Editorial

The Feature Club in this issue of the Lost Treasure Online Newsletter is the Detectors Unlimited, Inc. of Tucson, Arizona. See photos of its members in action and of some of their Favorite Finds.

Also, in the Favorite Finds section, you will see some amazing discoveries made by Nelson Jecas of New Jersey, and Dwight Bonney of Pacific, Missouri.

Our readers love to see what others are finding in the field! If you have pictures and info on some of your Favorite Finds, e-mail them to me at the address below.

Craig Redick supplies this issue’s Tip From the Pros, and you can read what our readers our saying lately in Letters to the Editor. Be sure to check out a request for help from one of our readers, especially if you have metal detected the beaches in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Industry Press section features information about a new book you might be interested in called “The Back Roads to Treasure.”

Upcoming events are featured in the 2010 Calendar; let us know if your club or organization has a treasure-hunting related event coming up.

THers’ News today includes:

• Dog Tags of WWII U.S. Soldier Unearthed
• The Rush of Finding Gold
• Tourist Nets 300-year-old Rifle While on Lobster Hunt
• Arizona Gold Claims on Mexican Border Too Dangerous

Until next time, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,

TH'ers News

Dog Tags of WWII U.S. Soldier Unearthed
Buda, Texas – A retired Italian police inspector’s newly acquired metal detecting hobby helped him find dog tags and other items belonging to a World War II veteran from Texas who was wounded on an Italian battlefield.
Oscar Glomb served with the 36th Infantry Division and landed at the Bay of Salerno in 1943. He was wounded in a June 1944 battle near Gavorrano.
Glomb died in 1998. His son says he never forgot about his dog tags.
The retired police inspector, Daniele Bianchini, found the tags, a ring and a medallion while practicing his hobby on the old battlefield. Bianchini asked to keep one of the tags and sent the rest of the items to Glomb’s family in Texas.
Courtsy of The Tulsa World, Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Rush of Finding Gold
At the turn of the 19th century, North Carolina struck it rich with the discovery of gold.
Near the end of the Revolutionary War, former British soldier John Reed settled in the lower Piedmont where his fellow Germans were living. Most people dwelled on small family-run farms in rural areas, raising grain crops like corn and wheat.
It’s said that on a chance Sunday in 1799, Reed’s son Conrad found a large yellow 17-pound rock. That rock was gold, unknown to the Reed family, and used as a doorstop for three years.
In 1802, a Fayetteville jeweler recognized the rock as gold and purchased it from the family for just $3.50, one tenth of its actual value.
The following year, Reed founded the Reed Mining operation in a partnership with three other local men with the agreement that all returns would be divided equally. The men mainly mined during the farming off season. Before the end of the first year, a slave by the name of Peter discovered a 28-pound nugget.
The men worked manually using pans and other equipment to wash the gravel creek and by 1824 had yielded and estimated $130,000.
News of Reed’s gold discovery spread and soon other Piedmont farmers were panning for gold in their creeks. Foreigners joined thereafter, including skilled English Cornishmen.
Creek gold mining led to underground mining in 1825 when it was learned that the metal also existed in veins of white quartz rock. The search for underground or “lode” gold required much more money, labor and machinery. Underground work at Reed did not begin until 1831. A family fight four years later resulted in closing the mine for 10 years by court injunction.
After Reed’s death in 1845, the mine was sold at public auction and changed ownership numerous times until 1912 when the last underground work took place. The yield from large nuggets alone totaled more than 100 pounds, including the last large nugget found in 1896.
During peak years, gold mining was second only to farming in the number of North Carolinians it employed.
More then $1 million worth of gold was recovered every year and North Carolina led the nation in gold production until 1848, when the gold rush in California took over as leader.
The location is listed the National Register of Historic Places and visitors can take guided tours of this North Carolina Historic Site. Portions of the underground tunnels have been restored and gold panning is also available.
Visit http://www.nchistoricsites.org/reed/reed.htm.
Courtesy of http://www.reflector.com

