RMPTH FEBRUARY 2015 NEWSLETTER

v. 19, n. 2 February 2015 Going for the Gold

Rocky Mountain Prospectors & Treasure Hunters Newsletter

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

Contents

"There is a homely adage which runs, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

- Theodore Roosevelt

1 Clasp Of Astonishment 2 About The News 4 Find Of The Month Program 6 Searching In Muskegon For Civil

War Treasure 9 Irish Canyon Treasure 10 Calendar of Events 11 Calendars 12 China Screw Artifact 13 Rare Mourning Ring 14 Monopoly - I Did Not Know This! 16 Trading Post 17 High-Altitude or Mountain Sick-

ness 18 2015 Schedule of Events 19 Contact List

Clasp Of Astonishment

Amateur treasure hunter finds tiny 14th cen-tury heart-shaped gold brooch worth £25,000

in farmer's field Jewelry unearthed near Sandbach, Cheshire is

the size of £1 coin By NICK ENOCH PUBLISHED: 07:45 EST, 2 May 2012

S haped like a heart - and with two hands clasped together in decorative sleeves at its base - this piece of jewelry may be tiny but it was to prove

an enormous find for one lucky metal detector enthu-siast. Stan Cooper, 60, unearthed the 2.5cm gold brooch beneath the soil in a farmer's field near Sandbach, Cheshire - and was initially unaware of its true prove-nance. But the item - no bigger than a pound coin - has now been dated to between 1350 and 1450 and is thought to have originally been a betrothal gift because the hands appear to be male and female. Furthermore, it is worth an astonishing £25,000. A metal detector enthusiast who found a 2.5cm gold brooch in a farmer's field is celebrating after it was identified as a medieval piece of jewelry worth £25,000. Stan Cooper, 60, discovered the treasure near Sand-bach, Cheshire Experts said it is rare to have a brooch containing the heart and clasped hands to-gether on one piece. Bill Forrest from Adam Partridge auctioneers in Mac-clesfield, Cheshire, which is selling the brooch, said: 'It is an annular-style brooch that combines two sym-bols; a heart and hands clasped.

(Continued on page 3)

The News, February 2015

T 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 coordi-nators, 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 AS-CII text format on IBM-compatible disk. If you have questions about a submission, please contact the edi-tor for information. 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.

About The News 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. Do-nations for ad makeup from sketches, etc., are avail-able on request. About RMPTH RMPTH is an independent nonprofit hobbyist social club, open to anyone interested in prospecting, detect-ing or treasure hunting. Its purpose is to provide an educational and social forum of mutual benefit for members. RMPTH holds a monthly meeting and con-ducts 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.

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.


'In other fields, I found copper coinage and musket balls, then I selected a field that had a stream running through it. 'I was about eight feet from the stream when I got a good signal and I decided to dig it. 'The brooch was only about four or five inches down and it was covered in dirt, but I could see that it was a precious metal.

'There was so much dirt that the pin wouldn’t swing so I put it in a poly-thene bag and took it to a friend’s house where we put it in an ultrasonic cleaner. 'When it came out after about ten minutes I could tell it was quality gold because it gleaned as if it had been polished. 'It had detail on both sides and the workman-ship made me think it was earlier than Victo-rian. 'It really was the find of a lifetime. You have two weeks after making a find before you have to de-clare it so I did a bit of research. 'It is unusual to have the clasped hands and heart together in one piece - the clasped hands are

something you find from Roman times.' Mr Forrest added: 'It is really exciting. 'It was found on June 11 last year by a metal detector-ist in the Sandbach area. 'We can’t give out any more details of the location for obvious reasons. 'It was brought in to us by the finder for an insurance valuation and after some research came up with a valuation. 'It was then sent to the British Museum so it could be examined, authenticated and documented. 'It was disclaimed by the Crown so there was no need for an inquest and it can now be sold.'

