Editorial

We want to take this opportunity to give you an update on some of the new features at Lost Treasure Online, www.losttreasure.com - many you may not be aware of yet.
Users (registered and logged in) can accumulate “Coins” by participating on the site. The number of points varies between activities, such as posting comments, forum topics, and just viewing/reading content on the site. Points may be redeemed for items in the Treasure Store with 1 coin = 1 cent. A maximum of 600 points may be accumulated at any given time. Points expire exactly 365 days after being obtained.
Sweepstakes entry limits are now based on true calendar day limits. The old system allowed two entries per 24 hours in the monthly sweepstakes in the hope of allowing one entry per day without waiting on an old entry to expire. The new system expires all entry limits at midnight GMT every day, so a person could actually enter at 11:59 p.m. GMT and then enter again at 12:01 a.m. GMT without waiting.
Forum topics and comments allow attachments for posting pictures of favorite finds and/or asking for help identifying items.
Lost Treasure magazine back issues have been added to the store under “magazine issues.” Large, high-res images of the cover and contents pages may be viewed by clicking the small images located to the left of the description; this applies to all products in the store.
The “Treasure Buddies” system has been back online for awhile and may be accessed via http://www.losttreasure.com/buddies
Anyone wanting access to the Extended Field Tests and the 30-day archives of Tips and Tales should contact the webmaster with their site login info and magazine subscriber number. E-mail webmaster@losttreasure.com or call (918) 786-2182.
There is a new “Announcements” section in the forums that will be updated with new information and features as they become available.
In the near future, registered users of the site will be able to view records of their past webform submissions for the month via their “My Account” page.
And, finally, Users may send private messages to other site members by clicking the “Send Message” link in the Users Profile.
Answers to commonly asked questions can be found via: http://www.losttreasure.com/readme
Now to the newsletter…
In this issue of the Lost Treasure Online Newsletter you will find the Tip From the Pros supplied by Harold G. Mathews of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Be sure to check out all the upcoming events in the 2010 Calendar, and if your club or organization has a treasure hunting related event coming up, be sure to e-mail it to me.
The Austin Metal Detecting Club of Austin, Texas, is spotlighted as the Feature Club, and you can see some of the club members’ Favorite Finds in that section.
If you as a reader have some pictures and info on some of your Favorite Finds, you can e-mail those to me also. Our readers love to see what others are finding in the field!
In the Good Hunting! section you will read about recent Finds winners from the Gold Coast Treasure Club and their Unsung Heroes.

THers’ News this issue includes:

• Old Farm Site Found Under Bike Path Project
• Staffordshire Hoard Inspires Metal Detector Guide to Hidden Midland Treasure
• Amateur Treasure Hunter Uncovers Silver Piece of History
• Meteorite Hunters Flock to Southwest Wisconsin

Until next time, treasure is in the eyes of the beholder,

Tips From The Pros

For many decades individuals have been searching for the Peralta/Dutchman Gold Mine and have not been able to locate it. I also have spent much time studying the stories for facts that might lead me to the mine. I am in my late 60’s and doubt if I will be able to get down to the area and do my own search in the Superstition Mountains, but I do think that I know where the mine is. Because of the fact that I may never be able to explore the area, I have chosen to reveal the knowledge that I have…for others to see if they can find the mine based on my info.
The Dutchman gave many clues as to the location of his mine, but individuals have misinterpreted his clues. The mine is not near Weavers Needle, but it is near Miners Needle, which looks like a sombrero or a horse's pizzle. At the Peralta Trailhead, take trail 104, the Dutchman Trail, eastward to the east side of Miners Needle. On the east side of the trail is a formation of basaltic rock. A few yards east at about 60 degrees is where I believe is the mine and ore dump, where the Indians dumped the gold ore that the Peralta family and peons mined and was taking back to their home.
Above the mine is a cliff that looks like a horse head with an ear laid back. Also near the mine is the burial grave of Jacob Wisner. A few yards north is the cave where the Dutchman camped. A few steps away a person can look west and see Weavers Needle easily because is not any obstacles in the way preventing a person from seeing it. I'll bet that there are other plugs of virgin gold in the area. All you have to do is look for them.
Let the Pinal County Sheriff Department know that you are going into the area before you go in, then let them know when you come out so that they do not have to go in and search for you.
Their telephone is (800) 352-3796. The Superstition Wilderness, Mesa Ranger District telephone is (480) 610-3300. Good luck in your search and please let the magazine editor know of your success.

