Rocky Mountain Prospectors &

Treasure Hunters Newsletter

The News
v. 19, n. 6 June 2015

Going for the Gold

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

Contents
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S.S. Central AmericaRound II

Find Of The Month Program
Dug Up
Elections And Dues At June
Meeting
Finnish Treasure Shipwreck
More Colorado Treasures
Calendar of Events
Calendars
Treasure Hunter Unearths Rare
Ring
Gold Detector Frequencies
Resting Results In Huge Gold
Nugget
Gold Detector Frequencies
Resting Results In Huge Gold
Nugget
Lions Park Prospecting &
Detecting ClinicRescheduled
Trading Post
2015 Schedule of Events
Contact List

S.S. Central America Round II

By Amanda Lee Myers
Cincinnati (AP)
July 18, 2014

eep-sea explorers recovered millions of dollars

in gold and silver and a slew of personal items
that are a virtual time capsule of the California
Gold Rush, according to newly unsealed court documents obtained by The Associated Press that provide the
first detailed inventory of a treasure trove being resurrected from an 1857 shipwreck at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
The recovery effort at the SS Central America shipwreck,
about 200 miles off the South Carolina coast, began in
April and is expected to continue throughout the summer.
The operation is being directed by a court-appointed
receiver of an Ohio company that had been led by a
treasure hunter-turned-fugitive named Tommy Thompson, who first found the Central America in 1988 a
monumental achievement funded by a group of central
Ohio investors who never saw a penny.
Immediately after finding the ship and recovering a fraction of its garden of gold, Thompson became embroiled
in a decades-long legal battle over who had rights to the
treasure and how it was being dispersed. None of the
investors ever saw a return, despite the gold selling for
about $50 million, though Thompson's supporters say
the vast majority went toward legal fees and loans.

"Banking establishments are more dangerous

than standing armies."
- Thomas Jefferson

In August 2012, after he failed to show up for several

court hearings, a warrant was issued for Thompson's
arrest. He has been a federal fugitive ever since.
(Thompson has since been arrested and is in custody).
(Continued on page 3)

About The News

he News is the official newsletter of the Rocky
Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters
Club (RMPTH): our mailing address is 278
Sierra Vista Drive, Fort Collins, CO. 80524.

Opinions expressed in The News are those of the

authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the
club or its members. Publication of information in
The News constitutes no guarantee of accuracy. Use
of any information found in this publication is at the
sole risk of the user. Neither RMPTH, nor its 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.

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. Annual dues are
$25 payable in June. Applicants joining in any month
other than June pay partial dues of $2 per month for
months remaining prior to following June plus $1.

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.

CLUB MEMBERS TAKE NOTE

Club Hats, Shirts, Jackets, & Patches are again available.
Ask for info at the club meetings to purchase your club items!
We will be running a 50/50 Drawing at each club meeting. At the end of each
meeting Tom will split the pot 50/50 and a lucky member will go home with more
money than they came with.!
The remaining 50% goes to the club treasury.
Page 2

The News, June 2015

(Continued from page 1)

Meanwhile, the Central America and its gold sat untouched since 1991, the last time Thompson and his
team were at the site.
The new recovery operation was made possible after the
court-appointed receiver awarded a contract to Tampa,
Florida-based Odyssey Marine Exploration to conduct
the recovery in hopes of bringing up more treasure and
paying back investors.
The inventories, unsealed by a federal judge in Virginia
late Wednesday, show that Odyssey Marine has brought
up 43 solid gold bars, 1,300 $20 double eagle gold
coins, and thousands more gold and silver coins.
Bob Evans, an Ohio scientist who was on both the original and current expeditions, said in a statement "the variety and quality of the coins being recovered is just astonishing."
He said the double eagles are just as "spectacular" as the
ones recovered more than 25 years ago, but that the
most recent recovery has resulted in a wider variety of
coins.