'It is rare to find these two symbols together on one brooch and it really is such a fine thing that a jeweler today would struggle to make it. 'The hands are slightly different, meaning they might be a man and a woman’s hand - and they are in sleeves, which are decorated. 'It was probably a be-trothal gift from a gentle-man to his other half and would originally have belonged to someone of very high standing. The brooch has been dated to between 1350 and 1450 and is in the shape of a heart with two clasped hands. The size of a pound coin, it is thought it was origi-nally a betrothal gift be-cause the hands appear to be male and female 'It will be of interest to brooch collectors and those who collect medie-val jewelry.' Mr Cooper made the dis-covery last June and de-scribed it as a 'find of a lifetime'. He was not sure what it was at first because it was covered in dirt, but after it was cleaned, he realized it was gold. Mr Cooper, who is a works manager for a manufac-turing company, has been detecting for over 20 years and will share any proceeds with the farmer Incredi-bly, the jewelry appears to be in perfect condition de-spite having lain underground for hundreds of years. The brooch was reported to the authorities and then sent to the British Museum for experts to examine. And because the Crown disclaimed it, there was no need for a treasure trove inquest and it is free to be sold. Mr Cooper, who is a works manager for a manufac-turing company, has been detecting for over 20 years and will share any proceeds with the farmer. The grandfather, who lives near to the site of his find, said: 'I got permission to dig on the farm in May last year.

(Continued from page 1)

A metal detector enthusiast who found a 2.5cm gold brooch in a farmer's field is celebrating after it was

identified as a medieval piece of jewelry worth £25,000


If cockroaches can survive a nuclear blast, what the

heck is in Raid?

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. 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.

Gold Glossary Mother Lode - Every miner hopes of finding their own "mother lode" or source of the gold that's laden in the rivers. A mother lode is where the gold is trapped inside veins of quartz on mountain sides. The erosion of land causes the gold to break away from this source and even-tually wash down into the river. The larger the pieces of gold being found in the river, the closer one is to the mother lode. Mother lode also refers to the vast area in Central California where gold was found. It was called the mother lode, because the whole area was a source, not just a small target area.

Find of the Month Winners

January, 2015 Most Valuable Coin: Joe Johnston - 1943-D Steel Cent Oldest Coin: Tom Marschall - 1913 Dime Largest Raw Gold: No Entry Most Raw Gold: No Entry Best Bottle: Amy Fillinger - Antique Brown Bottle Best Jewelry: Tom Marschall - Gold Pendant Most Unique Find (Excavated): Tom Warne - “C” Cavalry Eagle Button Most Unique Find (Non-Excavated): Joe Johnston - Bobcat Skull Rock, Gem, Mineral & Fossil: Bud Yoder - Large Beryl Crystal

Still Frozen ….. No Gold!


Property Wanted For Detector Hunt

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.

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! Details and specimen submittal forms with instructions can be downloaded from: SPECIAL OFFER FREE MINERAL SPECIMEN http://college.earthscienceeducation.net/MINPET/MINID.pdf

Refreshment Volunteers February— David Longmore March—Gary Dahlgren April—Betsy Emond & Mike Noll May—Ed & Mai Edwards June—Fred Sugden July—Dick & Sharon French August—Ray & Loralee Hettinger September—Bard Schuldt October—Ray McGehee & Ann Nichols November—George & Peggy Stumpf

After parcel post service was introduced in 1913, at least two children were sent by the service. With

stamps attached to their clothing, the children rode with railway and city carriers to their destination. The

Postmaster General quickly issued a regulation forbidding the sending of children in the mail after

hearing of those examples.


Searching In Muskegon For Civil War Treasure MUSKEGON, Mich. (WZZM)

C ould there be roots to one of the Civil War's most enduring mysteries in Muskegon, Michigan? That's what two local treasure hunters strongly

believe and they have four years of research that they feel proves it. Kevin Dykstra and Frederick J. Monroe were diving in northern Lake Michigan in 2011 and found the re-mains of a shipwreck, they be-lieve, could be "Le Griffon", which sank in 1679. The funny thing is, the pair weren't search-ing for shipwrecks at the time of their 2011 find. They were searching for a much bigger treasure - lost Confeder-ate gold from the Civil War. Both Kevin and Frederick have decided to go public with their research, which reveals West Michigan could be home to this 150-year old mystery. The beginning and the ending of this story starts and ends in Ev-ergreen Cemetery in Muskegon. What unfolds in-between could lead to solving one of our coun-try's greatest mysteries. "It's a great treasure story," said Frederick J. Monroe, an accred-ited scuba diving instructor and treasure hunter from Muskegon. "All the evidence is pointing to-ward right to what I've been told." He first found out about the take from a friend in 1973. "He brought to my attention about his grandfather on a deathbed confession," said Monroe, who added that the individual offering up the death bed confession then said, "There's $2 million of gold bullion sitting in a box car (at the bottom of Lake Michigan) and there's only three people that know of it, and two of them were al-ready dead." Monroe says that story has stuck with him for over 40 years and when he connected with Kevin Dykstra, he shared the story. "I started to search and search," said Dykstra. His searching triggered a massive research project,

