, California during the California Gold rush. It is said that the gold was hidden in a
gulch several miles east of Clifford in Lincoln County.
The spot was supposedly marked by three stones,
each bearing the date 1847. This story was further
supported when a flat stone bearing the inscription
"D. Grover and Joseph Fox Lawe, Aug. 8, 1847" was
discovered near Clifford many years ago.
Moffat County - In the 1890s, Butch Cassidy and his
Wild Bunch often fled into the remote valley of
Brown's Hole to escape from lawmen. It is believed
that much of their outlaw loot was cached here and
never recovered. Located just south of Wyoming,
along the Utah-Colorado border, it was rumored that
the only law was that of the fastest gun.

Gilpin County - A chest filled with gold was hidden on

Ralston Creek Road between Central City and Denver.
Huerfano County - Two barrels of coins belonging to
Henry Sefton were lost at the Gomez Ranch in the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Lake County - Some of Jesse James' stolen wealth is
said to be hidden in Half Moon Gulch, southwest of
Leadville.
Larimer County - The Musgrove Gang, headed by Lee
Musgrove, were thieves and rustlers who ranged from
Texas to Wyoming to Kansas. Noted for their barbar-

Before You Buy That Metal Detector Handbook Check:

http://www.mdhtalk.org/articles/before-you-buy-hb/before-you-buy-handbook.pdf
Page 8

The News, August 2015

Last year I
joined a
support group
for procrastinators. We
havent met
yet.

The News, August 2015

Page 9

Calendar of Events
August Meeting
Wednesday, August 5. We will meet at the Pulliam
Building in downtown Loveland at 6:00PM. Refer to
the adjoining map for directions.
Meeting Agenda
6:00 - 7:00 Social Hour & Finds Program
7:00 - 7:30 Business, Announcements & Find of
the Month Program
7:30 - 7:45 Break
7:45 - 9:00 "Surface Finds By Tom Warne. Tom
will display and describe some amazing finds from on
top of the ground while metal detecting.

Visit RMPTH On The Internet At

http://rmpth.com

RMPTH DUES
RMPTH is an unincorporated Social Club with
no income generated. All
expenses are covered by
$25 annual dues. Members are requested to
consider minor donations
at each monthly meeting
to cover refreshments.

MAP TO THE MEETING PLACE

Pulliam Community Building
545 Cleveland Avenue, Loveland, Colorado

Directions:
The Pulliam Community Building is situated on the west side of Cleveland Avenue in Loveland,
Colorado. Park at the rear of the building (west side). Entry to the meeting room is from
the doorway on the south side of the building (not the main entrance on Cleveland Avenue!).
Page 10

The News, August 2015

August 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1
2

13

14

15

RMPTH Finds Program

& Social 6:00P RMPTH
Meeting 7:00P

10

11

12

RMPTH Board Meeting

6:00P

16

17

18

19

20

21

22
Vics Gold Panning
in Blackhawk

23

24

30

31

25

26

27

28

29

September 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

10

11

RMPTH Finds Program

& Social 6:00P RMPTH
Meeting 7:00P

RMPTH Board Meeting

6:00P

Labor Day

12
Local Detector Hunt

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

The News, August 2015

Page 11

Getting Permission the

Right Way
Here is Peter's O'Brien's message reprinted
from November MDEA archives.

he key to getting permission is to

do it right the first time.