The News, June 2015

"I have seen what I believe are several of the finest known
examples," Evans said. "The coins date from 1823 to
1857 and represent a wonderful diversity of denominations and mints, a time capsule of virtually all the coins
that were used in 1857."
It's unclear how much more gold is left in the Central
America and estimates have varied wildly, with some
saying there could have been up to 21 tons on the ship
when it sank.
Odyssey Marine could not immediately provide an estimate of what the gold that has been recovered so far is
worth, but it's easily in the millions, based on past sales
of such items.
For instance, thousands of $10 and $20 gold coins sold
by Odyssey Marine from the SS Republic, which sank off
the southeastern U.S. in 1865, sold for an average of
about $6,700 a coin.
That would mean the $10 and $20 gold coins recovered
(Continued on page 5)

Page 3

Find of the Month

Winners
May, 2015

Most Valuable Coin:

Bud Yoder - 1910-S Lincoln Cent
Oldest Coin:
Tom Warne - 1892 Indianhead
Cent
Largest Raw Gold:
Bud Yoder - Clear Creek Nugget
Most Raw Gold:
Bud Yoder - Clear Creek Gold
Best Bottle:
Bud Yoder - Medical Syrup Bottle
Best Jewelry:
Tom Marschall - Gold Pendant
Most Unique Find (Excavated):
Lee Sampson - Watch Fob With
Compass
Most Unique Find (Non-Excavated):
Tom Warne - Military Great Seal
Button
Rock, Gem, Mineral & Fossil:
Fred Sugden - Ammonite of the
Cophloped Family

Why do I have to press one

for English when you're just
gonna transfer me to
someone I can't
understand anyway?
Gold Glossary
Flumes - Flumes are like sluice boxes, they do not
have riffles though and are used solely to transport
water in areas where a ditch would be impossible
(cliffsides, rocky hillsides). Two flumes were built in
the construction of the China Ditch.

TREASURE HUNTERS
CODE OF ETHICS

I WILL respect private property and do no treasure

hunting without the owner's permission.
I WILL fill all excavations.
I WILL appreciate and protect our heritage of natural
resources, wildlife, and private property.
I WILL use thoughtfulness, consideration, and courtesy
at all times.

Go get some for the

June Club Meeting!

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.

Page 4

The News, June 2015

(Continued from page 3)

from the Central America so far could sell for up to $9

million, potentially more.
Gold bars vary in value depending on myriad factors. In
2000, Sotheby's estimated that gold bars recovered from
the Central America between 1988 and 1991, which
weighed up to 54 pounds, were worth between $8,000
and $250,000 each.
The passenger items recovered from the Central America
so far provide a window into the world of a California
Gold Rush miner and other Americans who were on
their way from The Golden State to New York when their
ship sunk.

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

Among them was a safe that contained two cotton pieces

of clothing wrapped tightly around gold coins, nuggets,
and dust, a pouch with 134 gold double eagles, a leather
saddlebag with more nuggets, and a small packet filled
with paper and sealed with twine.
Other items include wire-rimmed glasses, a gold puzzle
ring, and the photographs of at least 60 passengers. The
photos are called ambrotypes, a short-lived type of photography that used glass plates, and were left at the bottom of the ocean until Odyssey Marine can figure out
how to safely recover them.
"Photographs of any mid-19th century Gold Rush miners
are rare, and these ambrotypes are the only examples
found on any 19th-century shipwreck worldwide," according to a court report by Odyssey Marine.
The inventories document what Odyssey Marine recovered at the shipwreck from the beginning of the operation on April 15 through June 15. An inventory of operations from the past month should be filed soon.
The SS Central America was in operation for four years
during the California Gold Rush. It sailed into a hurricane in 1857 and sank in one of the worst maritime disasters in American history; 425 people were killed and
thousands of pounds of gold sank with it, contributing to
an economic panic.

Refreshment Volunteers
JuneFred Sugden
JulyDick & Sharon French
AugustRay & Loralee Hettinger
SeptemberBard Schuldt
OctoberRay McGehee & Ann Nichols
NovemberGeorge & Peggy Stumpf
The News, June 2015

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.