which Dykstra believes reveals how the lost Confeder-ate gold treasure found its way to Michigan nearly 150 years ago. Dykstra says his research began when he learned that in 1892, boxcars were beginning to go across Lake Michigan on car ferries. He then discovered that some box cars were pushed off the ferries, during bad storms, to keep the ferries from sinking. At that point, he felt the death bed confession may have some merit, but more research was needed. "If there was $2 million of gold bullion at the bottom of Lake Michigan, it had to be missing from somewhere," said Dykstra. "I needed to figure out where this gold was missing from."

Dykstra started digging into the Confederate gold with Confeder-ate President Jefferson Davis moving towards the south into Georgia after fleeing the Union troops in 1865. "Some marauders got a hold of the gold at some point and stole it," added Dykstra. As he was researching this poignant moment in American history, Dysktra came across a name. "I started focusing on one par-ticular colonel; his name was Colonel Minty, who was actually in charge of the 4th Michigan Cavalry, who caught Jefferson Davis down in Irwinville, Geor-gia," said Dykstra. "If Robert Minty had anything to do with the Confederate gold, he would have had to commit treason to take it," added Dykstra. Dykstra then uncovered that Colonel Minty was wrongfully

court-martialed in 1864, ending his advancement in the military.

"Now, I have motive," said Dykstra. He believes that Colonel Minty and his accomplices buried the Confed-erate gold treasure near Lincoln County, Georgia, which is where legend states it was buried. Dykstra then began to research Robert Minty's career after his military court-martial. He found that the colo-nel retired to Jackson, Michigan where he resumed working for the Detroit Railroad. Dykstra then followed Minty as he accepted several positions with other rail companies, leading him to eventually become superin-tendent of freight for the Atlantic and Gulf Railway, which was down in the southeastern corner of Georgia.

(Continued on page 7)

Robert Horatio George Minty (Photo: Lakeshore Museum Center)


Sutherland, and Thomas-Ann had a son named George Alexander Abbott," said Dykstra. "George's sister, Grace Ann Abbott, was married to Colonel Robert Minty." This means that George Alexander Abbott was Robert Minty's brother-in-law. "George Alexander Abbott died in 1921 and was the person who did the deathbed confession to the friend of Frederick's grandfather," said Dykstra. "The story goes complete full circle." Mr. Abbott spent 40 years in the banking scene in Muskegon, having climbed as high as vice president of Hackley National Bank in the early 1900s. But prior to his banking career, WZZM learned that in 1867, Mr. Abbott was employed in the freight office of the Michi-gan Central Railroad in Jackson, Michigan, where Colonel Minty retired to around the same time. From Jackson, Mr. Abbott went to Saginaw where he was employed with the Jackson & Saginaw Railroad Com-pany until 1871. After that, he was sent to Grand Ha-ven where he worked for the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railway Company until 1873. George Alexander Abbott died in Muskegon, Michigan, and his grave can be found there today. "I just think everybody should know about this," said Monroe. After four years of intense research, both Dykstra and Monroe believe the lost Confederate treasure is buried deep in Lake Michigan off the coast of Frankfort, which is up near Traverse City. "I know the gold is out there waiting to be found, " said Dykstra. The two treasure hunters believe they're close to find-ing the gold because during one of their expeditions searching for it, their sonar picked up a coal car on the bottom of the lake. "We did find a train car, but it was destroyed," said Dykstra. "It was a coal car." Dykstra and Monroe feel the last step is to help the state of Michigan locate their gold. They say they have already presented all their research to Dean Anderson, the state archaeologist. If anybody decides to go searching for the treasure, keep in mind, it belongs to the state of Michigan, should you find it. If the treasure is ever found, there's over 6,000 pounds of it resting inside that boxcar, and it's worth more than $126 million, at today's gold prices.

