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Need advice for different kind of treasure hunt

Red Cloud

New Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Messages
5
Hi everyone, I’m new to this forum and metal detecting in general. I’m looking to buy my first detector and I could use some advice on which one to look for. I have a very specific purpose in mind for it. I’m hoping to find one that can sense a small piece of steel at a depth of 3.5’.

What I’m hoping to locate is an object that was buried as part of an ‘armchair’ treasure hunt. There’s a book written in 1982 called “The Secret” which holds clues to the locations of 12 treasures buried all over North America. The ‘treasure’ is a ceramic key, inside a ceramic container, inside a plexiglass box. At this point, only two have been recovered. The first one was found intact, but the second one was partially broken. Fortunately, the damage revealed that there is a small allen wrench embedded in the key as a support. It looks to be about 2-3” long and less than 1/8” thick, presumably made of steel. That’s what I’m hoping to detect.

I think I have a good idea of where they were buried, but in several of the locations things don’t look the same now as they did in 1982. Certain landmarks that are needed to find the exact dig spot are long gone. That’s why I’m hoping a metal detector could help pinpoint the right spot.

Someone else who’s been working on this hunt posted online a while ago about burying a mock-up of the treasure box and claimed they were able to detect it. Theirs was buried 2.5-3’ deep and they used a Radio Shack Discovery 2000 metal detector. Now, the book states the treasures are buried “at a depth of no more than three to three and one-half feet.” So, while their test is very encouraging, it wasn’t done at the deepest possible depth. Though, to be fair, the two that have been found seem to have been around 2' deep or less.

One other possible wrinkle, a few may have been buried in close proximity to metal fencing and poles. That would probably interfere with the signal, right? Is there a way around that, like some kind of shielding to stick in front of the fence or something?

So, what do you guys think? Is this a reasonable challenge for a metal detector? Does anyone have any experience finding similar sized iron/steel items at those depths? I see a Discovery 2000 on eBay for $46, but are there any other models that might be better suited for this task? I don’t mind buying used. Can I find something under $200 that would work for this, or is that unrealistic?

I’d really appreciate any guidance you guys can offer!
 
I’m hoping to find one that can sense a small piece of steel at a depth of 3.5’.

..... there is a small allen wrench embedded in the key as a support. It looks to be about 2-3” long and less than 1/8” thick, presumably made of steel. That’s what I’m hoping to detect.


Someone else who’s been working on this hunt posted online a while ago about burying a mock-up of the treasure box and claimed they were able to detect it. Theirs was buried 2.5-3’ deep and they used a Radio Shack Discovery 2000 metal detector.


Yea, this never happened.
Not in your wildest dream could that guy find this tiny thing with that RS detector.
Whoever this guy is don't ever lend him money because he is a big ol' liar.
You are not going to find a $46....$200 or even a $2000 detector that can do this.
The best regular detectors out there now could maybe hit that allen wrench at one foot if conditions were right, that Discovery might be able to do it if you taped it to the top of a 57' Buick and buried the whole thing 2' deep.
Even then maybe not.

There is a type of detector that can get that deep, it is called a two box detector but those can't see anything as small as you describe.

Sorry....as much as you might wish you can find that thing with any existing detector the law of physics says it is never going to happen.

Good luck on your search, though.
 
Ah, okay. See, this is why I asked.

I don't personally know them, these were just comments I read online. Though, from their other posts, they seem like a solid person. Not someone who would intentionally try to deceive people. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe some stray trash got mixed into the hole when they filled it in and gave a misleading signal.

Thanks for the helpful, albeit disheartening, response. I guess I'm better off investing in a good soil probe.
 
Anytime.
You were smart to ask.
Lots of uninformed people have come buy to ask questions about all kinds of detectors they already bought, even some that cost thousands, and were very confused when they didn't come close to expectations.
Most times we have to break the sad news to them that they never will.

You dodged a bullet and avoided wasting some of your time.
Now you can spend your time and money in more productive areas.

You are a brother treasure hunter albeit a different kind so again...good luck!
 
Anytime.
You were smart to ask.
Lots of uninformed people have come buy to ask questions about all kinds of detectors they already bought, even some that cost thousands, and were very confused when they didn't come close to expectations.
Most times we have to break the sad news to them that they never will.

You dodged a bullet and avoided wasting some of your time.
Now you can spend your time and money in more productive areas.

You are a brother treasure hunter albeit a different kind so again...good luck!

Good advice here. Thanks for taking the time to give a detailed response. My answer may have seemed short. I didnt have the time to explain more, but wanted him to know it just wasnt a feasible proposition.

OP. Good luck in your search!
 
Thanks for the kind words, Digger.

Stiffwrists - Hey, quick replies are helpful too. For all you knew, I could have had my finger hovering over the "Buy It Now" button.

I honestly appreciate the help guys.
 
Oh, definitely. But then, that's true of most books. There was a similar book called "Masquerade," which came out in 1979 that did well. I'm sure they were trying to capitalize on the popularity of that. Also, the 12 puzzles get progressively harder, which was probably meant to prolong the hunt and sell more books. It didn't really work out that way, though. The first one was found in 1983, but the second wasn't until 2004.

I left out the part about the prize in my description. The idea was that once you find the treasure box, you mail in the key and they send you a jewel. Also, you didn't actually need to dig it up, you could just write them with the correct answer. Unfortunately, the creator died in 2005 and took the solutions with him. His family still has the jewels and is willing to give them out, but the only way to know your solution is correct is to actually dig it up.

Though, for most of the people still working on these puzzles, it's not really about the jewels. It's about solving the puzzles.
 
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