A fellow treasure hunter,
Harold G. Mathews
Salt Lake City, Utah

THers' News

Old Farm Site Found Under Bike Path Project
ILLINOIS ― You have to wonder what Fountain J. Busey would think if he knew that people were scavenging around his property.
Busey was a real Champaign County pioneer, arriving here in 1829 (four years before the county was established) from Shelby County, Ky., with his parents, Matthew and Sallie Busey. In 1836, he purchased a 40-acre parcel of prairie about 2 miles southeast of downtown Urbana along what is now High Cross Road, or Illinois 130.
Sometime later, perhaps around the time of the Civil War, someone built a small cabin on the site. Busey had sold the property by then, although it's possible another member of the locally famous family was living on the site.
Now, around 150 years later, the city of Urbana intends to build a $800,000, 8-foot-wide multi-use path on the east side of High Cross Road right over the original Busey property. So before construction begins, researchers from the Illinois State Archaeological Survey at the University of Illinois (formerly known as the Illinois Transportation Archaeological Research Program) are recovering and analyzing items found at the site.
"This is standard protocol for any federal highway-funded project," said Craig Shonkwiler, an engineer with the city of Urbana who is project manager for the High Cross Road project. "It's really the right thing for us to do. Years ago, people didn't know about these sites or they just blasted through."
But it's unique, especially in East Central Illinois, for public works projects to come upon any archaeological sites, he said.
"In my career, and I've been doing this for about 15 years now, it's the only road-bike kind of project where this has come up," Shonkwiler said.
"Most of the time, we're just resurfacing an existing road anyway so it doesn't come up. In this area, this is a rare occurrence."
Last fall, Ian Fricker, an archaeologist with the state archaeology survey, surveyed the proposed path from Windsor Road to University Avenue.
"On the surface we found broken crockery, china, glass, some bricks, stuff like that," said Fricker, an assistant district director with the archaeological survey. "We were able to date the materials, and we knew we had an early site here so we decided to dig further."
Fricker and a crew of four people have excavated about 32,000 square feet of the east Urbana property now owned by Menard Inc.
"It looks like we have a mid-19th century cabin site," he said.
"Specifically, we were able to locate a small cellar, what you might call a trapdoor cellar, located beneath the cabin. We've also got a well and what probably was a refuse pit."
Among the items excavated, Fricker said, are bits of china, iron nails, bottle glass, even an animal hoof. But no parts of the cabin or its foundation have been recovered, he said.
"Of course, the foundations of houses then were not the same as what we have today," he said. "Those houses were very portable. You could literally pick them up and move them."
Mark Branstner, a historic archaeologist with the archaeology survey, said the items recovered "are a pretty typical assemblage dating from about 1850 to 1870. Other than the fact that this is associated with the Busey family, which at least locally elevates it for us, this is what we find pretty routinely.
"We had hoped for something from the 1830s or 1840s, dating from the earliest settlement period. But nothing's jumping out at us."
Branstner said he's able to narrow the items to the Civil War era because of the pieces of dishware. "Because dishes change style quickly and they usually get broken quickly and deposited into the site, they give us a good timeline of what is going on there," he said.
Fountain J. Busey, according to the local history book, "Pioneers of Champaign County" by Milton Mathews and Lewis McLean, moved quite a bit himself.
His first property was an 80-acre tract near Urbana for which he paid $1.25 an acre, the authors wrote. He traded that for land along the Sangamon River, and sold that in 1843 for a tract in Sidney, where he spent the rest of his life.
"He has met with success in life and is the possessor of a competency," wrote Mathews and McLean in 1891. "He has 560 acres of land all under fine cultivation, well fenced and stocked. In addition, he has given his children 300 acres. He also owns a business house in Sidney."
J.O. Cunningham's "History of Champaign County" recounts a journey to Chicago young Fountain Busey took with his father and several other men and boys in 1834, a few years before the onetime Army settlement was incorporated as a city.
"The trip to Chicago of those days was most comfortably made in companies of two or more wagons, and so this trip was made. Four wagons, each drawn by five yoke of oxen, constituted the caravan," Cunningham wrote. "It rained every day on the way, and they swam creeks and rivers 11 times. Each night, they camped out and occupied 21 days in making the journey."
Fountain Busey died in 1891 and is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Sidney, according to information supplied by the Urbana Free Library Archives.
Courtesy of http://cbs2chicago.com