Tourist Nets 300-year-old Rifle While on Lobster Hunt
John Anderson has uncovered what is believed to be a 300-year-old rifle – while hunting for lobsters.
The 55-year-old, below, was snorkelling off the south coast of St Lucia in the Caribbean when he spotted a large rock with a hole beneath it at a depth of about two metres.
Thinking it looked like the ideal hiding place for some juicy lobsters, John dived down and grabbed on to what looked like "a piece of rock" on the seabed to hold him underwater.
But to his astonishment, the object began to move and John, who has an interest in antique firearms, quickly recognised the shape of a gunstock.
John said: "The locals told us if we caught lobsters they would cook them on the beach for us so I went to have a look for some about 40 metres out in the sea.
"When I grasped on to the small rock it seemed to move and come up out of the sand and as soon as I saw the shape of it, I knew it was some sort of firearm."
John, who was staying at the Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa, with his wife, Dawn, to celebrate the marriage of his niece, managed to carry the gun to the shore where he identified it as a flintlock rifle, dating back to the 17th century or possibly earlier.
He informed the hotel management of his astonishing discovery and they contacted the Saint Lucia National Trust, who came out to interview John on his find, along with a camera crew from the island's DBS television channel.
John, who lives in Hadleigh Close, Westbury Park, soon became the talk of the resort as news of his discovery spread among fellow holidaymakers.
John, who is a member of metal detecting club The North Staffs Search and Historical Society, said: "The interest in the rifle was phenomenal, especially among the locals who couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"I've been snorkelling for around 20 years but I've never found anything like this before, just the odd shell here and there.
"I didn't think I'd find something like this in a million years but it's great to think I have unearthed a bit of history for the island."
The gun is expected to be cleaned and put on display at the hotel in the near future, with John's name and a description on how it was found alongside it.
John was given a certificate from the island's national trust in recognition of his find, as well as a free holiday back at the hotel.
Wife Dawn, aged 49, said: "John is always looking for things when we go on holiday and when he came walking up the beach with the gun in his hands my reaction was "oh god, what's he got now?"
"The interest in the gun was amazing. The locals are very historically minded and were fascinated by the gun, and the hotel was full of Americans who couldn't stop talking about it.
"John knows quite a bit about guns and he knew what it was straight away, whereas most other people would have probably just left it where it was.
"The whole thing made John's holiday and I was delighted for him."
Courtesy of http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk

Arizona Gold Claims on Mexican Border Too Dangerous
Arizona Gold Adventures suspends gold prospecting vacations, day trips near Mexican border in southern Arizona for second year.
White Plains, NY – Arizona Gold Adventures Inc. (AGA) has suspended its gold prospecting operations south of Tucson, Arizona, for their 2010 / 2011 – Fall / Winter gold prospecting season. This is the second year in a row AGA has been forced to make this costly decision. Other AGA gold prospecting operations, located in Central and Northwestern Arizona, will not be affected by this decision.
AGA President Catherine Noonan stated, “The gold claims used by our guests in southern Arizona, are privately owned and very remote. Some can only be reached by helicopter or off-road vehicles, and are within one-mile of the Mexican border. We have received continuous reports of ‘Coyotes,’ or well armed smugglers, moving groups of illegal aliens and bales of drugs through many of the remote desert gold claims we prospect south of Tucson.
“Arizona Gold Adventures is not prepared to risk the safety of our guests, helicopter pilots or CAGAPI (Certified AGA Prospecting Instructors), while this clear and present danger exists throughout Arizona’s southern wilderness and AGA gold prospecting areas,” said Ms. Noonan.
Arizona Gold Adventures continues to offer ground and helicopter gold prospecting and meteorite vacations and day trips throughout Central and Northern Arizona. “While this decision will be disappointing to many of our guests, and financially difficult for many of our Tucson-area CAGAPI, we believe it is prudent and necessary,” said Ms. Noonan
Arizona Gold Adventures, Inc. headquartered in White Plains, New York, is the leading provider of private, fully equipped and outfitted helicopter and ground gold prospecting and meteorite expeditions, vacations, day trips and lessons in the state of Arizona. AGA operates its gold prospecting school near Rich Hill, Arizona, in the 1860 Ghost Town of Congress (85332). Call Terry Soloman at (914) 589-3985 for more information or visit
http://www.ArizonaGoldAdventures.com