One of these days I may dust off my

notes and submit an article to a TH
magazine on the topic, if I do the title
will be "You never get a second chance
to make a first impression" First and
foremost you have to think like the
homeowner. Why in God's name would
they want to give you permission? Nobody likes strangers coming to the door
and hitting them up for donations,
magazine sales permission to hunt, etc.
It just isn't human nature.
On top of that people HATE to make
snap or legal sounding written decisions, for that reason throwaway the
permission slips unless you know for
certain there are millions of dollars of

RMPTH Field Outing Statement

NOTE: The Coordinators and participants 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 event 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 ongoing basis. Events planned in the upcoming month are
emphasized to the attendees at the monthly meetings.
Contact the Presentations Coordinators or Editor if you
have any suggestions or ideas throughout 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, vehicles breaking down, wrong meeting sites, etc. Please
be understanding of extenuating circumstances and contact 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.
Page 12

booty on that property. Waving a permission slip only

sets people on edge.
They assume that there must be something of great
value or else this stranger wouldn't be wanting my signature on a document they could later use "IN
COURT!!" Automatic "NO" coming right up.
Forget phone calls and letters, it is extremely easy to
say no to those, we all do it every day
by throwing away junk mail we don't
even open or immediately terminating
telemarketing calls we get every night
about supper time.
Dress neatly, forget cute, political or
statement T shirts. If you're a male,
wear a shirt with a collar, take off the
sunglasses, remove your hat or ball
cap, cops wear dark shades to hide
nervousness and intimidate people, you
don't want to do that. Wear your cleanest hunting clothes, not some beat up
junk you "save for metal detecting". Remember you are trying to come across
as non threatening; a hobbyist who
does this crazy thing and will not leave
holes or disrespect their property.
Above all , KEEP IT SIMPLE, at the
permission stage. Identify yourself,
SMILE, tell them where you are from,
why you do it and that you won't cause any damage to
their property. KEEP IT SIMPLE. Don't give them an
opportunity or a reason to say NO. If hunting with a
partner, the other should stay in the car until permission is granted. If you are a smoker, don't go to the
door with one in your hand or mouth. Don't offer to
split finds, or make promises you may not want to
keep or honor later on.
I always step back at least two paces from door after
knocking or ringing the bell. Don't lean into their faces,
or peer past them into their homes. Don't enter their
homes, unless you are a genuine friend and have visited the place at least three or more times. Sadly in
today's society Offer to "show" them anything you find
before you leave, keyword here is SHOW, you determine what you show them, what and how much depends on what you found, and your personal ethics in
a given situation. I know of no one that empties their
apron on the owners porch and says, "take what you
want homeowner, I'll settle for the rest"
Ask if they have lost any items in the yard, and inform
them that you'll be glad to keep an eye out for them
while you poke around and will be sure to return it to
(Continued on page 13)
The News, August 2015

(Continued from page 12)

them.
Once you have permission, hunt professionally and
courteously, if the kids or the owner or his pit bull
comes out and wants to follow you around decide
whether the opportunity is worth the aggravation, If it
upsets you, don't show any outward signs of it. Simply
turn off your machine and complain that your batteries
have died or you just remembered a previous engagement. Leave cheerfully, ask if you can come back at
another time, (like when the little trolls are in school)
when you get new batteries, etc. Showing your displeasure or annoyance will not only offend the homeowner but will poison the neighborhood as well. You
can be assured that anything you do any yard will be
the topic of discussion for the entire neighborhood.
Don't try to educate or convince them of the validity of
your chosen hobby. Save that for a later date, there is
nothing more boring than being trapped by a stranger
going on and on about something means nothing to
you.
If turned down, cheerfully thank them and move on,
don't be a pest and try to convince them to let you
hunt, chalk it up to percentages and knock on the
neighbor's door. There are about 200 million homes in
the US, and at least a 100 million are worth hunting,
don't fret over not getting a particular site. Come back
another day if you must.
Always maintain an even composure when recovering
targets, doing cartwheels or calling over your hunting
partners to crow about the $20 gold piece or CSA belt
buckle you just recovered is a sure way lose the item
you found and convince the owner his property has too
many valuable items on it to allow strangers to get the
goodies. If he thinks that way you can bet his
neighbors will too.
Finally don't overstay your visit, even if you are finding
great stuff. Remember it is their yard and they might
want to use it today also, if you obtained permission
chances are they will let you come back again unless
you wear out your welcome. Don't hunt into the dark
and then tell them there was nothing in the yard,
would you believe someone telling you the same? 2-3
hours is the maximum you should hunt a given site at
a time without encroaching on the homeowners space.
Do it right and not only will you be welcomed back, but
in many cases the homeowner will go to bat for you
with the neighbors and or friends or give you leads to
other properties in the family which is a big WIN situation because they will do the asking for you! Good
luck, keep it simple and cheerful, it works.