Staffordshire Hoard Inspires Metal Detector Guide to Hidden Midland Treasure
UK - It was the once in a lifetime treasure find that sparked an explosion in metal detector sales.
Since Terry Herbert uncovered the largest ever haul of Anglo Saxon gold and silver in a farmer’s field in Hammerwich, Staffordshire, interest in the hobby has rocketed.
But if you fancied pulling on your wellies and detecting for untold riches, where would you find the ‘X’ that marks the spot?
Brian Grove is the Stourbridge-based author of The Treasure Hunter’s Handbook, a re-issued guide for metal detector enthusiasts looking to unearth lost jewels.
He said: “The best thing to do is look for old landmarks, like a big oak tree and start looking there.
“If you were looking for a spot to bury your stash, you’d want to find it again afterwards. So you’d use something to remind you where you put it – like a big oak.
“I remember hearing a story about one treasure hunter who made two separate finds next to the same tree.
“If you think about it, banks are only a relatively recent institution and if you wanted to protect your money or property in the past you had to hide it.
Online book-seller Brian, 49, has stumbled across incredible finds ever since he was a boy – but did not always realise what he had discovered.
He recalled: “I remember being on a beach with my parents when I was little and having a look at the rock pools.
“I picked up a strange looking rock and found a smaller pearl-esque rock inside.
‘‘Being young, I just threw it back into the water. But now I’m older I realise that I had actually found a pearl inside a mollusc!”
Brian’s luck with treasure didn’t improve when, as a builder in his 20s, he found hundreds of Victorian bottles in a trench in Old Hill, near Dudley – but decided not to dig them all up.
He said: “If I had known then how collectable and valuable they would become, I would have kept them!”
Nerdy
In his reissued book, first published five years ago, Brian lists other areas across the Midlands and UK where treasure has been found by fellow detectorists.
He hopes his guide will enthuse other would-be treasure hunters, without being “too nerdy”.
Brian said: “I went into a library when first starting out and asked for a starters guide book, but there weren’t any.
“There are a lot of books out there that go into too much depth about the technicalities, so I wanted to write something easy for beginners to pick up.”
The Staffordshire Hoard was recently saved for the Midlands after a £3.2 million fundraising campaign.
Brian said the historic find had done wonders for metal detecting and its reputation with history buffs.
He added: “‘The find has also done the world of good by building bridges between archaeologists and metal detectorists.
“The archaeologists realise that without a metal detector, this hoard might never have been found – so now they have stopped seeing us all as night hawkers, in it for our own gain.”
Courtesy of http://www.sundaymercury.net