Gems Abound in Western North Carolina Mines
Along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina, there are wonderful scenic gems to be found.
But if you take the time to travel off that beaten path there is real treasure lying in wait to be discovered at a wealth of public gem and mineral mines.
Gems and minerals such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires and gold were found in North Carolina as early as the mid 1700s. Other non-precious minerals such as mica and feldspar also proved to be valuable commodities to the area.
In Mitchell County, more than 75 minerals have been found, and the area boasts a mining history that dates back to just after the Civil War. The county also hosts an annual festival. The 53rd N.C. Mineral and Gem Festival will be held July 29-Aug. 1 at the Bridge Coliseum in Spruce Pine. The event — the longest running festival of its kind in the world — will include gems, jewelry, minerals, fossils, special exhibits and mining tours to real mines where you can keep what you find.
Prospectors were drawn to Mitchell County for its mica, and Spruce Pine has been one of the leading producers of mica for the last 150 years. The mineral’s name is thought to have derived from the Latin word “micare,” meaning to glitter, and it’s used in a variety of products including cosmetics, paint, drywall and toothpaste.
Emerald mining began in Little Switzerland in 1894 at the Crabtree Emerald Mine, which was later operated by Tiffany’s and the American Gem & Pearl Co. Rock hounds today can purchase a day pass to the old mine to try their luck at finding gem-quality emeralds.
North America’s largest faceted emerald is a 30.8-carat stone cut from a 67-carat crystal, which was part of a 666-carat cluster of emerald crystals found in 1991 in Mitchell County. A massive 1,869-carat emerald was found at North America’s Premier Emerald Mine in Hiddenite, making it the largest single emerald crystal found in North America.
Other mines near Little Switzerland have produced aquamarine, beryl, garnet, smoky quartz and kyanite.
The Bon Ami mine operated in the county from 1924-1959. The area is rich with feldspar, a non-abrasive mineral that is a main ingredient in the cleanser, which is still sold today using the same recipe from 1886.
In addition to the abundance of feldspar, 54 other minerals were found in the mine.
Today Emerald Village operates on the original Bon Ami mine location and has a museum on site dedicated to the Bon Ami company.
“They were mining for feldspar and that’s all they wanted. Everything else was thrown in a bucket and sold as scrap,” said museum attendant Mary Lou Woody.
The museum is a self-guided tour of the property that includes mining equipment, history and tools as you walk an indoor display before venturing outside and down to part of the now-silent mine.
It’s a picturesque location, too, complete with a rushing waterfall and picnic tables available for enjoying an outdoor lunch.
During the evening, the mine offers black-light tours, where phosphorescent minerals can be viewed on a guided tour.
Woody has been with Emerald Village for 14 years, working in the museum and answering questions about the Bon Ami mine and the area’s history.
After a tour of the mine, patrons can head over to the gem-mining building to hunt for their own treasure.
After purchasing a rock bucket — a mixture of discardable rock material, minerals and gems — it gets sorted with a screen in a flume, which is a trough of running water.
Jim Roberson of Louisburg brought his family to the mine while on a weekend getaway.
“It’s kind of a Mother’s Day trip,” he said.
Roberson and his two children, Rachel and John, flumed for gems after taking the mine’s tour.
“We’ve found some really good stuff,” John, 13, said.
The Robersons were first-timers at the mine, but the location draws return customers as well, like Darcy Ward.
Ward, 18, has been collecting rocks since she was about 4 and travels from her Old Fort home with her mother, Kyra Ward, every Mother’s Day weekend.
“When she was young, she’d go out to the driveway and pick up rocks,” Kyra Ward said.
They always go to Emerald Village and this year Darcy brought her 7-year old cousin Jackson Koebrnea along to search for gems and minerals.
“This is pretty cool. I want to come back,” Jackson said.
Opening the mine to the public in 1980 was the brainchild of mine owner Robert “Bob” J. Schabilion, who purchased and opened Mississippi Petrified Forest to the public in 1962. Emerald Village is now run by Bob’s son Alan Schabilion.
“We’re kind of the granddaddy of all the other places. Many started working here first and then started their own mines,” Woody said.
Ira Thomas, the owner of Spruce Pine Gem Mine, also opened his mine to the public in 1980.
“Bob started the idea. I love him to death,” Thomas said, despite being competitors.
Thomas is from a long line of prospectors — nine generations worth — and has literally gotten his hands dirty working in the business.
“I’ve unloaded dynamite and been many days 500 feet underground,” he said. “I seen my daddy come home looking like the Pillsbury Doughboy.”
Thomas recounted a day when he and his father went prospecting for mica that proved tremendously profitable.
“I made out like a bandit when I was 16 years old. I went up high, while my dad was digging below. I hit into a rich pocket of mica and in 2 1/2hours I dug out enough mica to pay cash for a 1955 Chevy Bel Air sports coup,” he said.
Thomas is a charismatic front man who loves talking to the public and says he operates his business to keep him young.
The gem shop portion of his business began operation in 1921 and Thomas claims that it’s the oldest continuously running gem shop.
His mine and the discoveries found in it have been the subject of a 1958 National Geographic magazine article. The article featured a 128-carat cut aquamarine that was found in his mine that was worth $48,800 at that time. Now the market value of the aquamarine exceeds $250,000.
The stone was cut from one continuous crystal that also yielded 72.75-carat and 98-carat stones.
Thomas spoke highly of the other tourist businesses that operate close to his, saying that they all get along.
“I can go down to any of them and do business. I told them that ‘I don’t want you to cut my throat and I don’t want to cut yours,’” he said.

