Rocky Mountain Prospectors & Treasure Hunters Newsletter

The News
v. 16, n. 10 October, 2012 Going for the Gold Visit RMPTH On The Internet At http://rmpth.com

Contents
1 2 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Precious Metal Ingots About The News What The Old Time Prospectors Left Behind Clear Creek Gold Outing Building Your Own Electrolysis Machine Black Hills Treasure Tale Rare Diamond Ring Found Calendar of Events Calendars Recluse Treasure Gold Recovery Hibanker Rules Of A Gunfight Spanish American Doubloons Found Trading Post Atocha Ring Found 2012 Schedule of Events Contact List

Precious Metal Ingots

By Fred Holabird, Robert Evans, and David Fitch, American Numismatic Associations Numismatist magazine, July 2003 Ingot Analysis

recious metal ingots are made for several reasons as previously mentioned. Those made for the mining industry are called dore, a French term meaning gold and silver combined. These are made from the processing of ores from certain ore deposits. They contain the gold and silver in the ingot in the same approximate proportions as the original ore. Most skilled assayers and metallurgists remove the impurities (such as copper and iron) during the melting process, using various chemicals (flux), particularly borax. If the amounts of other metals are significant and potentially economic, certain milling procedures might be instituted to recover a maximum amount of metal. The oxide portions of gold and silver deposits are often relatively free of large amounts of other metals. Ingots produced from placer gold are also a form of dore. They contain gold and silver as originally found in the lode deposit of their origin, as well as trace metals specific to each ore deposit. No lode or placer gold deposit has ever been found to contain 999 fine gold. Some of the highest purity gold was found on the SS Central America, with a single ingot which Henry Hensch assayed at 973 fine. This high a purity of gold in placer or lode gold deposits is extremely rare in nature. Refining gold is a detailed, careful process that separates the gold, silver, and trace metals. It was not done commercially on the West Coast until the establishment of private refineries generally after 1860, and that refined metal was sold directly to the U. S. Mint. Internal refined gold and silver by the Mint was retained or shipped to New York or Philadelphia Mint facilities as can be best
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If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed. -- Mark Twain

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. 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. Persons wishing to receive the newsletter in hardcopy, mailed format are required to provide the amount of $24 per year required to print and mail. Otherwise, no annual dues are charged as the social club functions strictly by donation.

he News is the official newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club (RMPTH): our mailing address is P.O. Box 271863, Fort Collins, CO. 80527-1863. 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. 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.

Australian Gold Fields of Yore On some Victorian gold fields where the ground was literally a bed of large nuggets, the first diggers simply dug up a shovel full of ground and bounced it up and down. If they did not hear the clang of gold they tossed the dirt aside. Sometimes the weight of the shovel full indicated the presence of a nugget. This method, adopted at Kingower on what were called 'potato diggings' obviously missed small pieces of gold.
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ascertained from the Reports of the Director of the Mint. Historical Assaying of Gold and Silver Historical, centuries-old methods of assaying gold and silver are basically no different than similar methodologies used today. The fire assay was the universally accepted method of analysis. There is little difference in modern methodology, but the equipment used to get the end result is much improved. Perhaps the most advanced components are the furnaces. Furnaces of the 1850's were coal fired, while those of today are either gas fired or electric furnaces. Equipment varied in melting rooms depending upon the specific needs and requirements of each company. Accuracy has improved greatly over the years. Sloppy assayers using the measurement of carat as purity were sometimes accurate only to 1 or 2 decimal places. Some assayers used the touchstone as a measurement of purity, an archaic method matching specific colors on a streak plate known as a touchstone. This may be the source of some of the odd measurements of carats using fractions, such as California gold rush assayer Fred Kohler stating a purity of 20 15/16 carats on an ingot.