"The Atlantic and Gulf Railway passes right by where the gold was taken; I feel at this point, I have this man on the run," added Dykstra. So, in 1876, eleven years after the gold was stolen, Dykstra believes while working for the Atlantic and Gulf Railway, Minty dug the gold treasure up and be-gan heading north with it, using the rail system. And then... "I uncovered a horrible train accident in Ashtabula, Ohio," said Dykstra. On December 29, 1876, a railroad bridge in Ashtabula, Ohio collapsed, causing eleven boxcars to fall into a river gorge. 159 passengers aboard the train plunged into the river below. 92 were killed. Dykstra says he found a newspaper article that stated that one of the box cars in the Astabula disaster was carrying $2 million in gold bullion. "People flocked by the thousands to try to find that gold," said Dykstra. "No gold was ever found." Dykstra found that Robert Minty may have been con-nected to this accident. "Sure enough, [Robert Minty] was the superintendent of construction on that railway [at the time of the acci-dent]", said Dykstra. "I believe that Minty needed a di-version, so with his credentials, I believe that he started a rumor of the $2 million at the bottom of the river gorge to keep everybody away from the gold that was en route at the time." And then he discovered Confederate gold had been seen in Michigan. "I came across another newspaper article that talked about a piece of Confederate gold that surfaced at a coin show in Traverse City; three experts looked at the piece of gold and confirmed that it only could have come from the Confederate gold that was taken down in Lincoln County, Georgia," said Dykstra. His research never led him to being able to place Colo-nel Minty, himself, in Traverse City, but Dykstra says he discovered the next best thing. "Robert Minty married Grace Ann Minty," said Dykstra. Her maiden name was "Abbott." The Abbott brothers and sisters were living in Traverse City when the Confederate gold showed up at the coin show. Minty would eventually also marry Grace's sis-ter, Laura Abbott, and had four children with her. These facts led him to one final connection, that he believes, points the finger at Robert Minty as the man who stole the Confederate gold treasure and was able to get it up to Michigan. "[Robert Minty's] mother-in-law's name is Thomas-Ann

(Continued from page 6)


The Kelsey Lake Diamond Mine The Kelsey Lake Diamond Mine, located in northern Larimer County, Colorado, is the only producing diamond mine in North America. During 1996 and 1997 the Kelsey Lake Mine produced hundreds of dia-monds, including three of the largest gem quality diamonds ever recovered in the United States -- 28.3, 28.3 and 16.3 carats.

Before You Buy That Metal Detector Handbook Check:

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

Pinpointing With A Skeleton Coil

Uncut Diamonds


"As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner

soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of

the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be occupied by a

downright fool and complete nar-cissistic moron."

--- H.L. Mencken, The Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920

Irish Canyon Treasure

I n the late 1800’s Irish Canyon was a popular hide-out of outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, Matt Warner, Isom Dart, and many others as they

spent time in the Browns Park vicinity in Moffat County. Supposedly, $30,000 in silver coins remains buried somewhere in the canyon. While you are look-ing for the treasure, you can also enjoy many excellent trails, hiking and mountain opportunities. You can also visit the Irish Canyon Rock Art Site, where you can see the Fremont rock art from an elevated plat-form. Moffat County is in the extreme northwest part of Colorado. Irish Canyon is northwest of Maybell. From Maybell, take US-40 to Colorado 318. Turn northwest onto 318 and continue to Moffat County Road 10N, which runs through the canyon. Thanks to Gold Prospectors of Colorado

The Strong Box

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

- Mark Twain


Calendar of Events

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!).

February Meeting Wednesday, February 4. 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 "Cache Hunting” by RMPTH member Rick Mattingly.

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

RMPTH DUES

RMPTH is an unincorpo-rated Social Club with

no income generated. All expenses are covered by $25 annual dues. Mem-bers are requested to

consider minor donations at each monthly meeting to cover refreshments.


