Finding an Unexpected Cache

  A few weeks ago, I met up with my father to spend a few hours detecting. We started out at the local fair grounds, which dates back to the early 1900's. After a few hours, we had a pocket full of clad and a 1937 Buffalo Nickel. We decided to leave and go check out an old house that was torn down in the early 90's.

  The home originally sat between the highway and a canyon. To our disappointment, most of the original dirt and foundation had been washed into the canyon over the years. We weren't expecting to find much and after swinging the detectors for awhile we had found a lot of trash and no coins. We decided to call it quits and while walking back to the vehicle, something lying on top of the dirt had caught my eye.

  After getting a closer look, it appeared several silver coins layed on top of the dirt. Instantly, I had assumed that we had just stumbled onto an old cache of silver. Upon closer inspection, the coins were clad. A 2018 penny, a quarter, and a couple nickels layed right on the surface. We picked them up and ran our coils over the area and instantly knew there were more coins. We began digging, often picking out several coins at a time. With every handful of dirt we ran over our coils, we would find coins. We pondered on several questions as we dug. Why were there newer coins at an early 1900's site, how did they get there, and how many would we find? We dug for around an hour before our detectors finally fell silent.

  After laying out and sorting through all of the coins, we had found a total of 371 coins, 213 pennies, 41 nickels, 72 dimes, 42 quarters, 2 wheat pennies, and 1 rolled penny. Now as much as I'd like to have found that many silver dollars, finding that many coins is a good day of detecting. As for how all those coins got there, the only explanation we could think of was someone had a jar full of coins in their vehicle and had wrecked off the highway, spilling all of the coins onto the ground.

  Finding this random cache of coins is a good lesson for any treasure hunter. Lost treasure is still out there. Sometimes there isn't a map or story with directions or clues. Who knows how much treasure, whether lost or forgotten, is just waiting for someone to stumble upon it?

Get out there and go find it!

Possible new projects

After several years away from the treasure hunting community I've decided to launch new projects. The passing of a number of my treasure hunting partners within a very short time period took much of the joy out of the hobby for me. This is why I stepped away for the last few years.

My son has taken an interest in metal detecting and treasure hunting so we are considering expanding into YouTube videos. With my decades of experience and his youthful exuberance it should make for interesting viewing.

This will be an excellent opportunity if any equipment manufacturers would like to sponsor us or have us do equipment reviews. With well over a million views here on the blog we will bring a vast audience to all of our media outreach. Feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions.

A new treasure lead

Finding treasure leads with today's technology is an easy process. Posted above is an example of what just a few minutes searching free newspaper sources can provide. I used a website that provides free access to many old Oklahoma newspapers. Using "buried treasure" as my keyword search hundreds of newspapers with articles about buried treasure appeared. This website highlights the articles making them easy to find.

While the above article provides little information it does provide enough to find the search area. I simply googled Romulus Oklahoma and clicked on the map that appeared. It was easy enough to find opossum creek and the spot where another creek came together. This area is circled in red on the above map.

This is an active lead for a treasure hunter to follow up on. There are online sources to find names of the land owners to get permission before searching the area east of where these two creeks come together.

Good luck and good hunting

I'm alive and well

     It's hard to believe three years have gone by since I last posted a story. After the passing of three of my treasure hunting partners I decided to step back from the world of treasure hunting and pursue a few other areas of interest.

     The time away has allowed me to reexamine the way I hunt and start with a fresh perspective on projects I had shelved. I've found that the break has allowed me to see details I had overlooked in the past.

     I have spent a considerable amount of time researching to find out who J Frank Dalton really was and I'm 95% sure I have solved the mystery. Only DNA testing can prove 100% if I'm correct, but through countless hours of genealogical research and searching census records I've been able to get a fairly good idea of his life.

     I plan on posting new stories and information as time permits. As the weather cools you might even find me out in the field searching for those hidden caches of gold and silver. Don't look for me to be on tv much as I've decided that's not my gig.

Good luck and good hunting

   
   
   

   

Tommy "TJ" Johnson

2014 was a tough year. With the passing of my partner Ray early in the year and with the loss of TJ last August. TJ was a man of integrity. He never had a bad word to say about anyone.