Nazi-Era Treasure
Buried Nazi-era treasure is found in Germany
Published July 15, 2015 | Newser

or anyone with a metal detector collecting dust

in the closet, this story should keep the dream
alive. A man in northern Germany turned up a
gold coin in October while searching near a pine tree
at a field's edge.
Further searching yielded nine coins, at which point
Florian Bautsch, 31described by the Local as an
"amateur archaeologist" and "certified metal detectorist" and by the Irish Mirror as a "licensed treasure
hunter"called in the professionals.
Archaeologists ultimately found an additional 207
gold coins that archaeologist Edgar Ring says he is
confident once belonged to the Nazi-era Reichsbank.
A second archaeologist tells Bild, "We believe that the
coins were hidden in the last days of World War II
or shortly after the war there." Experts were able to
date the coins, which themselves were minted between 1831 and 1910, thanks in part to two seals
that had formerly been part of the two pouches that
held the coins; those pouches no longer exist.
Chemical analysis dated seals and other remnants to
between 1940 and 1950. The seals featured a swastika, imperial eagle, and the words "Reichsbank Berlin 244." The Mirror puts forth the theory that the
gold was left there "in the chaotic final days of the
war"
and notes that the Reichsbank hid coins throughout
the country as Berlin came under attack.
The gold is believed to be worth about $50,000,
though Bautsch's finder's fee will be only about
$2,700. They were turned up near Luneburg, where
the "last Auschwitz trial on Earth" just came to its
end.

This article originally appeared on Newser: German

Man Uncovers Nazi-Era Treasure
More From Newser

The News, August 2015

Page 13

Advanced Gold
Detecting Tips
Brought to you by Kellyco Metal Detectors

esearch:

Research can be 90% of your success. It is easy

and a lot of fun. Research will guide you to the
best gold producing areas within a particular region.
Your research should consist of reviewing old records
from a region viewing maps,
reading books, talking to
local people and finally
checking local libraries, information centers, government geological surveys,
state universities with mining programs and historical
societies.
Ask others who know. Your local detector supply
shop will be familiar with the gold fields in your area.
Ask about local prospecting clubs you can join and
enquire at your State Mines Department.
Types of Gold Producing Areas:
There are a number of types of goldfields, each distinctly unique:

When detecting 'shallow' deep leads, search both the

waste material and the ground in between.
There are a number of advanced techniques that will
help you to increase your gold yield in an area, while
also help you to remember an area's location.
A. Gridding: This technique involves dividing an area
into a number of small grids and thoroughly sweeping
each grid slowly and methodically. In dry country, it
is common to see detector operators dragging a chain
behind them so they can easily see the line of their
last sweep. This is particularly useful in dry desert
country.
B. Marking: This involves
tying colored ribbons or
string to trees to mark an
area where you previously
found gold. Also try to
mark these spots on maps
to ensure that you can return to them at a later
date.
The use of pocket-size Global Positioning Systems
(GPS) can be used to plot and store your position to
within a few meters.
C. Traversing: When detecting a hillside or slope it is
often better to detect across the slope rather than up
and down. This gives a greater chance of cutting
across a 'gold run'. These 'runs' are gold nuggets,
which have broken off their source and carried downhill by gravity and erosion.