February 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 RMPTH Finds Program & Social 6:00P RMPTH Meeting 7:00P

5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 RMPTH Board Meeting 6:00P

13 14 Valentine’s Day

15 16 President’s’ Day

17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

March 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 RMPTH Finds Program & Social 6:00P RMPTH Meeting 7:00P

5 6 7

8 Daylight Savings Time Change

9 10 11 12 RMPTH Board Meeting 6:00P

13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31


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 par-ticular 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 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, 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.

Blind Cashier at Bass Pro Shop A woman goes into the Bass Pro Shop to buy a rod and reel for her grandson's birthday. She doesn't know which one to get so she just grabs one and goes over to the counter. A Bass Pro Shop associate is standing there wearing dark shades. She says, "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me anything about this rod and reel?" He says, "Ma'am, I'm completely blind; but if you'll drop it on the counter, I can tell you eve-rything from the sound it makes." She doesn't believe him but drops it on the counter anyway. He says, "That's a six-foot Shakespeare graphite rod with a Zebco 404 reel and 10-LB. test line. It's a good all around combination and it's on sale this week for only $20.00." She says, "It's amazing that you can tell all that just by the sound of it dropping on the counter. I'll take it!" As she opens her purse, her credit card drops on the floor. Oh, that sounds like a Master Card," he says. She bends down to pick it up and accidentally toots. At first she is really embarrassed, but then realizes there is no way the blind clerk could tell it was she who tooted. Being blind, he wouldn't know that she was the only person around. The man rings up the sale and says, "That'll be $34.50 please." The woman is totally confused by this and asks, "Didn't you tell me the rod and reel were on sale for $20.00? How did you get $34.50?" He replies, "Yes, Ma'am. The rod and reel is $20.00, but the Duck Call is $11.00 and the Bear Repellent is $3.50."

China Screw Artifact

A screw embedded in rock found in the Gansu Xijiang area of China. Scientific analysis of the screw by the Chinese led to the conclusion that

it should be regarded as the most important, signifi-cant find archaeology has ever produced in China? Why? because the conclusion was that it has not been embedded there by contemporary means. It may be as old as the rock itself which is dated at 6 million years old.


"This ring incorporates features that are 17th century in style. Museum officials have declined to comment on any pos-sible bid for the ring. But visitors hope the treasure can be brought back home. Stoke-on-Trent Museum Archaeological Society member Maureen Thomas, aged 65, of Clive Avenue, Baddeley Green, said: "It would be great if the museum purchased the ring to put on display. "Being a historian, it is really interesting to hear about these finds and this ring sounds quite unusual as most mourning rings were produced in the Victorian period. "Mourning rings can seem quite macabre but in those days they were very normal as it was a way for them to keep their loved ones who had died, close to them. "It would be really nice if we were able to see the ring at the museum because it's nice to keep treasure like this in the area it was found in. "It would be better for it to be displayed rather than kept in storage."

Rare Mourning Ring

Gold treasure found in brambles in Newcastle by metal detector

By The Sentinel | Posted: December 17, 2013 By Michelle Chow

A RARE 17th century gold ring found with a metal detector is set to be snapped by Stoke-on-Trent's biggest museum.

The mourning ring was unearthed underneath some brambles in the Newcastle area in June 2010. It has been declared treasure and is currently being stored at The British Museum, in London. But it is understood that The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, in Hanley, is bidding to bring the antique back to North Staffordshire. Finder Peter Amison, of Hazelhurst Road, Chell, said: "I found the ring in June 2010 while metal detecting. I was clearing some brambles and grass in the area and came across a ring. It was only when I spoke to an antique trader that I realized the significance of the piece." The ring dates from 1660 to 1700. The words – 'death has surprised my chiefest jewel' – are inscribed on the inside of the ring. Its value was not disclosed at a Treas-ure Trove inquest at North Staffordshire Coroners' Court. British Museum official Judy Rudoe said: "The piece is a gold mourning ring with words engraved on the inside. The ring would have been used to contain a piece of hair. "For an item to be declared treasure it has to be at least 300 years old.