Courtesy of http://www.reflector.com

Girl Discovers Centuries-Old Pottery
BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Taylor Blankenship was fishing with her grandfather Thomas Goodrich a few weeks back when she did what any fifth-grader would do.
She found a few rocks and tossed them into Lewis Creek.
“I happened to look down and I saw, like, a little bit of rock,” she said.
She picked it up, checked it out and got a little excited.
“I saw the markings,” she said. She pointed them out to her grandfather, who was unimpressed.
“He said, they’re, like, old rocks,” she said.
She insisted they were more, that the markings made them artifacts. To see if she was right, she took them to Oglethorpe Elementary on St. Simons Island, where Ellen Provenzano teaches archaeology in partnership with nearby Fort Frederica National Monument.
Taylor walked up all big-eyed with excitement to show Provenzano what she had found. Having taught the class for 16 years, Provenzano is best at identifying artifacts from Colonial times, like those found at Fort Frederica.
But she told Taylor they were not, like, old rocks, but also not as Taylor had guessed, “like B.C.”
The markings had been pressed into the clay when it was wet. Once it was fired, they became permanent and are a good way to identify pottery.
As far as Provenzano can tell from research she and Taylor did together, the shards of pottery were Altamaha Malleable and were 700 to 1,000 years old.
This is not the first time this sort of thing has happened, although that’s the oldest material anyone has held up eagerly for Provenzano to check out.
“I get lots of stuff brought in from our playground,” she said.
It’s usually little chunks of concrete or mortar from the construction of the school or maybe something that came in with the fill dirt.
A few years ago, a girl came in with a whole bag of pottery.
Provenzano went to the girl’s house and looked around. It turned out that a county road crew had unearthed some pieces of ceramics from the 1800s, she said.
“It showed there was an area of occupation there,” Provenzano said. “The neat thing about it is she realized she had something fairly old.”
And it’s not just students. A man building on Hawkins Island, a marsh hammock off St. Simons Island, had a mound on his property. He was concerned it might have been a burial site.
Provenzano contacted a couple of local archaeologists who did a dig and found the mound was basically composed of old shells.
“The owner didn’t want to put his pool on something historical,” she said.
That doesn’t often happen. Builders often don’t realize what they’re bulldozing. Some may figure it’s better not to know.
Provenzano figures a lot of history is beneath concrete slabs, and she’s probably right.
The archaeology program itself came close to being history. Like virtually every other school system in Georgia, the Glynn County school board is facing big losses in state funding and property tax revenue. Compelled to continue teaching math, English, science and other core subjects, school administrators considered cutting out the program.
Instead, they chose to cut it back with Provenzano splitting time between archaeology and an early intervention program for fourth-grade students.
It was a wise choice to leave it. There are plenty of historical sites in the area that people can visit, but it’s different to reach into the soil and find a piece of history left long ago — to brush it clean and wonder what it was when it was still in one piece and who held it.
Although she’s moving on to middle school, Taylor seems unlikely to forget the lessons she learned in archaeology lab. For one thing, she wants to go back to the creek bank where she found the pottery.
“I want to look for arrowheads,” she said.
Sometimes a history lesson in the hand is worth two in a book.
Courtesy of http://jacksonville.com
 

Tip From the Pros

By Craig Redick, The Old Prospector

Do your homework. The more you know about the area where you plan to prospect, the better your adventure will be. Research can mean the difference between a successful outing and a failure. Get to know your local library. It’s a treasure trove of information on all aspects of prospecting and treasure hunting. Tap into businesses, such as www.losttreasure.com and Research Unlimited at (800) 345-8588, that offer books and publications for sale about these subjects and highlight your favorite prospecting areas in the U. S. There’s a wealth of information out there just waiting for you.

Letters to the Editor

Hello Carla,

While not a subscriber to LT, I always pick up the magazine when I see it in the store. I've been detecting for about six years. I purchased the June 2010 issue of LT and am I glad I did. Like most detectorists, I've accumulated some jewelry over the years, but never really knew what to do with it.

Where do you go to get it appraised, what is its value and who can you trust? The June 2010 issued answered all my questions. The article by Andy Sabisch was great. It answered all my questions and then some. To make a long story short, I gathered up my finds, though small in number they were, and packaged them up for shipment. From Andy's article I chose Midwest Refineries. Off the package went. Since I didn't have a scale that weighed items that small I guessed that the shipment I sent was probably worth anywhere from $25 to $50 dollars, with $25 dollars being the more realistic figure. About 10 days later I received a letter from Midwest Refineries.

Hoping for at least my $25 dollar guesstimate, I could not stop laughing when I saw the check in the amount of $345. $345…unbelievable! The great thing about Midwest Refineries was that I had included some items that I was not sure of their content. Midwest took a photo of all worthless items, such as plated steel or a gold filled ring, and told me why they were worthless.

They were great to do business with and they paid 95% of the current market price of gold and 90% of the current market price of silver. Great article and a great magazine, Lost Treasure.

Bob Kozak

Lincoln, Rhode Island

Via e-mail

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

Hi,

My brother and I went to Daytona Beach, Florida, about four years ago. He told me he lost a ring while he was standing in the waves of the shoreline. Since then my brother passed away and I was wondering if anyone found a ring in that area that says “LALO” on it? It would mean so much to me to have that ring back. I try to look for it every time I go there, but have had no luck. If you have found it, please contact me at (407) 957-6785.

Thank you,

My name is Vinny

Via e-mail

Calendar of Events 2010

JUNE
5th – Shawsville, Virginia. 19th Annual Open Hunt by the Roanoke Valley Coin & Relic Club at Camp Alta Mons. More info, Marilyn Epperly, 2136 Maiden Lane, SW, Roanoke, VA 24015, (540)342-0153 or e-mail grammaepp1@juno.com or Anna Feazell (540) 563-4118 or e-mail at shortbelle@aol.com

5th – Stanwood, Washington. Pilchuck Treasure Hunting Club’s 28th Annual Hunt, Junefest 2010, at the Stanwood Fair Grounds, 6431 Pioneer Hwy. Raffles: Main, 50/50, Silver Dollar and Treasure Wheel. Potluck lunch at noon, bring a dish. Kids’ Hunt (12 years or under). Check www.pilchucktreasurehunts.org for updated information. For more, e-mail pilchucktreasurehunts@yahoo.com

5th – Riverside, California. Route 66 Gold Miners’ 1st Annual Treasure Hunt, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Rancho Jurupa Regional Park on Crestmore Road off Mission Blvd. Metal detecting hunt, special key hunt and 50/50 raffle. Some prizes include a metal detector, gold coins and silver rounds. For more information, contact Larry Eleftheriou, Hunt Master, at Larrywaters1@aol.com or send pre-registration to Route 66 Gold Miners, Inc.,8251 La Palma Ave., Box 393, Buena Park, CA 90620.