Last week family and friends said a final farewell as his ashes were scattered across the hills he loved to hike.

I first met him as him as he sat in front of his camper reading Oklahoma Treasures and Treasure Tales with his dog Harley at his side. I knew at that moment we would become friends.

Over the years we hiked many trails and chased numerous treasures. TJ was part mountain goat. For a guy in his 70's he was tough to stay up with. He loved being outdoors and always wanted to see what was over the next hill.

His stories of searching for treasure in decades past were always entertaining. The call of treasure took him to many states and digging for Spanish treasure nearly took his life. It's through him I learned the dangers of pack rats and the hantavirus.

TJ came by treasure hunting naturally. His dad found the Amarillo Starlight. It is the largest diamond found at Crater of Diamonds since it became a state park.

His spirit will travel with me as I continue the hunt. He will be missed but lives on in the memories of those who knew him.

Interpreting Signs and Symbols

I'm often asked if there's a good book for interpreting the meanings of treasure symbols. While there are countless books on the market that claim to show such things most are just recycled from other books. The authors may have never seen the signs used in the field to verify their authenticity. I was once told there's more money to be made writing about treasure than there is hunting for it. I believe this holds true. If someone is trying to sell you a book about treasure signs then the odds are they're not finding treasure themselves.

There isn't a book that I can recommend as the single source for sign reading but there are a few books that will go a long way in helping you learn to read the signs for yourself. I highly recommend The Rocks Begin to Speak by Lavan Martineau. While this book covers how to read Native American pictographs the same process can be used for treasure signs. Especially when dealing with stacked or grouped symbols. Many of the Native symbols have been incorporated by other groups to be used as treasure symbols.

A safe bet would be that 99% of the treasure signs you come across are giving you one of three things. #1 is direction of travel. #2 the topography that you need to look for. #3 the layout of the treasure site. This is fairly universal among all groups. In our area you will often find symbols from the Spanish/Mexican and 19th century outlaws in the same area. What is a good area for one group is often good for others even if separated by a century or more in time.

I have spent countless hours researching and working in the field to understand what the signs and symbols are conveying. Hundreds of people over the years have sent pictures of symbols requesting help interpreting them. The majority of them I've been able to help with. My main effort is to help people to help themselves. You learn far more having to work out what a sign means on your own, with just a little guidance, than you ever will just being given the answer.

There will be a naysayer or two at my abilities to read signs but that is to be expected when you have so many armchair experts and book hustlers. Feel free to contact me for help. Unlike many others I'm not interested in knowing where your site is or charge a fee for help.

Good luck and good hunting!

The feds are lurking in the shadows

As Big Brother grows and encroaches upon our everyday lives we hear more and more about the federal government spying on US citizens. The NSA spying scandal is but one example.

From my personal experience big brother spent three years watching my internet posts on this blog, treasure forums, and facebook.

You can rest assured that they're trolling the internet pretending to be treasure hunters intent on entrapping someone in some sort of sting operation.

This is nothing new as I've read stories from decades ago warning about who to trust when it comes to treasure hunting partners.

Today though, they may start with innocent enough emails asking simple questions. In time these questions become more intrusive or leading.

One example is them pretending to be an arrowhead hunter asking if you've heard of anyone finding artifacts on federal property or know of such sites to find points. To this my reply is it is illegal to search for artifacts on federal property.

They might even show up at a treasure hunter get together pretending to be another treasure hunter hoping to find something incriminating against those in attendance.

It's possible they offer to trade guns for a good hunting spot. Nothing like getting firearms involved for potential future prosecution.

While this might seem a bit conspiratorial all this and much more is happening. That's why I prefer to keep things legal and shy away from anything shady.

So if something seems odd or fishy about someone contacting you, trust your instincts and leave them well enough alone.

Good luck and good hunting!

Expedition Unknown: The Legend of Jesse James

The Travel Channel's show Expedition Unknown hosted by Josh Gates will explore the legend of Jesse James and his treasure hidden in Oklahoma. You can catch the episode this Thursday (1-29-15) at 8:00pm central time on the Travel Channel.

Veterans Day

To my brothers and sisters in arms I say thank you for your service to our great country.