Page 5

dump it in the ocean so he could claim insurance on it.

Dug Up

e all grow up digging around in sand boxes hoping to strike it rich and find some hidden and
valuable ancient treasures. What we typically
find is an old Matchbox car or a present left behind by a
cat. Either way, its very rare to find something desirable.
Well, thats not quite the case with a young group of boys
in California. They were digging in their yard when they
found something that would make anyones jaw drop
and their mouth start drooling. These kids were digging
in their yard when they came across something big,
something metal, and something very, very valuable. A
buried Ferrari!

The thieves buried the car with the intention of returning

to pick it up.
The boys actually discovered a 1974 Ferrari Dino 246
GTS buried just a few feet under the dirt in their yard.
The family had just moved into the house and immediately called authorities who
came and roped
off the area. A
team of investigators arrived and
unearthed the
very valuable
rare car.
Farmers Insurance was contacted and because of the VIN
number they
traced the last
owner. After the
investigation, it
turns out that
the owner of the
car had actually
hired thieves to
steal the car and
Page 6

The buried Ferrari was then auctioned off after being on

display with the incredible story being reported across
the nation. It was purchased by a young mechanic who
owned his own shop in California. The going price was
estimated to be between $5,000 and $9,000, that he paid
(Continued on page 7)
The News, June 2015

(Continued from page 6)

for the car.

He fully restored the buried Ferrari and often enters the

car into car shows. Here are the pictures of the car after
the complete restoration. His initial investment is now
worth in the millions!

Golden Facts
The United States Federal Reserve holds 7,385 tons
(6,700 tons) of gold, in 530,000 gold bars. At its
peak in 1973, the Fed stored more than 13,227 tons
(12,000 tons) of monetary gold. (Source: World Gold
Council)
One ounce (28.3 grams) of pure gold can be hammered into a single 10.7-square-yard (nine-metricsquare) sheet.
Around half of all gold mined today (49%) is made
into jewelry, which remains the single largest use
for gold. India is the worlds largest market for gold
jewelry, representing about 822 tons (746 tons) of
gold in 2010. Indian women own about 19,841 tons
(18,000 tons) of gold jewelry.
(Source: GoldFacts.org)

Everything on the car has been restored to the exact factory condition. However, this car comes with some incredible history and an awesome story.
The car even has a vanity plate which reads DUG UP.
How perfect is that?

Gold is often alloyed with other metals to change its

color and strength. 18 karat gold is composed of
750 parts of pure gold per 1,000.
(Source: GoldFacts.org)

JUNE 3 CLUB MEETING

ELECTION OF OFFICER FOR 2016
DUES & 2016 MEMBERSHIP CARDS

Door Prize Donors For May

Cigar BoxSmoker Friendly at Or

chard Center Loveland

Bolo TieAnne Nichols
Water Bottle HolderChuck Russell
Cuban Reject Cigar BoxRick
Mattingly
John Wayne CalendarRick
Mattingly
Bronco MedallionMike Wilkins
Mining TShirtBrian Bussell

The June Club Meeting will be busy as

we will be taking final nomination for
Officers followed by Election of Officers for the coming year.
We will also be collecting dues for the
coming year. Dues remain a deal at
$25 per year for individual or family.
We will then issue new membership
cards for 2016.
Oh, and that doesnt even include the
regular programs so come prepared.
See you at the June 3 meeting!

The News, June 2015

Page 7

Finnish Treasure
Shipwreck
Archaeologists discover shipwreck loaded
with more than $50 million in treasure
May 3, 2015

ne Finnish shipwreck is the discovery that

keeps on giving.