6th – Topeka, Kansas. Topeka Treasure Hunters’ Open National Treasure Hunt at Reynolds Lodge at Lake Shawnee. Five hunts rain or shine, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. For more info, contact Russell Broxterman, 1210 School, Box 162, Auburn, KS 66402, (785) 256-2925.

12th – 13th – Hampton, Illinois. Cedar Valley Research and Recovery will hold their Fifth Annual Treasure Hunt at the Illiniwek Forest Preserve, Route 84. For more, contact Joseph Evans, 3427 Circle Dr., Cedar Rapids, IA 52402, Phone (319) 265-4418 or e-mail joeevans@imonmail.com

18th – 20th – Athol, Idaho. Northwest Treasure Hunters Club’s 38th annual hunt at the Farragut State Park. Contact Eric Payne at (208) 772-4794 or by e-mail at payneea@hotmail.com

18th – 20th – New Staunton, Pennsylvania. Treasurefest 2010 at the Fox Den Acres campground. There will be 10 hunts with a variety of themes. You can enter for one day or all three. The fee is $30 per hunt and registrations can be sent to Ed Burke, 84 S. Atherton Ave., Kingston, PA 18704, call (570) 331-0600, or e-mail potogold1@verizon.net, or Duane Biller (724) 439-1380, snakemandb@earthlink.net

19th – 20th – Hastings, Nebraska. The Nebraskaland Treasure Hunters Club’s Annual Hunt at the ghost town of Leroy, south of Hastings on Hwy. 281. For info, contact Dale or Marilyn Ratzlaff at (402) 736-4455 or dalyn@mainstaycomm.net

19th – 20th – Powell, Wyoming. The Wyoming State Mineral & Gem Show hosted by the Shoshone Rock Club and assisted by the Cody 59'ers at the Park County Fairgrounds, 655 5th Street. Admittance - Adults: $2 each, Ages 12-18: $1 each. For information, contact Jane R. Neale, (307) 754-3285 or Mary Ann Northrup, (307) 754-4472.

19th – 20th – Georgetown, Indiana. The Hoosier Hills Treasure Hunters Club and the Down n’ Dirty Diggers Metal Detecting Club will each host one day of this weekend hunt – the Diggers’ 9th Annual Open Hunt on Sat., and the Hoosier Hills’ “Second Day” Hunt on Sun. For more info on the Diggers, contact Mike Byrn by e-mail at byrn@hughes.net or call (812) 366-3558. For more on the Hoosiers, contact Chad Beesley at c.beesley@insightbb.com or call (812) 966-2137 or (812) 498-0336.

26th – 27th – Palmer, Alaska. Alaska Treasure Seekers’ 34th Annual Metal Detecting Hunt at the Alaska State Fairgrounds – France Equestrian Center – 2075 Glenn Highway. For more info, contact Cathy Lundine, (907) 696-1910 or e-mail lundine5@aol.com

JULY
10th – 17th – New Staunton, Pennsylvania. Treasure Week at the Fox Den Acres Campground. Three hunts a day with many other hunts and activities. For more info, contact Jill & Carl McFeeders, jcseeker@core.com or phone (330) 364-1608.

17th – 18th – North Conway, New Hampshire. The Saco Valley Gem and Mineral Club Show at the North Conway Community Center. Gem and mineral dealers, micromounters, silent auction and raffle. Free admission.

24th – 25th – Nekoosa, Wisconsin. MidState Metal Detector Club’s 14th Annual Open Hunt and State Championship at the Deer Trails Park Campground (please note the hunt location has changed). Contact Steven Miller, N3091 CTY RD B, Hancock, WI 54943, or e-mail stmill@uniontel.net

26th – August 1st – Vallonia, Indiana. Southern Indiana Treasure Fest 2010 sponsored by Pepsi-Cola at the Starve Hollow State Recreation Area south of Brownstown on HW 135. Jackson County Fair all week. Events for all ages every day! Free Kids Hunts ages 3-12, and Jr. Hunts ages 13-15 for $10. The week’s events sponsored and/or provided by Bounty Hunter, Fisher Labs, Garrett Metal Detectors, The Lincoln Hills Treasure Hunters Club, White’s Electronics, The Hoosier Hills Treasure Hunter’s Club, Real Treasure Hunters, Teknetics, Cannonball Express Metal Detectors, Wick’s Pies, Wray & Co. Treasure Shop, Tesoro, and The Down n’ Dirty Diggers. For more info, contact Chad Beesley at (812) 966-2137 or Terry Rittenhouse at (765) 857-2400.