Treasure hunting, the internet, and reality tv

The search for buried treasure has become so popular that many of the major cable networks each have their own version of a treasure show now. When these shows first came out I had high hopes that they would capture the true essence of treasure hunting. Sadly for most of these shows there is very little reality in their reality tv.

I'm contacted all the time by production companies wanting me to try out for a show they are trying to sell to the networks. Very few are interested in my skill set of interpreting treasure signs. Instead most are just looking for big personalities. The concept of the hunt for treasure is lost to the train wreck drama and personal conflicts of those people starring in the shows. Don't get me wrong. Even with my disappointment in most of these programs I still tune in to watch them.

The internet has been both a curse and a blessing to treasure hunters. In the old days we had to search for our information at the local library or court houses. Read through numerous books and magazines. Track down old timers who might have a lead for you. I still do those things, but the internet now allows me do do most of these things and more from the comfort of home.

The online treasure forums allow treasure hunters to gather and swap stories and ideas. Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation floating around the internet. Especially when it comes to KGC treasure.

Social media is the new phenomenon in the world of treasure hunting. It allows us to connect with other like minded people who enjoy the same hobbies and interest as we do. In some cases it even allows you to make up your own reality of who you are. I have a rich yuppie in mind who is trying to be a cross between Murdock from the A Team and Indiana Jones  when I say this.

The beauty of the internet is that if you have enough money you can create your own image. The above mentioned treasure hunter has done just that. He says that he is a professional because he derives his income from treasure hunting. This may be true. I can't seem to find any documented finds this person has made that would cover his overhead,  so it must be the dozens of websites, videos, and books that this person promotes that bring in the bucks. Like one of my old friends say....that's why they call us treasure hunters and not treasure finders.

However it is you enjoy treasure whether reading about it,  surfing the net, or watching it on TV take the time and do some searching outdoors for your own. Not all treasure is gold. Sometimes it just the memories we make with friends and family while on the hunt.

Good luck and good hunting!

Treasure Sign or Big Ugly Rock?

Is this a treasure sign or big, ugly rock? A self proclaimed professional treasure hunter may look at it and say that it's nothing more than a big, ugly rock. It would be foolish on his or her part without first asking a few questions. The first question I would ask myself, when deciding if something I find in the field is a sign or not, would be is it in context with others signs found in the area? Such as drill holes, carvings, shadow symbols, etc.

Second question would be does it have instructions? In the case of this bird head pointer it is saying go left.

Third question is does it lead to something?  If it's a sign it should lead you to something obvious. In the case of the one pictured above it pointed to another directional marker.

One stone mason who viewed the picture claimed it couldn't be a sign because it didn't have any tool or chisel marks. Several centuries of Oklahoma wind and rain tend to leave rocks weathered and it's highly doubtful and chisel marks would've remained. There's also the possibility that the rock was natural and only needed slight modification to make it look like a bird's head.

Not all signs you come across point to treasure. Some are just marking a trail or lead to a campsite or water source. They are still fun to find and photograph. Please don't remove them from the location you find them in.

Good luck and good hunting!

Treasure hunt for a book

I'm looking for a rare treasure book and decided to make a treasure hunt of it. I would trade this $5 gold coin for the book. The book is "Spanish Trail of Gold", by Robert O. Burch. It was self published in 1935. This will be a challenge for people to find.

Good luck and good hunting!

Treasure hunting community loses another great

It's with a sad heart that I write this post. Oliver Ray Pack has passed on to an eternal rest. He was a good friend and mentor and has been instrumental in my treasure hunting education. Ray preserved some of Oklahoma's most interesting treasure history. Four decades ago he was able to acquire the remnants of Joe Hunter's treasure maps and the tea kettle watch.

There was much more to Ray than treasure hunting. He was very giving of his time and knowledge and on more than one occasion helped those in need. His sense of humor was something to behold.  He also had a great knowledge of history.

 Due to health reasons we were only able to share in one adventure together over the past few years. It was a memorable trip to eastern Oklahoma. One that I will never forget. I was sure we were going to have a "deliverance" moment before the trip was over. You had to be there to really get the full experience of the trip.

There is so much more I could write about Ray, but I can't properly do him the honor he deserves on a blog posting.

His memory will live on through his family and friends, but his presence will truly be missed.

The greatest treasures are not the material things, but those people who touch our lives in a positive way.