Monopoly - I Did Not Know This! (You'll never look at the game the same way again)

S tarting in 1941, an increasing number of Brit-ish Airmen found themselves as the involun-tary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown

was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape... Paper maps had some real drawbacks -- they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into mush. Someone in MI-5 (similar to Amer-ica's OSS ) got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads, and unfolded as many times as needed, and makes no noise whatso-ever. At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of print-ing on silk, and that was John Waddington, Ltd. When approached by the government, the firm was only too happy to do its bit for the war effort. By pure coincidence, Waddington was also the U.K. Licensee for the popular American board game, Mo-nopoly. As it happened, 'games and pastimes' was a category of item qualified for insertion into 'CARE packages', dispatched by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war. Under the strictest of secrecy, in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on the grounds of Waddington's, a group of sworn-to-secrecy employees began mass-producing escape maps, keyed to each region of Germany or Italy where Allied POW camps were regional system). When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny dots that they would

actually fit inside a Monopoly playing piece. As long as they were at it, the clever workmen at Wad-dington's also managed to add: 1. A playing token, containing a small magnetic com-pass 2. A two-part metal file that could easily be screwed together 3. Useful amounts of genuine high-denomination Ger-man, Italian, and French currency, hidden within the piles of Monopoly money! British and American air crews were advised, before taking off on their first mission, how to identify a

'rigged' Monopoly set -- by means of a tiny red dot, one cleverly rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch, located in the corner of the Free Parking square. Of the estimated 35,000 Allied POWS who suc-cessfully escaped, an estimated one-third were aided in their flight by the rigged Mo-nopoly sets. Everyone who did so was sworn to secrecy indefi-

nitely, since the British Government might want to use this highly successful ruse in still another, future war. The story wasn't declassified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington's, as well as the firm itself, were finally honored in a public ceremony. It's always nice when you can play that 'Get Out of Jail' Free' card! I realize many of you are too young to have any per-sonal connection to WWII (Dec. '41 to Aug. '45), but this is still interesting.


Gold Glossary Long Tom - Similar to a sluice box, but longer and skinnier.

Symbol: AU Atomic Number: 79

Atomic Weight: 196.967 Melting Point: 1063° (1945° F)

Specific Gravity: 19.2 MOH’s 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

Gold Facts

YOUR ADVERTISEMENT COULD BE HERE! Call Rick Mattingly at 970-613-8968 or [email protected]

Babbitts Soap Trade Card Uncle Sam, Gold Miners

Uncle Sam is proving that Babbitt's Soap is more valuable than gold, as he is weighing it against sacks of gold. Nice

image of scale, miners, and Uncle Sam.


All mistakes and misspellings were

intentionally made so that you could have the

pleasure of finding them.

Trading Post

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: [email protected]

Commercial Advertising Specifications

(Monthly Donation Rate) Full Page (8 1/2" X 7") $30 Half Page (3 1/4" X 7") $20 One Third Page (3" X 4") $15 Business Card (2 3/4" X 1 1/2") $ 5

Ads must be received by the 15th of the preceding month. Contact Rick Mattingly for in-

formation on this service at (970) 613-6968 evenings or e-mail at:

[email protected].

Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum Golden, Colorado

Contact us: 303-273-3815 or

[email protected]

Identification of specimens is performed between 10 a.m. and noon, Tuesdays and

Thursdays.

WANTED: By NRA Card Holding Law Abiding Private Citizen. Colt S&W Ruger Taurus .357 Wheel Gun/Revolver for Home/Personal Defense. If you have a Collector’s Item, Please keep it. I’m looking for a gun to shoot/Not display. LMK what ya got. Thanks. 970.222.2323 FOR SALE: Jewelers propane/oxygen torch, many cabo-chons, beads and tools. Contact Ann at (970) 6667-3705. 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, in-struction booklet & video, carry case. Ready to go for the gold. New Price: $1500. Contact Paul at (970) 482-7846. FOR SALE: 5HP pump motor, Gold King 3" Hi-banker with dredge attachment w/adjustable stand, Gold Grabber Hi-banker, 125 feet hose, Rock net and steel cable, misc. fit-tings and valves & large metal bucket. Prefer to sell all to-gether for $1,350 but negotiable. Call Eric Stickland at (303) 833-6848 or [email protected]. WANTED: Used lapidary equipment. Call Kathie 970-221-1623 WANTED: Federal or state duck stamps; mint or used. Con-tact John Hart at (307) 778-3993.