AUGUST
7th – Orting, Washington. The Puget Sound Treasure Hunters Club, Tacoma, Washington, is sponsoring their annual Lenny Phay Memorial Hunt, “Silver Bonanza,” rain or shine. Two major silver hunts, one a silver dime hunt and the other a big silver hunt, plus a detector and a treasure chest raffle. Fun for the entire family, to include youth hunts. For more info, contact Jim Ratcliff, Sr. at (360) 556-3914 or Jim Ratcliff, Jr. at (360) 556-4009, e-mail scouthobby@comcast.net or visit http://sites.google.com/site/pugetsoundtreasurehunters/home

7th – 8th – Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. 28th Annual Black Diamond Treasure Weekend sponsored by the Black Diamond Treasure Hunters Club at the Plymouth TWP. Recreation Field on Route 11. For information, send self-addressed stamped envelope to B.D.T.H.C., P.O. Box 1523, Kingston, PA 18704, or go to www.bdthc.org to download the flier. Send e-mail requests to treasure1@aol.com or phone Byard Derr (215) 536-0796, George Walko (570) 287-3602 or Ron Denman (570) 288-7787.

21st – Cisco, Texas. The Gray Ghost Nite Hunt at full dark, the best, most exciting hunt this year. Not just silver dimes, but collectible coins of all kinds. Test your skills. No lights of any kind for the first 30 minutes. No digging tools needed; coins will not be buried. Penlights and small headlamps are allowed after first half hour. The location is on private property and will be revealed at the time of the hunt. Assembly point is at the Lela Lloyd Museum, 116 W. 7th. Entries limited to 35. Entry fee: $35. Deadline for registry is July 21. Call Jerry Eckhart at (254) 631-6809 for entry form, write 704 Avenue I, Cisco, TX 76437, or e-mail jmeckhart@sbcglobal.net

28th – 29th – Concord, New Hampshire. The Capital Mineral Club’s Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Festival at the Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road (1,500 feet east of Exit 14, I-93). Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission $5, children under 12 free with an adult. Dealers, displays, raffles and hourly and grand show prizes. For more info, log onto www.capitalmineralclub.org

SEPTEMBER
4th – 5th – Foresthill, California. Annual Foresthill Heritage Celebration, California State Gold Panning and Lumberjack Championships, and U.S. National Gold Panning Championships at the Old Foresthill Memorial Park. American Legion Post 587 Annual Pig Roast, music, family events, gold panning, food and craft vendors. Heritage 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Championships Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call (530) 367-2891 or log onto www.goldhounds.com

10th – 12th – Derby, New York. The 25th Annual International Treasure Hunt at Wendt Beach Park on Old Lake Shore Road, 5 miles off Exit 57A on New York I-90. Rain or shine, silver and gold hunts. Registration both days from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Free camping available, no hook-ups or dump station. For information, call Joe, (716) 632-6129 or Louie, (716) 434-3712, write 5327 Ernest Road, Lockport, NY 14094, or log onto NFRHA.com

11th – Milan, Michigan. Michigan Treasure Hunters’ 37th Annual Open Hunt at the KC Campground. For more information, contact Vincent Tremain, 15552 Stonehouse Circle, Livonia, MI 48154, or visit www.michigantreasurehunters.com

11th – 12th – Boonville, Indiana. Lincoln Hills Treasure Club’s 4th Annual Treasure Hunt at Scales Lake Park on the sandy beach, sponsored by Robert Jackson. Entry fees put in the hunt as silver dimes. Prize donations welcome. Free Kids’ Hunt, Teens’ Hunt $10. For more info, contact Robert Jackson at (812) 925-3280 or (812) 305-0295.

18th – Knox, New York. 40th Annual Club Hunt with over $5,000 in prizes, sponsored by the Empire State Metal Detector Association, at the Knox Firemen’s Park. For info and registration form, go to www.esmda.org. For more info, contact Bob Lavoy at metal@nycap.rr.com or call (518) 356-0564.

19th – Lathrop, Missouri. 34th Annual Open Hunt sponsored by Mo-Kan Search and Recovery Club at the Lathrop Antique Show Grounds. For more info e-mail Terry Theiss at outboundace@hotmail.com, call Chuck Clevenger at (816) 436-0697, or visit the
club website at www.mokansr.com

25th – Pearblossom, California. 1st Annual Outpost Shootout co-sponsored by A.V.T.H.S. & the Outpost at 34141 116th St. E. The shootout is a day-long event, 9 a.m. –5 p.m., for those in the metal detecting hobby, veteran and newbies, and anyone interested in learning more about detecting & treasure hunting. There will be displays of metal detected treasures & information on detectors. Demonstrations will be given. Featured events of the day are planted coin & token hunts-some require a fee to enter. In addition, The Outpost and other sponsors will add more coins and prizes to the hunts. For more info, contact Scott Sandahl at sandahlfamily3@sbcglobal.net

25th – 26th – Mt. Vernon, Illinois. The Tri-State Metal Detecting Club will host its Annual two-day hunt loaded with silver coins, unique hunts, prizes, raffles, and lots of fun! For more info, contact Justin Stevens at (618) 201-1853 or by e-mail at tds62864@hotmail.com

26th – 27th – Java Center, New York. Genesee Valley Treasure Seekers, Inc.’s 10th Annual Hunt at the Beaver Meadows Campgrounds. Prizes include detectors, and gold and silver coins. Events benefit the American Cancer Society. For more information, call John Howard at (585) 663-7368.