Comparisons with Modern Assays Modern fire assays are routinely performed on gold and silver samples. Industries needing gold and silver analyses use a variety of analytical methods to determine gold and silver. Each of these methods is used within the understanding of its limitations. For example, the term fire assay can cover various methods, some of which may be less accurate than others. The size of the analytical sample (assay charge) is important because gold is usually erratically distributed in rock samples. Analytical samples generally range from one quarter to five assay-tons in size. The quarter assayton sample is the smallest, requiring the least amount of original sample. It is also, therefore, generally the least accurate. The five assay-ton sample is the largest, consuming the most sample. It is the most accurate and usually the most expensive. The larger sample size usually produces better reproducibility, rendering more accurate results. Another analytical method commonly used at mine sites is atomic absorption spectrometry (AA or AAS). This instrument is used to quantify the amount of gold and silver present in solutions that have leached the metals from ore samples. Aqua regia (a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids) or a solution of sodium cyanide are commonly used to dissolve the precious metals out of the ore sample. This is a very fast analytical technique used when very high volumes of samples are required over a short period of time such that an important decision can be made immediately, such as choosing between ore and waste. The homogeneity of the metal content in the ores is one important factor that dictates the analytical method, and most mines experiment constantly in various ore bodies trying to find methods that work most efficiently and economically.

Measurements using a touchstone are based on the users ability to interpret and compare colors on a streak plate. The method was commonly used by goldsmiths before and at the onset of the California gold rush. These measurements are not a quantitative analysis remotely The Eureka Bar comparable to the fire assay and have inThis is the largest surviving assay herent inaccuracy unacceptable to the bul- ingot from the California gold rush lion industry. Regardless, measurements period. It weighs 30 kilograms (80 in carats and fractions thereof led to great troy pounds). Its worth in 1857 is inaccuracies that would result in large stamped on the bar--$17,433.57. scale errors if used on bullion shipments. It sank, along with three tons of gold, in the hold of the S.S. CenFor example, gold settlements today are tral America. Recovered 1994. Trace element analyses are used for just done by a proofing process involving multhat... traces or very low concentrations of tiple fire assays accurate to four signifiprecious metals or other trace elements present in the cant figures, measured in thousandths, known as a fire samples. These methods include Atomic Absorption assay bullion analysis. As an example, a touchstone (AA), ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasmaatomic emis"measurement" might show a "purity" only accurate to sion spectrometry), ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasmaplus or minus 7.5%, a completely unacceptable number mass spectrometry), LA-ICPMS (laser ablationinductively for settlement. For example, if your shipment was coupled plasma mass spectrometry), and XRF (X-ray 10,000 ounces of gold, this represents a discrepancy of fluorescence spectrometry). These methods are not 750 ounces. Today that equates to $281,250 at $375 per suited to the accurate measurement of elements present Troy ounce gold. Using this illustration, it is easy to unin very high concentrations such as gold or silver in prederstand why the assay method critically matters.
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cious metal bullion analysis. Certain aspects of the mining and mineral exploration business use all of these analytical methods to their full advantage. The most accurate method of analysis for precious metals bullion is the Fire Assay Bullion Analysis. It involves four separate analyses in a "proofing" process. Small amounts of metal are removed from the bullion and analyzed. Three samples of the bullion are taken: 1) by the refiner, 2) by the mining company, and 3) an archive sample just in case an umpire is necessary (all taken at one time). The results are closely compared, and if the two show some variability, an umpire is called in to assay the third sample. This is the only acceptable methodology used today for bullion settlement by mining companies. All other methods render too great a margin of error. Over many years of production from three different mines, we had a variance of more than 1% only once or twice. This may vary from mine to mine and bullion to bullion, depending upon the nature of the ore deposit.

The gravel and bench deposits along Clear Creek, just north of Denver contains placer gold. All bars, and benches along Clear Creek, which is a tributary of the South Platte River, had extensive placer operations which produced 16,800 ounces of gold between 1922 and 1959.

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.

What The Old Time Miners Left Behind

TREASURE HUNTERS CODE OF ETHICS

hen you are out prospecting you come across various things that nature has done and then things that the gold prospectors before us did. Sometimes both are hard to see or understand fully, it is literally decoding the past. In the days of the early gold rushes often prospectors in the desert had little resources at hand to construct or mark things compared to those miners in the high country when gold can be found in the pines. In the desert you have to keep your eyes open and think like an old timer (if that is possible). The old miners were out in the desert far from anywhere with very limited resources. All roads you find were made for one of a few possible purposes: 1) Economic Gain = mining, cattle or something profitable 2) Dwelling = safety and shelter 3) To connect one resource with another, mine to mill road, town to town road etc. 4) To gain access to another resource I'm sure we could list a few more reasons but the ones above will do for now. So lets say you are an old gold prospector out in the field far from anywhere with just your small supply of food and water, possible rifle, gold pan and pick, knife, rope, canvas tent, tobacco and other
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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.