A. Virgin Ground: This is an area of ground which

was never worked by the old-time prospectors. This
may have been because the area was not rich enough
to warrant the labor or was just not ever discovered.
Virgin areas are often areas around the fringe of
known, worked goldfields.
B. Surfacing: This is where large areas of ground have
been removed from several inches to several feet
deep. These are usually located in areas of shallow
ground and can be easily recognized. These were areas of rich gold deposits in their day.
C. Shallow Diggings: This is where the gold rushes of
the early 1800's took place. Small shallow shafts were
dug with pick and shovel, the gold-gearing gravel on
the bottom was then processed. These diggings
tended to follow the lowest points in an area, like gullies. They are very fertile prospecting areas and generally, due to poor equipment, the old miners discarded
more gold than they found.
D. Deep Leads: These are ancient river beds that over
time have been buried. There are both deep deep
leads, search mainly the waste material from a mine.
Page 14

Mount Rushmore from the Canadian Side

The News, August 2015

History Of Placer Gold Mining

lacer gold mining in the United States spans a period of nearly

200 years. Earliest mining took place in the Eastern States and
particularly in the southern Appalachian region during the late
1700's and early 1800's, but the richer deposits were soon exhausted,
and interest turned to the West.

The earliest production of any note in the West was from the Old and
New Placer Diggings near Golden, Santa Fe County, N. Mex. These
deposits were worked as early as 1828. A few other deposits were
mined in the succeeding years until the first discovery of major importance, that of James Marshall on January 24, 1848, on the American River at Coloma, California. This discovery was a major factor in
the rapid settlement of the West and triggered the first of the great
gold rushes in the United States. Because of the lure and excitement
of gold mining, prospectors spread throughout the West and in subsequent years many more rich placer gold deposits were found.
A selected listing of discoveries subsequent to Coloma follows:
1848-49 California Trinity and Klamath Rivers.
1849 Nevada Gold Canyon.
1852 Oregon Grants Pass district.
1852 Montana Gold Creek.
1857 Nevada Six-Mile Creek.
1858 Arizona Gila City.
1858 Colorado Cherry Creek, Ralston Creek, Platte River.
1858-60 Washington Blewett Pass (northern and central parts of
State).
1859 Colorado Clear Creek, Blue River, Arkansas River.
1860-61 Idaho Clearwater River, Pierce City, Oro Fino, Elk City,
Florence, Warren.
1862 Montana Bannock, Alder Creek.
1862 Idaho Boise Basin.
1862 Arizona La Paz district.
1863-64 Arizona Weaver Creek, Lynch Creek.
1863-64 Utah Bingham Canyon.
1864 Montana Helena.
1867 Nevada Tuscarora district.
1867 New Mexico Elizabethtown district.
1874-75 South Dakota Black Hills, Deadwood Gulch.
1876-77 Nevada Copper Mountain (Charleston district), Osceola.
1881 Nevada Spring Valley.
In Alaska, gold occurrences were reported as early as 1848, and gold
was found in the Yukon region about 1878; but not until the fabulously rich finds in 1897-98 in the Yukon's Klondike (in Canadian
territory) did placer miners really begin to exploit the Alaskan deposits. In rapid succession, miners stampeded in 1898 to rich discoveries in the Nome area of Alaska, then in 1902 to the Fairbanks area;
the Fairbanks placers were among the last of importance to be discovered.
(Continued on page 17)

The News, August 2015

Gold Glossary
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 rocks, minerals, or metals.
Gold originates deep within the earth
in places called Pockets. The pockets
are filled with gold, heavy ore, and
quartz..