A team of underwater archaeologists in Finland has

discovered a shipwreck that dates to the 15th century, and it's full of treasure. The team believes the
find is the wreck of the Hanneke Wromen, a ship that
sank on November 20, 1468, with 200 passengers
and crew members on board. The ship was en route
from Germany to Estonia when it was lost during a
storm.
According to historic records, the ship was carrying
10,000 gold coins when it sank. Historians believe the
treasure would be worth 50 million Euros (about $56
million) today. The team had been searching for the
shipwreck since last year.
Finland's National Board of Antiquities has authorized further investigations into the shipwreck, and the
team hopes that they will retrieve the gold coins. Researchers will also date wood from the shipwreck to
confirm that it is, indeed, from the Hanneke Wromen.
Meghan DeMaria
theweek.com

More Colorado
Treasures

rapahoe County - A cache of gold ore worth

$10,000 was buried somewhere in Pat's Hole
within today's Dinosaur National Monument.
Worth many times that value today, the treasure has
never been recovered.
Costilla County The treasure of the paymaster of
Fort Garland was stashed on Trinchera Creek.
El Paso County - Near Monument, between Colorado
Springs and Denver, the Butch Cassidy gang is said to
have stashed $100,000 from their bank robberies.
El Paso County An outlaw gang called the "Bloody
Espinosas" terrorized the San Luis Valley in 1863.
Supposedly, the gang had received a vision from the
Virgin Mary and tried to drive the Anglos out by robbing them. They were said to have buried their treasure near the present-day town of Cascade in Ute Pass
on the slopes of Pikes Peak. For a time, the gang
eluded capture but were finally conquered by an army
scout from Fort Garland who rode back to the fort
with their heads in a sack.
Garfield County - Train robbery loot hidden near
Grand Valley remains undiscovered.
Gilpin County - A chest filled with gold was hidden on
Ralston Creek Road between Central City and Denver.
Huerfano County - Two barrels of coins belonging to
Henry Sefton were lost at the Gomez Ranch in the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Lake County - Some of Jesse James' stolen wealth is
said to be hidden in Half Moon Gulch, southwest of
Leadville.
Larimer County - The Musgrove Gang, headed by Lee
Musgrove, were thieves and rustlers who ranged from
(Continued on page 9)

Before You Buy That Metal Detector Handbook Check:

http://www.mdhtalk.org/articles/before-you-buy-hb/before-you-buy-handbook.pdf
Page 8

The News, June 2015

(Continued from page 8)

Texas to Wyoming to Kansas. Noted for their barbarity, they were said to have killed at least twelve people
during their raids. However, Colorado lawman Dave
Cook went after the gang, and one-by-one, either
killed or arrested each and every one of them. Lee
Musgrove was finally caught by Cook in Wyoming Territory and was jailed in Denver. On November 23,
1868 a crowd stormed the jail and lynched the outlaw. The Musgrove Corral Treasure of gold and silver
coins is said to remain buried along the Cache la
Poudre River.
Otero County - The site of Bent's Fort on the old
Santa Fe Trail is supposed to be where much Treasure is buried.
Lincoln County -- In 1847, $100,000 was stolen by
bandits in Sacramento, California during the California Goldrush. It is said that the gold was hidden in a
gulch several miles east of Clifford in Lincoln County.
The spot was supposedly marked by three stones,
each bearing the date 1847. This story was further
supported when a flat stone bearing the inscription
"D. Grover and Joseph Fox Lawe, Aug. 8, 1847" was
discovered near Clifford many years ago.

Mosquito Trap
Cut plastic liter bottle in half
In bottom half place one cup warm water
Add quarter cup of brown sugar
Add half teaspoon of dry yeast
Place top of bottle upside down in bottom half
Tape together with electrician's tape
Place in area away from human activity
Mosquitoes are attracted by carbon dioxide
emitted from concoction and are trapped inside bottom half of trap.

Moffat County - In the 1890s, Butch Cassidy and his

Wild Bunch often fled into the remote valley of
Brown's Hole to escape from lawmen. It is believed
that much of their outlaw loot was cached here and
never recovered. Located just south of Wyoming,
along the Utah-Colorado border, it was rumored that
the only law was that of the fastest gun.