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The News, October 2012

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limited supplies you could carry via horses or mules. As you are spending your time looking for placer and lode gold you are also having to spend time finding water and food etc. as you do this you will loose a boot tack here a button there, toss out an old can or two. You are leaving workings and clues that say that you were there. You are also moving rocks, stacking rocks, making mine and prospect tailings, etc. At some point you have to leave what you have found to cash in the gold you have recovered or else it has no value. This means you also have to again return should you want more gold. This could take weeks or months so you would have to with limited resources mark your finds or your way back. In the desert you have little wood compared to the forest areas so you might use stacks of rocks to mark your claim or find or provide a route marker. That is not to say there are not plenty of trees in the desert, there are but you generally won't find them suitable for mine shaft headers etc. unless they are large ones near a spring and while those types of areas do exist the wood there is generally limited in quantity. However thick branches from Palo Verde or Mesquite Trees could be used as claim markers. You might carve into to or otherwise change the appearance of large saguaro cactus. Many miners and prospectors used rope to make markings in cactus and these can be hard to tell apart from natural growth and for the most part are now erased by time. You also might consider putting long pieces of rock into cactus, thick branches from Palo Verde or Mesquite Trees or carving into the large saguaro cactus to mark your gold prospect or that way to it. The list can go on and on for how to and how were trails and finds marked in the desert, we can't cover them all. In the forests you had much more to work with larger trees, but this too had its own set of challenges. The point is keep your eyes open, every piece of old trash you dig in gold country got there by some means, it means something, activity. Every dig and hand stack of rock was done purposefully. There was a reason. Anything out of the ordinary if done by man was done for a reason. Look, think, observe while you are gold prospecting in the desert and in the forest. Its sometime these little clues that lead to big finds. Arizona Gold Prospectors http://www.arizonagoldprospectors.com/

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

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.

Refreshment Volunteers
OctoberJohnny & Jeanne Berndsen November Barb Schuldt
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n Saturday, October 20, 2012 RMPTH members Darrell Koleber and Bob Smith will lead another gold outing to Clear Creek in North Denver (see info and map below). This site is a great place to learn gold panning and sluicing, while producing gold! There is plenty of fine gold here. Many of the experienced gold hounds also work this site because, even though the majority of the gold is fine, it adds up quickly. Darrell and Bob plan to be onsite by 9:00am on the 20th. If you have not been to the site before plan to bring your panning or sluicing equipment (no motorized equipment allowed here) a good shovel and several 5-gallon buckets (one to sit on!). The stream flow will be very low so you may opt to wade or wear hip boots. Also, bring a lunch and drinks. Dress appropriately for the weather conditions. See you over the Gold Pans!