Amateur Treasure Hunter Uncovers Silver Piece of History
UK - Treasure hunter John Irwin thought he might be on a hiding to nothing when he started searching a field outside Leyland with his metal detector.
But he quickly realized that he was standing on a piece of history when he found a silver coin dating back more than 650 years.
The 29-year-old, who lives on Conway Avenue in the South Ribble town, uncovered a groat coin dated 1351 and going back to the days of Edward III.
He has uncovered pieces of ancient pottery and parts of old spinning machines during his searches and now he is hoping to uncover more artifacts.
John said: "When I got there I spoke to the lady who owns the field and she just said 'good luck' because she did not think there would be anything there, but now I have found all sorts.
"I think it used to be some kind of market place because I have found bits of pottery, an old medieval spinning wheel and now this coin.
"It is the oldest thing I have found, I had one back to 1696 before now but I am told there could be bits going back to 1100 in this field."
The self-employed plumber, who is studying an environmental course at Blackpool and The Fylde College, said he was keeping the exact location of his find, in a field somewhere between Leyland and Mawdesley, a secret because he does not want fellow archaeologists descending upon the farm.
He said: "I am going to go back there and see what else I can find."
Dr David Hunt, curator of the Leyland Museum, said that coins dating back to the 14th century were "quite common" in the area.
He said that farmland around the town at the time the coin was minted, just four years after the end of the Black Death in Britain, would have been buzzing with activity.
The expert said: "In many ways, Leyland in 1351 was similar to how it was 300 years later, a cluster of cottages surrounding the parish church.
"The communities would largely be farming on the Moss, there was a lot of basket-making happening in the area at the time and the Farington and De Hoghton families who are still around today would have been well-established by then.
"The chances are this is a bit of change which has fallen out of someone's pocket and been uncovered today."
He said that many amateur treasure hunters had uncovered similar finds throughout Lancashire which were "very interesting but not unusual."
One of the biggest hoards of treasure ever uncovered was found on the southern bank of the River Ribble at Cuerdale, near Bamber Bridge, in May 1840.
It numbered 8,600 pieces of silver coins and bullion and is believed to be the largest Viking silver hoard every found outside Russia.
Dr Hunt said: "Even some parts of that find were not very significant.
"There are plenty of pieces out there to be found."
Courtesy of http://www.lep.co.uk

Meteorite Hunters Flock to Southwest Wisconsin
LIVINGSTON - They look like rocks, but they're millennia older and worth so much more.
Meteorites continue to be discovered in southwest Wisconsin, bringing scientists and treasure hunters from across the country.
The meteor blasted thru the earth's atmosphere Wednesday night at 36,000 miles per hour -a magnetic fireball that overpowered the bright lights of Milwaukee and lit up the night sky over Portage.
By the time it reached southwest Wisconsin, it exploded, scattering meteorites across the countryside.
"It had to be more than a ton. There should be hundreds of pounds on the ground," said Michael Farmer, a meteorite hunter who came from Tucson, Arizona.
"Whenever they fall like this, I'm on the first plane I can get on to get out here," Farmer said.
On Saturday, he made a grand find - an apricot-sized metal object from outer space.
"It's not like anything you have here on earth. They're very heavy and very magnetic. If you put a magnet on it, it will stick to the magnet," Farmer said.
These meteorites are incredibly rare. As part of the meteor, they likely traveled the cosmos for billions of years before crash landing in Wisconsin.
"It was further out in space than our astronauts have been," Farmer said. "It's just something amazing."
Terry Boudreaux and his two teenage sons drove 400 miles around Grant and Iowa Counties this weekend, until they finally came across a farmer, just outside of Livingston.
"He said he was drinking a beer in his chair and the meteorite exploded above his house, and a piece of it hit his shed, and bounced right next to him. I went 'oh my gosh, you've got to be kidding,'" said Boudreaux, a meteorite collector from Illinois.
Boudreaux and his sons eventually found a grape-sized meteorite on the farmer's property. They'll keep searching for more, but time is running out.
"The farmers are plowing the fields now. It's terrible watching them plow these under. Get out and find them now. A lot of money can be found," said Farmer.
Especially when the next rock you see could really be a piece of cosmic history.
The meteorites they found so far are small enough to fit in your pocket - most are worth about $100 to $500 dollars.
Courtesy of http://www.wxow.com