OCTOBER
8th – 9th – Cullman, Alabama. 37th Annual Deep South Open Treasure Hunt, sponsored by the Warrior Basin Treasure Hunters Association and Garrett Metal Detectors, at Smith Lake Park. Prizes will include gold and silver coins, metal detectors, old coins, relics and tokens. Discount cutoff dates are 6/10 (up to 35% discount) and 9/30 (up to 15% discount). Sign up a new guest and save another 10%. Contacts: Joe Box: ulozifind@windstream.net, (205) 640-4116, Cell (205) 451-7693; Eddie Bradley: eddieb@wbtha.com; Lawrence McKelvey: lmckelvey@charter.net
Get all the details at http://wbtha.com/HuntPages/DSTH/DSTH2010/dsth.html

16th – Irving, Texas. The Lone Star Treasure Hunters Club will host its 36th Annual Open Hunt at the Mountain Creek Preserve from 8:30 – 4:30. Six hunts with lots of prizes, a cake auction, and a raffle. Headphones required. For more information, log onto http://www.lonestartreasure.com/LSTHOH201036th.pdf or contact Huntmaster Robert Jordan, 1705 Pecan View, Garland, TX, 75040, (972) 530-5832, e-mail bobby.jordan@tx.rr.com

30th – 31st – Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Open Hunt 2010 sponsored by the Lancaster Research & Recovery Club, in partnership with the Susquehanna Valley Metal Detecting Club, at the Lancaster County Central Park’s Environmental Center. Registration starts at 8 a.m. each day. All silver hunts - one each morning and afternoon, rain or shine. There will be a Kids Hunt (up to age 12), a Free Fun Hunt, and an Optional Gold Hunt. Questions? Call Mike or Sue Race at (717) 355-0691, or e-mail msrace@hydrosoft.net

E-mail upcoming events to managingeditor@losttreasure.com
 

Feature Club

Shown left to right are board members Greg Abbott and Joe Cohn, Secretary Paul Segar, Vice President Bill Eisley, President Bill Burdon, Treasurer Steve Rice, and board members Lou Bolino, Bob Melzer and Jan Seagandollar.

Detectors Unlimited, Inc.

Detectors Unlimited, Inc. of Tucson, Arizona, is a metal detecting club, promotes the safe and lawful recovery of lost and abandoned objects through the process of research, education and the distribution of information. Programs focus on coin, relic and artifact hunting, along with gold prospecting, meteorite hunting and stories of lost treasures especially related to southern Arizona.

Meetings
The club meets every 4th Tuesday of the month (except December) at 7 p.m. Visitors and guests of members are welcome. A program is planned for each meeting where members and guests can learn about metal detecting and treasure hunting.
Programs are intended to provide members and guests with information on metal detecting, types of detectors, using detectors, where to search and what you might find.
Topics may include metal detecting in parks, playground, old buildings, vacant lots and talks on military history, mining, railroading, meteorites, map reading or cleaning of coins.
Every effort is made to make our programs interesting to our members and guests.
Detectors Unlimited's meetings are held at the Annex Building at the rear of the Craycroft Towers Apartments, 1635 No. Craycroft Rd. These apartments are on the west side of Craycroft Road, one block south of Pima Street, just north of Lee Street. Turn West at Lee Street and into the second parking lot.
Parking Instructions
Please park in only the last three parking spaces on each side of the lot at the West end of the parking lot. If these spaces are occupied, park on Lee Street in an appropriate space.
Remember that the Annex Building is behind the Craycroft Tower Apartment building that faces North Craycroft Road. Review the parking instructions above - make sure your car is parked appropriately! Read more about the club following these photos.

Outings & Hunts
Detectors Unlimited has monthly outings, which are held on the weekend following the monthly meeting...that is the weekend following the fourth Tuesday of the month.
Club outings usually rotate Saturdays and Sundays. A Saturday outing will be followed the next month with a Sunday outing, which will be followed by a Saturday outing. During the hot summer months, most club outings are held in or close to Tucson. During the rest of the year outings are held throughout Arizona. Occasionally, an outing is held out of state or as an "overnighter." Prizes are awarded to club members for the top three finds for each outing.
Detectors Unlimited has periodic Open Hunts that are open to both members and non-members. Typically at Open Hunts, any kind of coil-based metal detector and coil combination is allowed. Headsets or headphones are mandatory. Unless otherwise noted, no picks or shovels are allowed and digging tools designed for coin recovery are suggested. Attendees are required to fill in all holes.

Membership:
Membership is limited to adults 18 or older, although children are welcome at all club functions when under the direction of their parents or guardian. All adult members have voting rights for all club matters.
Rules of Conduct:
Detectors Unlimited has a "Code of Ethics.” The hobby and club suffers when anyone acts in an inconsiderate or dangerous manner. Members who violate rules will be suspended and/or expelled from the club.
Dues:
Dues are $30/year, payable in April of each year. Members joining after April have their dues prorated.