CLEAR CREEK GOLD OUTING

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The News, October 2012

Building Your Own Electrolysis Machine

By Jim McCulloch

there is a good electrical contact between the bare wire and the alligator clip. Now, repeat that procedure to the other strand of wire. You will now have two single-wire sections, each with its own alligator clip. Now, make up an ample supply of electrolyte solution, at the ratio of 1/2 teaspoon of common table salt for every 8 ounces of water. Pour some of this electrolyte solution into the cup, nearly filling it. Place both alligator clips into the solution, being careful not to let them touch one another. Remember, once we plug the adaptor into the wall socket, electrical current will be flowing to the alligator clips, and if they touch one another, the adaptor will short out, and be ruined. After you've made sure that the alligator clips are not in contact with each other, plug the adaptor into the wall socket, and watch to see which of the two alligator clips begins to produce bubbles. The one that begins to bubble is the cathode, or negative pole of the AC adaptor. The side that does not bubble is the anode, or positive electrode. Unplug the adaptor, remove the alligator clips from the solution, and in some way mark the polarity of the wires. Bend the stainless steel spoon into a sharp "U" shape so that, when hung over the lip of the cup, the "bowl" of the spoon can reach about half way deep into the cup. Hook the cathode ("bubble side") alligator clip to the portion of the spoon which is outside the cup. Hook the anode to the object to be cleaned, and suspend it into the solution, over the edge of the cup opposite the spoon, and use one of your spare alligator clips (or a clothes pin, etc.) to secure that artifact-holding wire in place. You want to be sure that the object to be cleaned is fully immersed in the solution, and suspended more or less at the same level in the cup as the bowl of the spoon. Once that is done, you are now ready to begin the electrolysis cleaning of your artifact. Making sure that the two electrodes are not touching, plug the adaptor into the wall socket. Within moments, the object to be cleaned should start producing bubbles. If not, unplug the adaptor, and reposition the alligator clip on the artifact, preferably at a point where metal is showing. Then plug the adaptor back into the wall socket. Once the coin or artifact is merrily bubbling away, then everything has been done right. So what is taking place? During electrolysis, ions (atoms which either have an excess or deficiency of electrons, and thus are electrically charged) are liberated from the poles, and these migrate through the electrolyte solution to the oppositely charged pole. The cathode, to which the artifact is attached, is the point of entry of anions (negatively charged atoms with a surplus of electrons) into the electrolyte solution. The liberation of anions, from the chemical compounds which constitute the corrosion on our artifact, triggers chemical changes within those compounds, causing them to disintegrate
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s all detectorists are aware, long-term burial in corrosive soil, or immersion in salt water, doesn't do the appearance of most metallic objects any favors. Regrettably, tarnish, rust, and corrosion are the natural consequences of chemical interaction with most metals. Many methods have been devised to remove the various forms of oxides, sulfides, carbonates, chlorides and assorted types of verdigris from metallic objects. The method employed most often by professional conservators of recovered metallic objects is electrolysis, a process wherein the object to be cleaned is submerged in a special, electrically-charged chemical solution which causes to corrosion to disintegrate. The purpose of this article is to inform Treasure Quest readers how they can build an inexpensive electrolysis machine which will do a splendid job of cleaning coins or other small metal artifacts. The first thing you will need to obtain, if you don't already have one, is a 9 to 12 volt AC adaptor, often called an AC/DC convertor, or battery eliminator. This is the same electrical device which plugs into an electrical wall outlet and lets you operate portable radios, cassette players, and so forth, without the use of batteries. When choosing the AC adaptor for your mini electrolysis machine, take note of its rated output. This will be printed somewhere on the adaptor, and will usually be listed in milliamps (1/1000th of an ampere) which is designated by the symbol "mA," as in "350 mA." The higher the output, the faster the cleaning effect; I recommend the selection of an adaptor of at least 300 milliamp output. You will also need several small electrical "alligator clips," a stainless steel spoon, a non-metallic cup or small bowl, water, and some common table salt. To convert your AC adaptor into an electrolysis machine, first cut off the little plug device from the end of the wire. (The "plug" referred to here is the one that connects to the radio, cassette, etc., NOT the one that connects to the wall socket) Once you've removed that little plug, you will note that the wire to that little plug is a double-strand wire; beginning at the cut off tip, very carefully separate (pull apart) those two individual strands of insulated wire for a distance of about 6 inches, leaving the insulation intact on each of the wires. Next, strip away about a quarter to a half inch of insulation from the tip of one of those loose wires, and where the insulation has been removed firmly affix (crimp into place) an alligator clip. Be sure that
The News, October 2012

Black Hills Treasure Tale

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into less complex chemical substances. Proof of these chemical changes are seen not only in the artifact becoming progressively more clean, but also in the discoloration of the electrolyte solution as dirt and various chemicals are released into it. How long does it take for an object to become clean? That depends on how badly it is corroded. After a few minutes, unplug the adaptor, remove the coin or artifact from the solution, and gently rub it with your fingers or a soft toothbrush to remove loosened corrosion, then rinse it thoroughly in clean water. If it is acceptably clean, then there is no further need for electrolysis. If it still needs further cleaning, return it to the solution, and resume electrolysis. This process may have to be repeated several times for badly corroded or heavily concreted objects. During this process, should the electrolyte solution become notably discolored, replace it with fresh solution. Several things should be kept in mind regarding electrolysis. First, it should be remembered that corrosion progressively affects the metal of the object, and in advanced stages of corrosion little or none of the original metal may be left; in other words, all that may be left is a lump of corrosion more or less resembling the original object. This is especially true if the object was made of thin metal to begin with, or if the metal was one that corrodes especially easily, such as tin, aluminum, etc. Sometimes, severely corroded objects will crumble away to nothing when submitted to electrolysis. Thus, you will have to make the decision whether submitting a particular object to electrolysis will likely be worthwhile. Also, don't be in too big a hurry to clean every object you recover. Keep in mind that cleaning off the layer of corrosion will merely reveal "what's left" of the object, and in some cases, that is not very impressive. If the object has reasonably good patina and is aesthetically pleasing, leave it "as is." A word of caution: from time to time, feel the AC adaptor to determine if it is getting too hot. If so, disconnect it, to let it cool off. Such overheating will occur as the artifact becomes progressively cleaner. This, in turn, allows for a greater flow of electrical current to pass through the adaptor, increasing its temperature. Thus, never leave your electrolysis machine on and unattended for any length of time. Careful use of your mini electrolysis machine will help transform many of those ugly blobs of corrosion into beautiful coins and relics. Thanks to Treasure Quest Magazine