Rock Enthusiasts Find Fascination In the Ground
BLOOMINGTON - Earth Day has deep meaning for McLean County residents Tim Clark, Dave Fitch and Ed Wagner.
They enjoy reading about the history of the planet that time has written in stone.
Clark and his children, Ryan, 13, Ethan, 11, and Madeline, 9, look for fossils, the impressions left by plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Fitch enjoys collecting gemstones to cut and polish to dazzling beauty. Wagner, who is intrigued by all kinds of minerals, turned his life-long hobby into a career as a geologist with the United States Geological Service.
Clark and Fitch are members of the Peoria Academy of Sciences Geology Section, an official-sounding name for a group of about 80 rock and fossil hunters. Clark also belongs to the Decatur-based Central Illinois Gem and Mineral Club that hosts its annual rock show April 24-25 at the Macon County Fairgrounds in Decatur. General admission is $5. See http://earthinsync.com/cigmc/index.html for more.
Fitch is president of the Peoria academy while Wagner, of rural Carlock, is president of the Springfield Lincoln Orbit Earth Science Society.
The 40th annual Earth Day is Thursday.
Clark, 44, of Bloomington, started rock and fossil hunting three years ago after he bought some plain-looking rocks called geodes at Bloomington's Third Sunday Market. He and his children broke open their smooth round exteriors to reveal beautiful quartz crystals inside. Later, the Clarks traveled to Keokuk, Iowa, for a geode festival where guides led them to places where they could keep all the geodes they found.
"They are ugly rocks on the outside, but you crack them open and it's really neat," said Clark, who works at State Farm Bank.
His kids became interested in fossils during field trips to quarries in Central Illinois. The family also takes fossil-hunting adventures to places like Mazonia Braidwood State Fish & Wildlife Area. The area, part of what is a geological region known as Mazon Creek, was once a swamp bordering the sea.
Mazon Creek is famous worldwide for fossils encased in round or oval rocks. By freezing and thawing the "nodules" several times, they can be carefully cracked open to expose the impressions of soft-bodied plants and animals that lived during the time known as the Coal Age about 300 million years ago. Hunters are likely to find anything from ferns and leaves to worms, jellyfish, clams or Tully Monsters, the Illinois state fossil. Tully Monsters were several inches long with sharp teeth at one end and fins at the other. Their fossils are found only in Mazon Creek in present-day Livingston, Grundy, Will and Kankakee counties,
"It's what used to be here," said Clark, explaining the fascination with fossils. "What was here before us? What did it look like? The landscape, the geography, what did it look like? There's so much you look at and know nothing about until you learn about these rocks. It really is a history lesson and a treasure hunt at the same time."
The Clarks also have traveled to Arkansas in search of quartz and diamonds and Kentucky and southern Illinois to find fluorite, the Illinois state mineral. Along the way, the kids have gotten lessons in geology, history, biology and chemistry. Their online research skills have improved as they try to identify what they've found.
"The best part is being outside in nature and looking around," said their dad. "They can touch things and we aren't worried about breaking things. These are rocks, after all."
Madeline Clark has added animal skull collecting to her interests, after finding a raccoon skull and what appears to be the skull of a coyote.
Fitch, 59, of Normal, inherited rock polishing equipment from his grandfather, "a rock hound," and bought more equipment and rocks at an estate sale. Like the Clarks, he loves to search for special rocks. He also buys samples from other parts of the world. They include different kinds of quartz, from agate to rutilated quartz, a Brazilian rock featuring little gold and silver colored veins of titanium.
"You can take what looks like an innocent rock, you can slice it up and polish it and wind up with something pretty special. Everything is unique," Fitch said.
Wagner has been finding minerals and fossils since he was old enough to walk. Like Clark, he likes geodes -- big geodes. His largest to date weighs 240 pounds. It took four men to move the rock with quartz inside from the place he discovered it in a creek bed near Quincy. He also searches for other minerals and fossils. He's found coral in Illinois that dates to 400 million years ago when Illinois was at the bottom of the ocean.
"My fascination is with the beauty nature can produce, the forms and colors," said Wagner. "Fossils show how climate change can totally devastate an ecological community. We were once an ocean and now we aren't."
Courtesy of http://www.pantagraph.com

2010 Calendar of Events

APRIL
23rd – 25th – Keene & Marlborough, New Hampshire. 17th Best O’ North East (BONE) Treasure Hunters Weekend sponsored by Professional Treasure Hunters. For info, e-mail gstreeter@ne.rr.com or call (603) 876-4443. Advance registrations to PTHHS, 307 Main St., Marlborough, NH 03455.

24th – Radersberg, Montana. Headwaters Chapter of the GPAA’s 7th Annual Claim Jumpers Metal Detector Hunt. Gold Nuggets! Silver Coins! Prizes! For info, e-mail gpaainfo@yahoo.com

24th – 25th – Cashmere, Washington. The North Central Washington Prospectors’ 11th annual Gold and Treasure Show at the Chelan County Fairgrounds. Sat., 9-5, Sun., 9-4. $3 admission, 12 and under free. For more info, contact Carl Pederson, President at repete7@verizon.net or call (509) 630-8239.