The News, June 2015

Page 9

Calendar of Events
June Meeting
Wednesday, June 3. We will meet at the Pulliam
Building in downtown Loveland at 6:00PM. Refer to
the adjoining map for directions.
Meeting Agenda
6:00 - 7:00 Social Hour & Finds Program
7:00 - 7:30 Business, Announcements & Find of
the Month Program
7:30 - 7:45 Break
7:45 - 9:00 "Gold Dredging By RMPTH
members.

Visit RMPTH On The Internet At

http://rmpth.com

RMPTH DUES
RMPTH is an unincorporated Social Club with
no income generated. All
expenses are covered by
$25 annual dues. Members are requested to
consider minor donations
at each monthly meeting
to cover refreshments.

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!).
Page 10

The News, June 2015

June 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

RMPTH Finds Program

& Social 6:00P
RMPTH Meeting 7:00P

10

Sat

6
Lions Park Prospecting & Detecting
Clinic 9:00-12:00

11

12

13

RMPTH Board Meeting

6:00P

14
21

15
22

16
23

17
24

18

19

20

Colorado Gold Panning Championships Breckenridge

Colorado Gold Panning Championships Breckenridge

25

26

Fathers Day
Colorado Gold Panning Championships Breckenridge

28

27
Clear Creek Gold
Outing

29

30

July 2015
Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

RMPTH Finds Program

& Social 6:00P
RMPTH Meeting 7:00P

13

14

15

4
Independence Day

10

RMPTH Board Meeting

6:00P

12

Sat

16

11
Eldora Ski Resort
Detector Outing

17

18
Clear Creek Gold
Outing

19

20

21

22

23

24

26

27

28

29

30

31

The News, June 2015

25

Page 11

Treasure Hunter
Unearths Rare Ring
A gold ring discovered by an amateur
treasure hunter is 300 years old
10 September 2014

lovers' gold ring engraved with an Old English

romantic message has been unearthed by a
treasure hunting great-grandfather more than
300 years since it was lost.
Pensioner Tom Ross found the rare 'Posy' ring while
sweeping his metal detector over a ploughed farmer's
field near Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The delicate ladies adornment, which has been dated
to the late 1600s and is 85% gold, bears the Old English inscription "I noght on gift bot gifer" - which
translated means "Look not on the gift, but the giver".
Also known as a betrothal ring, it pre-dates the custom of proposing with an engagement ring, but essentially served the same purpose - men and women exchanged them from the 1500s onwards to symbolise
their future commitment to each other.

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.
Page 12

Mr Ross, 69, told a treasure trove inquest in Belfast

Coroners' Court that he initially thought his find in
September last year was a worthless trinket.
"I thought it was a bit of rubbish," the retired oil distributor from Jordanstown near Belfast told coroner
Suzanne Anderson.
He later added: "In the last 60 years there have been
fun fairs on that field, motorbike racing, point to
point racing. There has been a lot of activity there so I
thought that's where it came from."
It was only after Mr Ross, who took up metal detecting four years ago as a hobby, showed the ring to a
fellow treasure hunter in England that he realised it
could be valuable.
He passed the item to museum experts in Northern
Ireland who were able to establish its true significance.
Elise Taylor, curator of applied art at National Muse(Continued on page 13)

The News, June 2015

(Continued from page 12)

ums Northern Ireland, told the court that the ring was
originally coated in black and white glass, most of
which had worn off in the centuries since.
She said it was tradition to have an inscription on the
rings and explained that the name Posy related to the
French word for poem - poesy.
The jewelry expert outlined to Ms Anderson one theory as to how the ring ended up the field in Ballywalter near Newtownabbey.
"There was evidence of a church and graveyard in the
adjoining field which could have been there at that
period of time so many people would have traversed
over this field to get to," she said.
Explaining that
the ring was very
light, Ms Taylor
speculated that
the owner may
not even have realized it had
dropped from her
finger.
"In the cold
weather fingers
shrink and rings
can be lost," she
said.
"Quite possibly
she would not
have noticed the
ring was lost until she got home."
Ms Anderson declared the ring to be officially treasure
- a ruling that means it will now be handed over to the
British Museum for valuation.
"Very many congratulations and well done for making
such a lovely find Mr Ross," she said.
But the pensioner won't be able to hang up the metal
detector just yet.
In an amusing twist, after the inquest Mr Ross revealed that when Ms Taylor accompanied him back to
the field earlier this year to examine the site she lost
her own earring.
"I am going to have to go back and have a look for it
now," he laughed.