n the fall of 1878, the Monitor was held up at a stage stop called Canyon Springs about 37 miles south of Deadwood. According to accounts at the time, five gunmen took over the stage stop and waited for the coach to arrive. Once the stage arrived a gunfight erupted and one of the guards was seriously wounded by a high caliber rifle bullet. Another guard inside the coach was wounded and a third killed when he tried to run off. The gang took the stage into the woods where they worked for two hours to open the strongbox and eventually made off with $3,500 in currency, $500 in diamonds, hundreds of dollars worth of jewelry and 700 pounds of gold dust, nuggets and bullion. The gold ingots were loaded onto a two-wheeled wagon and the tracks set off to the East through the Black Hills following various canyons and stream beds. As the news of the holdup (and a reward from Homestake Mine) spread throughout Dakota and Wyoming several posses formed up and rode in every direction based on rumors of where the outlaws had been seen. As a result, within six weeks, the stageline let it be known that 60 percent of the loot had been recovered. But the wagon and two big ingots were still missing. If you want to look for the gold here are some clues: US Highway 85 leaves Deadwood, SD, heading southwest winding its way through Cheyenne Crossing and then into Wyoming. Highway 85 then turns south and heads straight to Cheyenne following, for the most part, the old stage road, passing close to Jenny Stockade near Newcastle and continuing south to Lusk, the home of the famed Stagecoach Museum. The treasure is said to be buried somewhere near the old Canyon Springs Stage Station. Canyon Springs was a relay station located in Beaver Canyon about 37 miles south of Deadwood. Of course the gold could be anywhere between there and, say, Buffalo Gap.

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The News, October 2012

Rare Diamond Ring Found

14 April 2011

rare 15th Century diamond ring found in Leicestershire has sold at auction for 42,000 ($72,000 US) - double its estimate.

The ring, which had a guide price of 15,000 to 20,000, was purchased by a private European buyer at Bonhams in London on Wednesday. Metal detectorist John Stevens discovered the gold ring in a field close to Fleckney in July 2008. Emily Barber from Bonhams said: "It's a wonderful find, an unexpected one, and a great result." Diamonds were not commonly used during the 15th Century as craftsmen did not have the tools to cut them. The crystal in the ring remains the same pointed shape as it would have been found in nature. "It's very rare to have jewels from this period come up for auction, so when they do, they're competed over by collectors," Ms Barber said. Mr Stevens said he would give half the profits to the owner of the land where the ring was found. He is also planning a celebratory holiday and hopes to buy new metal detectors for two of his friends who were with him at the time of the discovery, The ring's original owner is unknown, but Gothic script inscribed around the outside of the loop reads: "amour mi tien" [love keep me] in Old French. British Broadcasting Corporation News Leichester

I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

The outside of the ring is inscribed with the words "amour mi tien" (love keep me).
The News, October 2012 Page 9

Calendar of Events
October Meeting Wednesday, October 3. We will meet at the Pulliam Building in downtown Loveland at 7:00PM. Refer to the adjoining map for directions. Meeting Agenda 6:00 - 7:00 Planning & Social Hour 7:00 - 7:30 Business, Announcements & Find of the Month Program 7:30 - 7:45 Break 7:45 - 9:00 "Detecting Railhead Camps presentation by RMPTH member Rick Mattingly

RMPTH DUES
RMPTH is an unincorporated Social Club with no income generated. All expenses are covered by donation. Members are requested to consider donating a minimum of $1.00 at each monthly meeting to cover club expenses.