30th – May 2nd – Apache Junction, Arizona. FMDAC 2010 Spring Festival - three days of fun and activities at the Goldfield Ghost Town. Hunts all three days with seminars and displays on site. Detectors, gold nuggets, silver coins and other prizes to be won. For more information, contact Duane Biller at dbiller@atlanticbb.net or Mike Smith at promack@quik.com, (480) 983-7011. You can go online to www.fmdac.org to download hunt forms.

MAY
7th – 9th – Pawnee, Oklahoma. Oklahoma Steam and Gas Engine Show at the Steam Park Grounds. Gates Open at 8 a.m. Adults: $7 per day or $10 for 3-day pass, children 12 and under free. Friday is School Day - (school groups accompanied by teacher admitted free). Demonstrations, vendors, displays. Log onto http://www.oklahomathreshers.org/ for more information or contact the Pawnee Chamber of Commerce, (918) 762-2108, pawneeok@att.net

15th – Virginia Beach, Virginia. Save the date. This is the hunt all your friends told you about. The one and only 23rd annual open hunt sponsored by Tidewater Coin and Relic Club at the beautiful Virginia Beach oceanfront. Rain or shine. Detectors, gold, silver and prizes galore. Contact Ina Finn at sanddigger@charter.net or (757) 679-0467.

15th – Brownwood, Texas. Texas Council of Treasure Clubs Open Satellite Hunt & Free Kids’ Hunt at Allcorn Park. For registration information, log onto http://www.texascouncil.net and click on Special Event or Member Events.

16th – Lathrop, Missouri. The Three Trails Historical Search Team of Independence, Missouri, will sponsor their 26th Annual Treasure Hunt at the Antique Show Grounds. For more information, contact Gregg Arnold at (913) 831-1011 or e-mail gastudio@kc.rr.com

22nd – 23rd – Lisbon, North Dakota. NEW LOCATION! Minnkota Artifact Recovery Group’s 11th annual treasure hunt at Dead Colt Creek Park. Coins, Food, Raffles. For more info, contact Jeff Kehl at jkehl1963@yahoo.com or (320) 845-7814.

22nd – Onset, Massachusetts. The 18th Annual Open Treasure Hunt sponsored by the Gateway Treasure Hunters Club at the Onset Public Beach, rain or shine. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Easy access from I-95, I-495 and Mass. Routes 3, 6, 25 and 28. For more info, call Roy Gouge at (508) 759-9779, e-mail phylroy@verizon.net or visit the club’s website at http://mysite.verizon.net/gthclub22

29th – 30th – Casper, Wyoming. The Natrona County Rockhounds Club will host its Gem, Rock and Mineral Show 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 29 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 30 at the Natrona County Fairgrounds Industrial Building, 1700 Fairgrounds Road. Vendors, demonstrations, displays, silent auction, door prizes, raffles and more. Admission: $3, children 12 and younger free with an adult. For more information, contact Randy Sternberg at 307-234-6156.

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.

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 – 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
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

Good Hunting!

Shown are the recent winners of the Finds of the Month contest for the Gold Coast Treasure Club: Tom Lieberman, Jim Sharp, Gary McNew, Mindy Spiroch, and Stacey deLucia.

Gold Coast Treasure Club Hunt Master Linda Bennett recently presented the club’s newest annual award, the “Unsung Hero” Trophy, to Paul Hamlin and Gary McNew in recognition for returning the most number of lost items to their rightful owners. The impressive trophy, which features the names of all members who returned items during 2009, will be on display during future meetings. We salute all the Goodwill Ambassadors for their service to others!