Gold Detector
Frequencies
What is the deference between low and high
frequency in Gold detectors?

old nugget detectors usually operate in between

18 Khz to 71 Khz range. Many people think that
the higher frequency is better to have. But it all
depends on the soil conditions. Fist of all, we can
change a frequency of a gold detector from (for example)
18 Khz to 90 Khz by changing a Crystal or a capacitor
or an inductor. This can cost less than $1 worth of components.
I personally like 20 Khz range detectors for gold nuggets. Because, If we go higher than that the machine
would be so sensitive that will die in black sand. Dealers, usually like to sell 40- 50 Khz detectors because
they show a very good air test. In my opinion, air tests
are the worst way of showing the performance of a detector especially if the detector is a gold detector, because a good gold detector is for black sand conditions
(not air) to operate.
If detector is in 50 or higher frequency range, signal will
bounce easily by black sand, because sensitivity is high
and machine thinks of black sand as small nuggets.
Here is the catch, It is easy to build a detector in any
frequency we wish, but it is very hard to control the effect of minerals in higher range, unless our design has
some filters or circuits that can eliminate black sand
and mineral response. So far there is only one high frequency (71 Khz detector) which has met the standards
and that machine is the 'Gold Bug II'. The Gold Bug II
can eliminate the effect of black sand to a degree, that is
the best you can get among high frequency detectors. If
you cannot afford it, then the 20Khz gold detectors are
perfect. Lower freq. can detect bigger objects deeper.
High freq. cannot go deep because of minerals in the
soil (signal will be reflected) therefore we will miss big
nuggets but in exchange we will get small nuggets just
on the surface.
If you are moneywise, then, you like the big nuggets, not
the tiny ones. With high freq. you will loose depth in
mineralized soil, and you will sweep over many nuggets
without detecting them. Think of high and low freq. as
'light' and 'radio'. Light is high freq. Radio waves are low
freq. (with respect to light). Light cannot pass though
most objects and reach the target, but you can still listen to radio in a submarine. That is the difference.
From the Internet

The News, June 2015

Page 13

Resting Results In
Huge Gold Nugget
A Herder Strikes Gold, in the Shape of China
By Edward Wong "Yahoo news"
February 6, 2015

he mountains of the remote Altay area of

northwestern China have a storied history of
gold mining. People in the region talk about
mines that Russians helped build and operate in the
first half of the 20th century. The Russians left the
area after the Peoples Liberation Army took over the
vast Xinjiang region. Altay sits near the borders with
Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, and it is a place
from which legends travel far.
On Friday, another
tale of gold and
good fortune was
born, when Chinese state news
media reported
that an ethnic Kazakh herder had
stumbled across
an enormous gold
nugget shaped like
China. One official
news website even
posted a slide
show featuring the
nugget, which
weighs more than
17 pounds and is
nine inches long
and seven inches
wide.
A report by the state-run news agency Xinhua said the
herder, Berek Sawut, found the nugget on Jan. 30 as
he was resting at sunset near a mine.
The herder said he was worried he would not be able
to keep it, because he believed that all ore from mines
in the area belonged to the state, but so far no government official has demanded that he hand over his
find.
The nugget is natural gold ore mixed with quartz and
other minerals, according to a report by China News
Agency. This kind of nugget is usually called dog
head gold, because the nuggets come in rough, round
Page 14