Gold Facts
Symbol: AU
Atomic Number: 79
Atomic Weight: 196.967
Melting Point: 1063 (1945 F)
Specific Gravity: 19.2
MOHs Scale of Hardness:
2.5 - 3
Karat
24K = 100% Pure Gold
18K = 75% Pure Gold
14K = 58% Pure Gold
10K = 42% Pure Gold
Troy Weights
1 grain = 0.0648 grams
24 grains = 1 penny
weight (DWT) = 1.552 grams
20 DWT = 1 ounce =
480 grains = 31.10 grams

YOUR
ADVERTISEMENT
COULD BE HERE!
Call Rick Mattingly
at 970-669-1205
or rickmatt@q.com
Page 15

Trading Post
FOR SALE: Jewelers propane/oxygen torch, many cabochons, beads and tools. Contact Ann at
(970) 6667-3705.
FOR SALE: A "MUST HAVE" T-Shirt for every Prospector
and Treasure Hunter. Quality 100% cotton tees. See and
order from:
http://BestBlackandGold.com.
FOR SALE: Minelab SD2200 Gold Nugget Metal Detector:
10-1/2" Mono Super Coil, 10-1/2" SD Series Super Coil, two
batteries w/wall & car charger, headphones, backpack,
waist battery pack, signal enhancer, extra lower stem, instruction booklet & video, carry case. Ready to go for the
gold. New Price: $1625. Contact Paul at (970) 482-7846.
FOR SALE: 5HP pump motor, Gold King 3" Hi-banker with
dredge attachment w/adjustable stand, Gold Grabber Hibanker, 125 feet hose, Rock net and steel cable, misc. fittings and valves & large metal bucket. Prefer to sell all together for $1,350 but negotiable. Call Eric Stickland at
(303) 833-6848 or
estick@live.com.
WANTED: Used lapidary equipment. Call Kathie 970-2211623
WANTED: Federal or state duck stamps; mint or used. Contact John Hart at (307) 778-3993.

NOTE:
Purchase arrangements are between the buyer and
seller only and involves no financial benefit to RMPTH.

About Trading Post

The News runs classified ads in Trading Post
for three consecutive issues. Trading Post ads
for topic related items up to 10 lines (or 70
words) long are free. To place an ad in Trading
Post contact Rick Mattingly at (970) 613-8968
evenings
or e-mail at: rickmatt@q.com
Commercial Advertising
Specifications
(Monthly Donation Rate)
Full Page (8 1/2" X 7")
Half Page (3 1/4" X 7")
One Third Page (3" X 4")
Business Card (2 3/4" X 1 1/2")

$30
$20
$15
$ 5

Ads must be received by the 15th of the

preceding month. Contact Rick Mattingly for information on this service at
(970) 613-6968 evenings or e-mail at:
rickmatt@q.com.

All mistakes and

misspellings were
intentionally made so
that you could have the
pleasure of finding them.

Colorado School of Mines

Geology Museum
Golden, Colorado
Contact us: 303-273-3815 or
geomuseum@mines.edu
Identification of specimens is performed
between 10 a.m. and noon, Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
Page 16

The News, August 2015

WEEKEND & SMALL-SCALE

MINERS CODE OF ETHICS
I WILL respect other prospectors claims and not work
those claims without the owners permission

(Continued from page 15)

Any history of placer mining would be incomplete

without a word on dredging, which marked a major
turn in operational efficiency. Dredging offered a way
to handle tremendous quantities of material at a low
unit cost and made it possible to mine where gold values were as little as a few cents per cubic yard.

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 cognizant of their potential destructive effect on the environment
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

Probably the first successful bucket line dredge in the

United States was operated in 1895 on Grasshopper
Creek near Bannock in Beaverhead County, southwestern Montana. Others quickly followed, until by
1910, use of dredges had grown so that in California
alone about 100 were in existence, of which 63 were
reported in operation.
The first gold dredging in Alaska occurred about
1903, and the number of Alaskan dredges grew, until
in 1914, 42 were in operation. The peak number of
active dredges, 49, was not reached until 1940; World
War II then interrupted most operations. Costs rose
beyond profitable levels after the war, and only a few
of the deactivated dredges were returned to service.
All gold dredges of any significance in the United
States have been shut down, and most have been dismantled or sold abroad. Placer gold production today
is primarily a byproduct of washing sand and gravel
for use as an aggregate in the construction industry.
Commercial placer mining by other means continues
only at a few locations.
Total placer gold production in the United States
from 1792 through 1968 is given in table 1. California
and Alaska have accounted for more than three
fourths of the total production of record. A large
share of the overall production, it should be added,
has come from dredges. The following list includes
essentially all States and counties in which placer
gold is known to occur (12) (Note: Numbers in parentheses refer items in the bibliography at the end of
this report.)
United States Geological Survey