Officers:
Bill Burdon, President
Bill Eisley, Vice President
Paul Segar, Secretary
Steve Rice, Treasurer

Board Members:
Greg Abbott
Lou Bolino
Joe Cohn
Bob Melzer
Jan Seagandollar

Monthly Publication
Detectors Unlimited publishes a monthly newsletter, "Desert Tales," which informs readers about outings, programs, meeting notes, treasurer's report, raffle winners, Find of the Month contest and events of interest.
Desert Tales is e-mailed as an Adobe ".pdf" attachment to members with valid e-mail addresses. This attachment is easily opened with the free Adobe Reader application.

Finds of the Month

Each month the club has a "Finds of the Month" contest during which members show off their latest finds. The Finds of the Month are displayed on a "Table of Goodies" located at the right front of the meeting hall.Three (3) prizes are awarded for each of the following categories:Oldest U.S. coin Best:Coin Jewelry item Mineral/meteorite Military relic Miscellaneous item Non-detector finds And to members for the best three finds found on the club outing!

Local Metal Detecting
Most cities in Arizona require a city permit to metal detect in that city's parks. Please check with city authorities to see if a permit is required. A no-charge Tucson metal detecting permit can be obtained at the Tucson Parks & Recreation Department offices:
Northwest District Office - 900 South Randolph Way - 791-4873
Southwest District Office - 4208 South Santa Rita - 791-5950
East District Office - 8257 East Broadway - 791-5930

Oro Valley
Oro Valley Parks and Recreation requires a permit to metal detect in their three parks. Call 229-5050 and request an application. Fill out the application and send it back. They will "validate" your application and send it back.
Marana
Marana Parks and Recreation does not require permits. They require that holes be filled and request that trash be removed. If you have questions call 682-3324.
Tucson Prohibited Areas
No metal detecting is allowed at Tucson's Fort Lowell Park and El Presidio Plaza. Additionally, no metal detecting is allowed in the immediate downtown Courthouse area.
Pima County
Currently, Pima County does not issue metal detecting permits for its parks and no metal detecting is allowed.
Local Schools
Some local schools will allow metal detecting if permission is requested, check with each school. It is best to get written permission or have someone with authority sign a written permission statement you create.
Local Arizona State Parks
Arizona State parks can be metal detected after checking with the Park Ranger about any restricted areas.
Local National Parks
No metal detecting is allowed on National Parks.

Community Support:
Detectors Unlimited supports the community through contributions to selected charities and through volunteer efforts in support of government agencies.

Recovery of Evidence and Finding Lost Valuables:
The club and club members are available to assist with the recovery of evidence and in the recovery of lost personal items such as wedding and class rings.

To contact the club:
Ed D.
9442 E. 5th Street
Tucson, AZ 85710
E-mail ELDSRD@AOL.COM
Phone (520) 721-9139.

For more, log onto http://www.detectorsunlimited.org/

Favorite Finds

The finds shown below were made by members of Detectors Unlimited, Inc. of Tucson, Arizona, followed by those of Nelson Jecas of New Jersey, and Dwight Bonney of Pacific, Missouri.

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This amazing find (shown below) was made by Nelson Jecas, a New Jersey native and leading underwater explorer, researcher, artifacts collector, and museum lecturer.

Nelson describes his find as, “A hand-carved model ship raised from four to five feet in a Keyport, New Jersey, inlet. The model, once an odd piece of pine, contains small pieces of copper tubing mounted as cannon, three on each side. Given the fact that long-ago voyagers were without radio, television, and many other diversions, whittling was a common, inexpensive, pastime. The model may well have slipped from the grasp of one such sailor, or perhaps a playing child, and was wet for many moons before becoming stranded on a beach and, eventually, embedded in the clutching, masking sands. The model must have taken a considerable amount of time to carve back in the 18th century.”

Nelson intends to donate his find to a folk art museum in Manhattan.

Also shown are some other great finds Nelson made, including a 17th century hand-made key and a 16th century cross.

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The finds shown below were made by Dwight Bonney (Coinman) of Pacific, Missouri, 53 and disability retired, who says he got into the hobby of metal detecting for exercise and because it “sounded like a great hobby to get into.”

Dwight said, “I use a Garrett Ace 250 I got it on January 27th, 2010. I have found everything from pull-tabs to gold. I just found my first gold ring a couple of weeks ago and it was a great thrill. I hunt in the local park and have permission to search the yards of several older homes here in Pacific, plus a vacant lot downtown. I am seeking permission to search around the oldest surviving building in Pacific. It was built in 1854 as an inn and stagecoach stop. So, as you can see, my town has an old history. I also search some of the older parks in St. Louis, which is about 30 miles away."

Bonney continued, “As you can see, my finds are varied. I have found a token from a dairy that was in St. Louis only in business from1908 to1909. I have found a bawdy house token, silver jewelry, rings, hot wheels cars, about 23 mercury dimes, several Wheaties, five V nickels, six silver quarters, one sliver half, about $50 in clad, a radiator badge from a 1930's Plymouth auto, and even a silver tooth filling. I could go on and on describing my finds. I hope these pictures will help tell the story of my first three months in the hobby.”

Industry Press