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!).
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October 2012
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 7 14 21 28 8
Columbus Day

2 9 16 23 30

3
RMPTH Planning Session 6:00P RMPTH Meeting 7:00P

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13
Off Road Detector Hunt

10 17 24 31
Halloween

15 22 29

20
Meat Market Gold Outing

27

November 2012
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 4 11 18 25
The News, October 2012

2 9 16 23 30

3 10
Local Detector Outing

5 12
Veterans Day

6
Election Day

7
RMPTH Planning Session 6:00P RMPTH Meeting 7:00P

8 15 22
Thanksgiving

13 20 27

14 21 28

17 24

19 26

29

Page 11

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.

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Recluse Treasure
September 20, 2012 at 6:26 AM by AHN Raquel Erhard Fourth Estate Cooperative Contributor Carson City, NV, United States recluse who died alone in June left $7 million dollars worth of gold treasures hidden in his Carson City home, the authorities are already tracking down a relative living in California who is said to inherit the wealth. The 69-year-old Walter Samaszko Jr. has only $200 left in his bank account when he died. Carson City Clerk-Recorder Alan Glover told the Los Angeles Times that one never expect such amount of fortune inside the house. He added it was a run-of-the -mill 1,200-square-foot tract home still with orange shag carpet. Described as a loner by officials, Samazko has been dead at least a month when a neighbor informed authorities. The recluse has been living in the house since the 60s, his mother used to live with him until she died in 1992. CBS Sacramento reported that Sondra Baxter, a neighbor of Samazko for more than 50 years, helped make one of the biggest gold discoveries in Carson City. Baxter, together with the real estate agent, who happened to be her friend, discovered the treasure hidden throughout the entire home while sorting the mans belongings. Authorities said that the gold coins, minted as early as the 1840s in countries including Mexico, England, Austria and South Africa; were located in a crawl space from the garage. Glover informed the Times that the man was apparently buying gold from a coin dealer. The gold coins were found in sealed boxes marked books while some are wrapped in tinfoil stored in ammunition boxes. There was also a family silver set with rolls of U.S. $20s and Mexican five peso coins.
The News, October 2012

A metal detector was finally used by officials to search the backyard to make sure all coins have been uncovered. Samaszko also had stock accounts of more than $165,000 and another $12,000 in cash in his residence. Glover is now working to find the mans closest living relative, said to be a first cousin working as a substitute teacher living in San Rafael, California.

Gold Recovery Hibanker

by Bob Butler

he processing, production and recovery capabilities of this multi-stage system, (3 and 4 stage recovery system), are far greater than most other hibankers using only the single riffle design. This design will process up to one cubic yard of unclassified gravel per hour with adequate water volume of 140+ GPM. A very important part of this recovery system is its ability to separate and flush out the major portion of the unwanted light weight sand and gravel while trapping the Gold and black sand values. This ability will save a lot of time, effort and expense when the concentrates are reduced down to the Gold and other values. Each stage in this system is separate, containing its own hi-ribbed carpet and raised expanded metal. On clean up, this allows each section to be cleaned and tested until it is determined which section contains the highest percentage of gold. After many months of daily use, it is observed that the first stage in the hopper box retains the greater amount of gold and the other sections in line decreasing until the final section
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Rules Of A Gunfight
Some words to the wise. Shooting advice from various Concealed Carry Instructors.

(Continued from page 13)

f you own a gun, you will appreciate this. If not, you should get one and learn how to use it.

contains almost nothing. Since the first stage contains the most gold and also the least amount of sand, it should be "harvested" regularly and the next stages can be run much longer with the final stage cleaned at the end of the day. Also checking this stage will tell if the gravel that is being processed has any gold or other value. For more information about this and other Gold Recovery Equipment, contact Bob Butler at cadillacbob1936@netscape.com or 719-395-2003 (Buena Vista). Thanks to Gold Prospectors of the Rockies, The Gold Nugget newsletter, January 2012

Guns have only two enemies rust and politicians. Its always better to be judged by 12 than carried by. Our Police Officers carry guns to protect themselves, not you. Never, ever, let someone or something that threatens you get inside arms length. Never say "I've got a gun." If you need to use deadly force, the first sound they hear should be the safety clicking off. The average response time of a 911 call is 23 minutes, the response time of a .357 is 1400 feet per second. The most important rule in a gunfight is: Always win - cheat if necessary. Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets . . . You may get killed with your own gun, but he'll have to beat you to death with it, cause it'll be empty. If you're in a gun fight: 1. If you're not shooting, you should be loading. 2. If you're not loading, you should be moving, 3. If you're not moving or shooting, you're dead. In a life and death situation, do something . . . It may be wrong, but do something! If you carry a gun, people call you paranoid. Nonsense! If you have a gun, what do you have to be paranoid about? You can say 'stop' or 'alto' or any other word, but a large bore muzzle pointed at someone's head is pretty much a universal language. You cannot save the planet, but you may be able to save yourself and your Family.