Offer Your Assistance To Any

Of Our Program Coordinators
The News, August 2015

Page 17

Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club

2015 Schedule of Events
Month

Meeting Program

Trip/Activity

January

Cheyenne War: Indian Raids on the

Roads to Denver, 1864-1869
By Jeff Broome

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

February

Cache Hunting
By Rick Mattingly

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

March

Setting Up A Gold Sluice Box

By RMPTH Members

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

April

Metal Detecting
By Tom Warne & Rick Mattingly

Local Detector Hunt

Map, Compass & GPS Clinic

May

Gold Nugget Shooting With Detector

By Rick Mattingly

Prospecting & Detecting Clinic at Lions Park

Denver GPAA Show
Lets Go Gold Panning On The Arkansas Event GPOC

June

Gold Dredging
By RMPTH Members

Clear Creek Gold Outing

State Annual Gold Panning Championships

July

Map Reading for Prospectors

by Wayne Sutherland WSGS

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

August

Surface Finds
by Tom Warne

Vics Gold PanningBlackhawk

September

Map & Internet Research

By Rick Mattingly

Local Detector Hunt

October

Gold, Silver & Gem Recovery

by David Emslie

Local Detector Hunt

November

Annual Show & Tell &

Silent Auction

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

December

Annual Find of the Year Awards &

Christmas Party

Flatirons Mineral Club & Model Train Show

Good Hunting in 2015!

Page 18

The News, August 2015

Rocky Mountain
Prospectors & Treasure Hunters
Contact List
RMPTH Coordinators
President

Tom Warne

Vice President

Home

E-Mail

1-970-635-0773

goldigger48@msn.com

Treasurer

Dick & Sharon French

1-970-482-2110

dickyf99@centurylink.net

Secretary

Rick Mattingly

1-970-669-1205

rickmatt@q.com

Rick Mattingly

1-970-669-1205

rickmatt@q.com

Rick Mattingly

1-970-669-1205

rickmatt@q.com

Finds Program

Dave Landes
Betsy Emond
Joe Johnston

1-720-985-4186
1-970-218-0290
1-303-696-6950

midnightoil45@aol.com
bemond@fcgov.com
cjoej1@peoplepc.com

Presentations

Rick Mattingly

1-970-669-1205

rickmatt@q.com

Club Historian

Volunteer Needed

Club Meeting Greeter

Barbara Schuldt

1-970-407-1336

Club Librarian

Joe Johnston

1-303-696-6950

Club Photo Librarian

Volunteer Needed

Meeting Setup

Jim Friedricks

Door Prize

Volunteer Needed

Zinc Penny Project

Tom Marschall

1-970-396-0133

tmarschall47@gmail.com

50/50 Drawing

Woody Hogdon

1-970-667-5010

ftcolwoody@juno.com

Coin Raffle

Woody Hogdon

1-970-667-5010

ftcolwoody@juno.com

The News Staff

Editor-in-Chief
Internet Web Site
Web Master
Volunteers/Coordinators

cjoej1@peoplepc.com

1-970-590-9183

General Information Contact: Rick Mattingly at 1-970-669-1205

Visit RMPTH on the Internet at: http://rmpth.com

Lets Go For The Gold !

The News, August 2015

Page 19

The News
Rocky Mountain Prospectors &
Treasure Hunters Club
278 Sierra Vista Drive
Fort Collins, CO. 80524

AUGUST, 2015 ISSUE