All Gold Coast Treasure Club Unsung Heroes 2009

(Numbers indicate items returned to original owners)

Paul Hamlin (4)

Gary McNew (4)

Jim Sharp (3)

Tom Lieberman (3)

Frank Nash (2)

Jack Saint (2)

Nikolay Malchev (1)

Gary Spiroch (1)

Pauline Nash (1)

Steve Hoskins (1)

Irving Smith (1)

Bob Dobski (1)

Trent Bowen (1)

Jan Smirnow (1)

Feature Club

The Austin Metal Detecting Club
Since 1963, the Austin Metal Detecting Club (AMDC) has been serving the needs of metal detectorists in the central Texas area, acting as a clearinghouse for information and providing an enjoyable social environment for folks interested in the fascinating hobby of metal detecting.
Currently, their roster includes around 50 members of all ages, ranging from highly experienced to the newcomer in this fascinating hobby of metal detecting.
Club activities include monthly meetings, social hunts, and competition hunts for silver and prizes.
The AMDC is an active member of the FMDAC and the Texas Council of Treasure Clubs, and maintains close contact with organizations on state and national levels to keep members up-to-date on the latest metal detecting news and developments.
Everyone is welcome to join in the fun, so come on down and get in on the action! Read more about the club following these photos!

AMDC members Blaine and Jim (left), and Scott (far right) are shown with Rob (the ring owner) and Clive (Rob’s son) after the club members found and returned Rob’s lost wedding ring. (His wife, Rebecca, took the photo).

Reknowned treasure hunter and shipwreck diver Captain Carl “Fizz” Fismer is shown with an AMDC member.

The AMDC participates in a service project with special needs children - teaching them how to metal detect and find treasure - at the Kerrville Lions’ Camp. 

Meeting Information
Meeting programs feature a variety of Guest Speakers on topics of interest to the detectorist - news on upcoming local and regional events, and the usual upbeat camaraderie of fellow metal detector enthusiasts. Newcomers are always welcome!

Place - Woodlawn Baptist Church, 4600 Manchaca, Room – M – 103/104
2nd Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.

Membership: $20

Display Contest
Every June the club takes a break from their “Find of the Month” competition to hold a “Display Contest.” All members are encouraged to enter; this will give everyone a chance to be creative! The only rule is that items included in your display must have been found this year – meaning since the Christmas dinner last December. So gather your finds and have fun creating a display to enter. Meeting attendees will vote on their favorite display and there will be a nice prize for the winner. You may bring finds or displays to show and not enter the contest.

2010 Officers
President – Susie Mireles
Vice President – Jim Lawhon
Treasurer – Scott Hegel
Secretary/Newsletter – Blaine Nelson

Executive Committee
Leon and Mary Prause
Art Tiemann
Richard Wright
Lee Presley
John Chapman
Betty Vickers
Cecil Herrin
DIG IT Newsletter - Blaine Nelson

To contact the club:
Austin Metal Detecting Club
C/O Blaine Nelson
5007 Timothy Circle
Austin, TX 78734

For more information, log onto http://www.amdconline.com
 

Favorite Finds

Shown below are some finds made by members of the Austin Metal Detecting Club, along with a list of finds presented at a recent meeting.

The button shown in two pics above was found at a ghost town close to the coast with a White's MXT.

Jan Hallez (Denver, Colorado) and Blaine Nelson recently assisted a young couple in searching for her missing grandmother's ring. Success!

Searching Sisters - Jan Hallez (Denver, CO) and Blaine Nelson.

Recent 2010 Finds for the Austin Metal Detecting Club

U.S. Coin Foreign Coin
Blaine Nelson - 1976 Half
Jim Lawhon - 2000 10 Cent - Bahamas
Scott Hegel - 1916 Dime
Blaine Nelson - 1991 $1 - Malaysia
Jim Lawhon - 1928 Nickel
Scott Mathews - Asian Coin
Rudy Nordmeyer - 1948 Nickel
Jack Ball - 2008 Quarter - Canada
Daniel Mireles - 1982D Cent
Scott Hegel - 2002 Cent - Canada
Jack Ball - 1963D Cent
Rudy Nordmeyer - 1998 Cent - Canada
Jan Hallez - Memorial Cent Cut in Half
Leon Prause - 1986D Cent

Ring
Mary Prause - 1981D Cent
Jan Hallez - Silver Spinner with Clear Stones
Dennis Gans - 1965 Quarter
Scott Hegel - Gold Band
Richard Wright - 1966 Dime
Blaine Nelson - JA Silver Belt
Scott Mathews - 1966 Cent
Daniel Mireles - Bent Silver
Scott Mathews - Kid's Jeweled