HIBANKERS

Page 14

The News, October 2012

Spanish American Doubloons Found

Doubloons 1790-1802, found April 2010 in Lincolnshire, worth 6,800 July, 2012

Gold Glossary
Highbanker - A highbanker is a sluice box with mobility. Instead of being put right in the creek like a sluice, the highbanker uses a water pump to transport the water into higher and sometimes richer placer reserves. In addition to the ability to go just about anywhere, the highbanker also is able to run more material in less time than the sluice. These characteristics make the highbanker a common modern day mining tool.

t was a day I will never forget, said Sue Green, the manager of a care home in Lincoln who had only been metal detecting for a few months before her new-found hobby led her to a treasure trove. Id found the odd button and bit of lead, but nothing like this. Mrs Green, 63, was with her brother David Wilkinson, in a field near Lincoln, and were about to head home when she heard a loud beep from her metal detector. I looked down and saw a shiny yellow thing, which I assumed was just the inside of a jam jar lid. When I picked it up, and saw that it looked like a gold coin, I was practically shivering with excitement. "We kept looking and found four coins that day and two weeks later, we returned and found two more. I couldnt believe it. I conjured up ideas of a highwayman or perhaps even pirate gold. Research by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) uncovered that Mrs Green and her brothers find are Spanish American eight escudos coins, also known as doubloons. They date from between 1790 and 1802, when much of South America was under Spanish control. Weighing 0.88oz, they bear the bust of Charles IV of Spain.

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

Each bears a mint mark showing their origins from Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Nicaragua and two from Chile. They are believed to be part of an earlier hoard of 19 coins uncovered in 1928 in the same area by a farmer and are Britains only find of doubloons. Adam Daubney, the PAS finds liaison officer for Lincolnshire, said: This is the only hoard of gold doubloons unearthed in Britain. They were the highest gold denomination in the western world at the time and werent the sort of thing used for everyday transactions. They are from the same era of Pieces of Eight so make you think about pirates and treasure. These were probably buried in the years immediately following the 1802 date of the latest coin, so during the Napoleonic Wars when there was great civil unrest across Europe and the price of gold went through the roof making it increasingly scarce to come by. The coins were recently acquired by The Collection Museum in Lincoln, and will be on display from this week. They were bought for 6,800, which in accordance with the Treasure Act 1996 was shared equally between Mrs Green and her brother, and the landowner. Mrs Green used part of the proceeds to buy a new metal detector. The Telegraph

The News, October 2012

YOUR ADVERTISEMENT COULD BE HERE! Call Rick Mattingly at 970-613-8968 or rickmatt@q.com

Page 15

Trading Post
FOR SALE: 23-foot Forest River Sierra bumper pull travel trailer with slide out. Has all the comforts of home. Great condition and not used enough - Need to sell ASAP! Price $7995. If you have any questions please call Jennifer Lange at 970-980-5776. 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: $1900. Contact Paul at (970) 482-7846. WANTED: 12 Gauge Home Security Shotgun. Mossberg, Winchester or Remington. 40 cal & 45 cal Auto Pistol. Ruger, S&W, SIG, Glock. Guns must be in excellent working condition. Call (970) 222-2323 or leave message with make, model & asking price. I will return your call. WANTED: Used lapidary equipment. Call Kathie 970221-1623 WANTED: Federal or state duck stamps; mint or used. Contact John Hart at (307) 778-3993. YELLOWSTONE FAREWELL Wyoming adventure novel. Diamonds, Gold, Volcanic activity, Prospecting. Factual geology; Fictional story. $18.00 + $4.00 S&H. Spur Ridge Enterprises, POB 1719, Laramie, WY 82073. Internet: http://yellowstonefarewell.com/
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.