NOTE: Purchase arrangements are between the buyer and

seller only and involves no financial benefit to RMPTH.


High-Altitude or Mountain Sickness

W hat is high-altitude or mountain sickness? When a person goes to high altitude (such as in the mountains), medical problems can occur. This

is called mountain sickness or high-altitude sickness. What causes high-altitude or mountain sickness? It's caused by a lack of oxygen at high altitude. As altitude increases, the air becomes "thinner," which means less oxy-gen is in the atmosphere. This means less oxygen enters your lungs with each breath, so the amount of oxygen in your blood declines (referred to as hypoxia) . All people can experience mountain sickness, but it may be more severe in people who have heart or lung problems. What are the symptoms? The symptoms of acute mountain sickness usually begin within 48 hours of arriving at high altitude. The higher the altitude, the greater the effects. The effects can be noticed when a person goes to a moderate altitude of 7,000 to 8,000 feet. If you have preexisting heart disease (such as heart failure) or lung disease (such as emphysema), you may ex-perience symptoms at even lower altitudes. A person can experience: Headaches, breathlessness, fatigue Nausea or vomiting Inability to sleep Swelling of the face, hands and feet Both heart rate and breathing rate increase as the body at-tempts to deliver more oxygen to its tissues. At very high altitudes, body fluid can leak into the brain (called brain or cerebral edema) or into the lungs (pulmonary edema). Both these conditions can be serious or even life-threatening. AHA Recommendation The best way to avoid or lessen the effects of mountain sick-ness is to increase altitude slowly. Climbers and hikers can take two days to reach 8,000 feet, and then another day for each 1,000 to 2,000 higher feet. This may not be an option for people who fly to a destination at high altitude - such as for skiing in the Colorado Rockies, Sierra Nevada Moun-tains or European Alps. Most people can adjust or "acclimatize" to the high altitude within a few days. Avoid strenuous activity for the first day or two. Drink extra fluid. Be careful of drinking alcohol, because its effect is magni-fied at high altitude. Your doctor may prescribe medication to help prevent or treat altitude sickness. If you have a heart or lung condition, consult your physician before going to high altitude. He or she can tell you whether your condition will let your body adjust to the lower oxygen in the atmosphere. American Heart Association

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


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

‘Let’s 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

Clear Creek Gold Outing Eldora Ski Resort Detector Outing - Robert Crain

August Surface Finds by Tom Warne

Vic’s Gold Panning—Blackhawk

September Map & Internet Research

By Bud Yoder & 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!

Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club 2015 Schedule of Events


Let’s Go For The Gold !

Rocky Mountain Prospectors & Treasure Hunters

Contact List RMPTH Coordinators Home E-Mail

President Bud Yoder ———————– [email protected]

Interim Vice President Shane Manenti 1-970-590-9183 [email protected]

Treasurer Dick & Sharon French 1-970-482-2110 [email protected]

Secretary Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 [email protected] The News Staff

Editor-in-Chief Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 [email protected]

Internet Web Site

Web Master Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 [email protected]

Volunteers/Coordinators

Finds Program Dave Landes Betsy Emond Joe Johnston

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

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Presentations Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968 [email protected]

Club Historian Volunteer Needed ———————– ———————–

Club Meeting Greeter Barbara Schuldt 1-970-407-1336 ———————–

Club Librarian Joe Johnston 1-303-696-6950 [email protected]

Club Photo Librarian Volunteer Needed ———————– ———————–

Meeting Setup Jim Friedricks 1-970-590-9183 ———————–

Door Prize Shane Manenti 1-970-590-9183 [email protected]

50/50 Drawing Woody Hogdon 1-970-667-5010 [email protected]

Coin Raffle Woody Hogdon 1-970-667-5010 [email protected]

General Information Contact: Rick Mattingly at 1-970-613-8968

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

Zinc Penny Project Tom Marschall 1-970-396-0133 [email protected]

FEBRUARY, 2015 ISSUE

The News Rocky Mountain Prospectors & Treasure Hunters Club

278 Sierra Vista Drive

Fort Collins, CO. 80524

RMPTH FEBRUARY 2015 NEWSLETTER

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Transcript of RMPTH FEBRUARY 2015 NEWSLETTER