Token
Jack Ball - Orlando Magic
Scott Hegel - 10 Cent RC
Roddy, Elmaton, TX Jim Lawhon - 10K Initial Ring
Jack Ball - Pleasant Valley Sportsplex
Rudy Nordmeyer - Silver with Turquoise
Scott Mathews - 1986 Chuckie Cheese
Blaine Nelson - Crown

Artifact
Jan Hallez - Colorado RTD
Jim Lawhon - Texas Gulf Sulphur Co. Tag
Daniel Mireles - Crabtree Amusements
Scott Hegel - Bird Broach
Jim Lawhon - Carnival Cruise Token
Blaine Nelson - Wooden Lure
Rudy Nordmeyer - Gun Barrel Band

Jewelry
Scott Mathews - Hanging Hook
Jan Hallez - Silver Heart Broach with Feathers
Jack Ball - Top of Pen
Scott Hegel - Cross
Jan Hallez - Buckle
Jim Lawhon - Friendship in Christ Pendant
Richard Wright - Plate Cover
Leon Prause - Heart Pendant
Daniel Mireles - Part of a Key
Rudy Nordmeyer - Jeweled Cross
Blaine Nelson - Butterfly Pendant on Chain

Button
Mary Prause - Hematite Cross
Jim Lawhon - Fire Department - 2 Piece
Richard Wright - Metal Cross
Blaine Nelson - Small 2 Hole
Scott Mathews - Cross Pendant
Jan Hallez - Black and Silver with Crest
Daniel Mireles – Jacket

Toy
Ed Newsom - Decorative
Jim Lawhon - Fire Truck
Scott Hegel - 2 Hole
Scott Hegel - Water Whistle
Jack Ball - Band Uniform
Blaine Nelson - Little Helicopter
Mary Prause - Black
Jack Ball - Toy Figurine
Scott Mathews - Large 4 Hole
Jan Hallez - Yellow SW Racing Car
Scott Mathews - Purple Speed Racer Car

Non-Metal
Rudy Nordmeyer - Besame Yo No Fumo Pin
Scott Hegel - Mexican Medicine Bottle
Jan Hallez - Victoria Secret Gift Card

Most Unusual
Scott Mathews - Plastic Mexican Religious Card
Blaine Nelson - Small Armadillo
Daniel Mireles - Bottle Cap
Jim Lawhon - Body by Fisher Tag
Blaine Nelson - Rubber Centipede
Rudy Nordmeyer - Silver Plated Spoon
Jack Ball - Plastic Pendant
Jack Ball - Eyelash Curler
Jim Lawhon - Plastic Case
Daniel Mireles - Clamp
Leon Prause - Hair Band
Scott Hegel - Model "A" Spark Plug
Mary Prause - Key Ring
Richard Wright - Bracelet Part
Richard Wright - $1 Bill
Scott Mathews - Clasp with Piece of Leather
Rudy Nordmeyer – Fossil

Oldest U.S. Coin/Oldest U.S. Cent
Ed Newsom - 1887 Dime
Scott Hegel - 1879
Scott Hegel - 1899 Nickel
Jim Lawhon - 1919
Jim Lawhon - 1899 Nickel
Rudy Nordmeyer - 1934
Blaine Nelson - 1947D Nickel
Jan Hallez - 1940D
Jack Ball - 1965 Dime
Blaine Nelson - 1951D
Dennis Gans - 1965 Nickel
Richard Wright - 1951D
Scott Mathews - 1965 Quarter
Jack Ball - 1956D
Richard Wright - 2000 Quarter
Ed Newsom - 1956D
Scott Mathews - 1962D
Most Valuable U.S. Coin
Dennis Gans - 1966
Scott Hegel - 1913D Cent
Mary Prause - 1976D
Jim Lawhon - 1908 Nickel
Blaine Nelson - 1961D Dime

Display
Jan Hallez - 1919 Cent
Jan Hallez
Blaine Nelson
Scott Hegel
Scott Mathews