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

All mistakes and misspellings were intentionally made so that you could have the pleasure of finding them.
"The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are now outnumbered by those who vote for a living." --Anonymous

Page 16

The News, October 2012

WEEKEND & SMALL-SCALE MINERS CODE OF ETHICS

I WILL respect other prospectors claims and not work those claims without the owners 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 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

Atocha Ring Found

Published June 24, 2011

ivers searching for treasure off the coast of Florida have found an antique gold and emerald ring worth $500,000 from a 17th century Spanish ship. The ring is believed to be from the Nuestra Senora de Atocha that sank off the Florida Keys during a 1622 hurricane. The piece has a rectangular cut emerald estimated at 10 karats. Divers from Mel Fisher's Treasures were seeking the sterncastle of the Atocha when they found the ring Thursday 35 miles Key West. A spokesperson said the ring's estimated value is based on the stone's 2.7- by 2.5-centimeter size and the value of others recovered from the Atocha. Also found were two silver spoons and other artifacts. A 40-inch gold rosary was found in March and a gold bar in April. Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

Incredible gold and emerald ring from the Atocha wreck.

The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see."
Offer Your Assistance To Any Of Our Program Coordinators
The News, October 2012

- Winston Churchill
Page 17

Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club 2012 Schedule of Events
Month
January

Meeting Program
East Coast Silver Treasure Find Berkely Lake Detecting
Gold Wheel Recovery Systems Presentation By Darrell Koleber

Trip/Activity
No Trip/Activity Scheduled

February

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

March

Historic Gold Scale Presentation

GPS, Compass & Map Clinic

April

Found Explosives Safety Presentation

Prospecting, Detecting & More Clinic at Lions Park Advertised and Open to the Public Berkely Lake Detector Outing Lets Go Gold Panning On The Arkansas Event Clear Creek Gold Outing Keota Ghost Town Outing

May

Gold and Platinum in Wyoming By Wayne Sutherland, WGS

June

Detecting Presentation By Tom Warne & Rick Mattingly

Eldora Ski Resort Detector Outing

July

Spanish Treasure Trails Presentation

Teller City Ghost Town Tour North Park Sand Dunes Tour Eldora Ski Resort Detector Outing Ames Monument Tour and Vedauwoo Detector Outing Lucite Hills Gem Outing Vics Gold Panning Outing Annual Coin & Prize Hunt Colorado Mineral & Fossil ShowDenver Off-Road Detector Outing

August

Gold Refining Presentation By David Emslie

September

Cripple Creek Historic Video By Johnny Berndsen

October

Railhead Camp Presentation By Rick Mattingly

Off-Road Detector Outing

November

Annual Show & Tell & Silent Auction Annual Find of the Year Awards & Christmas Party

Local Detector Outing

December

Flatirons Mineral Club & Model Train Show

Good Hunting in 2012!

Page 18 The News, October 2012

Rocky Mountain Prospectors & Treasure Hunters Contact List

RMPTH Coordinators Home E-Mail Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator Robert Crain Bryan Morgan Rick Mattingly 1-970-484-6488 1-970-416-0608 1-970-613-8968 brymorg@frii.com rickmatt@q.com

The News Staff Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Rick Mattingly Dick French 1-970-613-8968 1-970-482-2110

rickmatt@q.com
dickyf99@comcast.net

Internet Web Site Web Master Volunteers/Coordinators Find of the Month Joe Johnston Betsy Emond Paul Mayhak Johnny Berndsen Peggy Stumpf Joe Johnston Bryan Morgan Darrell Koleber Volunteer Needed! Tom Warne Jacob Wootton Johnny Berndsen 1-303-696-6950 1-970-218-0290 1-970-482-7846 1-970-667-1006 1-307-632-9945 1-303-696-6950 1-970-416-0608 1-970-669-2599 1-970-635-0773 1-970-980-6016 1-970-667-1006 cjoej1@peoplepc.com pjmcolo@q.com johnnyberndsen.com circlestar@yahoo.com cjoej1@peoplepc.com brymorg@frii.com gutshot1016@yahoo.com goldigger48@msn.com jacob-wootton@yahoo.com Rick Mattingly 1-970-613-8968

rickmatt@q.com

Presentations Club Historian Club Librarian Panning Demos Setup & Refreshments Door Prize

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

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

Lets Go For The Gold !

The News, October 2012 Page 19

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

OCTOBER, 2012 ISSUE