Free Topo Maps for all 50 States

For those who are needing topo maps here is a free online source. http://anyplaceamerica.com/ I will add it to the links section on the left side of the blog.

Good Luck and Good Hunting!

DIY Coin Rings

If these cold winter days have you cabin bound and you need a hobby to keep yourself entertained,  then try making a coin ring. The one pictured above is my first attempt at one. I used a copper Canadian large cent from the early 1900's. I'm not going to give a step by step process at how these are made since I still have a lot to learn myself, but to get a good idea of how to get started check out Ryan O'Shea and his blog. http://osheacoinrings.blogspot.com/ For those who don't want to tackle this challenging task, Ryan will custom make a ring for you. He's a fellow treasure hunter and coin enthusiast.

With practice and patience you can turn out these beautiful pieces of art yourself. There are so many choices of coins out there that it should be easy to find one to fit your taste. I highly recommend using cheap cull coins to practice with and as you advance you can move into using silver or gold coins.

Good Luck and Good Hunting!

DRS Ground Exper Pulse induction Detector for Serious Treasure Hunters

If you're serious about treasure hunting and want a detector that can give you extreme depth and high end performance then the DRS Ground Exper is the machine for you. It comes with three coils for all your detecting needs. The 40" coil should give you 30+ foot of depth. New updates are in the works to fix the few little issues I had with the unit, which includes bluetooth to eliminate the cable connecting the machine to the tablet. Besides extreme depth the ground exper offers easy ground balance and better discrimination than any other machine out there.

DRS also makes other pulse induction detectors for those who don't need extreme performance. Whether you are coinshooting, nugget hunting, or searching for an outlaw cache DRS makes a machine for you. Take the time to check out drselectronicsusa.com and if you mention Okie sent you you will get free shipping on the FXII and FX3000 or something useful for the Ground Exper.

Good Luck and Good Hunting!

Grandma's Metal Detector

In May of this year my Grandmother Juanita passed away. Her husband Don was kind enough to give me a metal detector she had used for decades. As a small kid she would let me play with her detectors and read her Oklahoma Treasures and Treasure Tales book. This of course planted the seed for my love of treasure hunting. Not surprisingly the old Sears metal detector, made by White's Electronics, still works. It didn't even need a new battery.

 It wasn't until 1992 that I bought my first new metal detector. It was a White's Spectrum Eagle and I must have been the only person on the island I was living on at the time, because I found so many coins that I was almost sick of digging holes.

Years later, in a moment of weakness, when I thought I needed a newer model, I sold the Spectrum to my aunt. I have regretted it ever since and she won't sell it back. I guess she knows a good thing when she gets it.

Just for kicks I took grandma's old Sears detector out and did a little coin shooting. The old machine doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles and depth was shallow, but it still pulled some change out of the ground. The dirty, old, beat up and battered detector now hangs in a place of honor among the newer and much more expensive machines. No matter how much technology advances this will always be my favorite machine. It was, and still is, part of my life. Just like my grandma has been.

Good Luck and Good Hunting!

Ancient Ghost Volumes 1-5

                                                www.ancientghost.net

If you are looking for something new to read concerning treasure hunting, my facebook friend Bart Jeppesen has just the thing for you. He has written a five volume series that is loaded with treasure signs and symbols. While our treasure hunting styles may differ, I always enjoy reading about what others find out in the field. Bart has included explanations of symbols and plenty of photos. I've read the first volume and look forward to delving into the next four in the series. Add these books to your library and compare what he has found to your own experiences out in the field!

Good Luck and Good Hunting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFBX0FcnRMM

A new show idea for tv producers

With the interest in President Lincoln as of late I have a show idea for tv producers. The lost week of John Wilkes Booth is a subject that has been overlooked for many years now. There's a story here on my blog dealing briefly with it. Thanks to a new friend from Maryland there is now enough research material and field finds to prove the location of where Booth hid out for five days while federal troops searched for him. We would be willing to discuss sharing our information with the right producer who would bring this part of history to life. You can contact me at okietreasurehunter@msn.com if you have an interest in this sort of production.

Texas Treasure Show

Just a friendly reminder of this weekends show in Longview Texas. I plan on being there Saturday if any of my fellow treasure hunters want to meet up.