shapes in which one can discern, if squinting, the eyes

and nose of a dog. These kinds of nuggets are common in the Altay area. Sometimes they are called
horseshoe gold.
The nugget found by the Kazakh herder in Qinghe
County is the largest of this kind to be discovered in
Xinjiang, according to Modern Express, a newspaper
owned by Xinhua.
Folklore says the Empress Dowager Cixi coveted such
nuggets and became furious once when no one was
able to find one for her birthday.
The official news reports did not estimate the value of
the nugget found recently. If it were pure gold, which
it is not, it would be worth about $346,000, at $1,250
per ounce.
Photos of the nugget circulated widely on Chinese social media on Friday. Some people
asked online
whether Taiwan
was part of this
golden map of
China.
Xinjiang has more
than 600 gold
mines, and the
regions estimated
gold reserve is 207
tons. The industry
has been growing
quickly in the region. Last year,
Xinjiang produced
20 tons of gold.
The Chinese government also values Xinjiang for its oil, natural gas and coal reserves.
Herders in Altay say they have been suffering financially this past year because of a drought. The lack of
rain has meant a dearth of grass and plants, which
has resulted in thinner sheep. The herders are selling
sheep for lower prices to merchants traveling to the
Altay region.
Kazakh nomads in the grasslands of the Altay region.
Credit Gilles Sabrie for The New York Times
Mia Li contributed research
Thanks to Bud Yoder

The News, June 2015

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..

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

YOUR
ADVERTISEMENT
COULD BE HERE!
Call Rick Mattingly
at 970-669-1205
or [email protected]
The News, June 2015

Page 15

Trading Post
WANTED: By NRA Card Holding Law Abiding Private
Citizen. Colt S&W Ruger Taurus .357 Wheel Gun/
Revolver for Home/Personal Defense. If you have a
Collectors Item, Please keep it. Im looking for a gun
to shoot/Not display. LMK what ya got. Thanks.
970.222.2323
FOR SALE: Jewelers propane/oxygen torch, many cabochons, beads and tools. Contact Ann at
(970) 6667-3705.
FOR SALE: A "MUST HAVE" T-Shirt for every Prospector
and Treasure Hunter. Quality 100% cotton tees. See and
order from:
http://BestBlackandGold.com.
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. New Price: $1625. Contact Paul at (970) 482-7846.
FOR SALE: 5HP pump motor, Gold King 3" Hi-banker with
dredge attachment w/adjustable stand, Gold Grabber Hibanker, 125 feet hose, Rock net and steel cable, misc. fittings and valves & large metal bucket. Prefer to sell all together for $1,350 but negotiable. Call Eric Stickland at
(303) 833-6848 or
[email protected].

About Trading Post

The News runs classified ads in Trading Post
for three consecutive issues. Trading Post ads
for topic related items up to 10 lines (or 70
words) long are free. To place an ad in Trading
Post contact Rick Mattingly at (970) 613-8968
evenings
or e-mail at: [email protected]
Commercial Advertising
Specifications
(Monthly Donation Rate)
Full Page (8 1/2" X 7")
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:
[email protected].

WANTED: Used lapidary equipment. Call Kathie 970-2211623

WANTED: Federal or state duck stamps; mint or used. Contact John Hart at (307) 778-3993.

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.

Colorado School of Mines

Geology Museum
Golden, Colorado
Contact us: 303-273-3815 or
[email protected]
Identification of specimens is performed
between 10 a.m. and noon, Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
Page 16

The News, June 2015

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

Laws Not Taught In Physics

I am pretty sure most of these laws are true.
1. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become
coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll
have to pee.
2. Law of Gravity - Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when
dropped, will roll to the least accessible place in the universe.
3. Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is
directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
4. Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number,
you never get a busy signal; someone always answers.
5. Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the
one you were in will always move faster than the one you
are in now.
7. Law of Close Encounters - The probability of meeting
someone you know INCREASES dramatically when you
are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
8. Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone
that a machine won't work, IT WILL!!!
9. Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
10. Law of the Theater & Hockey Arena - At any event, the
people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last. They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave
early before the end of the performance or the game is
over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move
once, have long gangly legs or big bellies and stay to the
bitter end of the performance. The aisle people also are
very surly folk.
11. The Coffee Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of
hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which
will last until the coffee is cold.
12. Murphy's Law of Lockers - If there are only 2 people in
a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.
13. Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an openfaced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet or
rug.
14. Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible IF you
don't know what you are talking about.
15. Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they're
ugly.
16. Law of Public Speaking -- A CLOSED MOUTH GATHERS NO FEET!
17. Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as
you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it OR the store will stop selling it!

Offer Your Assistance To Any

Of Our Program Coordinators
The News, June 2015

18. Doctors' Law - If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there, you'll
feel better. But don't make an appointment and you'll stay
sick.
Page 17

Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club

2015 Schedule of Events
Month

Meeting Program

Trip/Activity

January

Cheyenne War: Indian Raids on the

Roads to Denver, 1864-1869
By Jeff Broome

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

February

Cache Hunting
By Rick Mattingly

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

March

Setting Up A Gold Sluice Box

By RMPTH Members

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

April

Metal Detecting
By Tom Warne & Rick Mattingly

Local Detector Hunt

Map, Compass & GPS Clinic

May

Gold Nugget Shooting With Detector

By Rick Mattingly

Prospecting & Detecting Clinic at Lions Park

Denver GPAA Show
Lets Go Gold Panning On The Arkansas Event GPOC

June

Gold Dredging
By RMPTH Members

Clear Creek Gold Outing

State Annual Gold Panning Championships

July

Map Reading for Prospectors

by Wayne Sutherland WSGS

Clear Creek Gold Outing

Eldora Ski Resort Detector Outing - Robert Crain

August

Surface Finds
by Tom Warne

Vics Gold PanningBlackhawk

September

Map & Internet Research

By Bud Yoder & Rick Mattingly

Local Detector Hunt

October

Gold, Silver & Gem Recovery

by David Emslie

Local Detector Hunt

November

Annual Show & Tell &

Silent Auction

No Trip/Activity Scheduled

December

Annual Find of the Year Awards &

Christmas Party

Flatirons Mineral Club & Model Train Show

Good Hunting in 2015!

Page 18

The News, June 2015

Rocky Mountain
Prospectors & Treasure Hunters
Contact List
RMPTH Coordinators

Home

E-Mail

President

Bud Yoder

Interim Vice President

Shane Manenti

1-970-590-9183

[email protected]

Treasurer

Dick & Sharon French

1-970-482-2110

[email protected]

Secretary

Rick Mattingly

1-970-669-1205

[email protected]

Rick Mattingly

1-970-669-1205

[email protected]

Rick Mattingly

1-970-669-1205

[email protected]

Finds Program

Dave Landes
Betsy Emond
Joe Johnston

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

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

Presentations

Rick Mattingly

1-970-669-1205

[email protected]

Club Historian

Volunteer Needed

Club Meeting Greeter

Barbara Schuldt

1-970-407-1336

Club Librarian

Joe Johnston

1-303-696-6950

Club Photo Librarian

Volunteer Needed

Meeting Setup

Jim Friedricks

1-970-590-9183

Door Prize

Shane Manenti

1-970-590-9183

[email protected]

Zinc Penny Project

Tom Marschall

1-970-396-0133

[email protected]

50/50 Drawing

Woody Hogdon

1-970-667-5010

[email protected]

Coin Raffle

Woody Hogdon

1-970-667-5010

[email protected]

[email protected]

The News Staff

Editor-in-Chief
Internet Web Site
Web Master
Volunteers/Coordinators

[email protected]

General Information Contact: Rick Mattingly at 1-970-669-1205

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

Lets Go For The Gold !

The News, June 2015

Page 19

The News
Rocky Mountain Prospectors &
Treasure Hunters Club
278 Sierra Vista Drive
Fort Collins, CO. 80524

JUNE, 2015 ISSUE