Legends of Treasure Hunting: Robert Marx (Conclusion)

 (Bob Marx in a promotional photo for Garrett Metal Detectors.)

Here's my third and final post on author, treasure hunter, and underwater archaeologist Robert "Bob" Marx:

Strong Professional Reputation

After the Maravilla debacle Bob Marx signed on with Sea World Enterprises, Incorporated in 1974 as the President of the company (that should give you a pretty good idea of his strong professional reputation and the high esteem he was held in). Marx remained with Sea World for two years until the lure of treasure hunting became too strong for him to ignore and he became expedition leader for L.O.S.T., Inc., a company devoted to searching for and recovering sunken treasure.

Treasure Hunting
Metal Detectors

By the early to late-1980s Marx had moved on again, this time as Director of Operations for Phoenician Explorations and Archaeological Consultant to both Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology and Southeast Asia Salvage. In 1993 Bob was named Curator and Director for the Port Royal Museum of Sunken Treasure where he remained until 1996.

Prolific Author

Since 1997, Marx has acted as an archaeological consultant for numerous companies, museums, and organizations as well as holding high-level positions with various underwater treasure hunting and salvage firms. Perhaps more importantly, Bob has authored over 35 books on a range of diving, treasure hunting, and historical topics, including:

The Battle of the Spanish Armada
Pirate Port: the History of the Sunken City of Port Royal
Treasure Fleets of the Spanish Main
They Dared the Deep: a History of Diving
Shipwrecks of the Western Hemisphere 
The Lure of Sunken Treasure
Shipwrecks in Florida Waters
Underwater Dig: Manual of Underwater Archaeology
Buried Treasure of the United States
Following Columbus
New World Shipwrecks
Treasures Lost at Sea
In the Wake of Galleons
Buried Treasures You Can Find 

This is just a partial list. I've read a number of Bob Marx's books and they are always well written, meticulously researched, and highly interesting from a historical standpoint. (Note: If you're interested, you can use the Amazon.com search box on the right sidebar of "Treasure Trove Dreams" to track down some of Bob's books. J.R.)

(Bob Marx at a recent lecture.)

There's little doubt that Bob Marx is a living legend and a true "treasure." Bob's contributions to the fields of underwater treasure hunting, salvage, maritime history, and underwater archaeology are legendary and he personally paved the way for contemporary treasure divers all over the world.

Good hunting out there.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "'Blackbeard's' Treasure Found?"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Legends of Treasure Hunting: Robert Marx (Part 2)

(2006 photo of Bob Marx signing one of his books.)

Robert "Bob" Marx is one of the best-known underwater treasure hunters and archaeologists in the U.S. He's also a prolific writer on all aspects of these two pursuits as well as buried treasures on land. Here's more on Bob's treasure hunting bio:

Marx Goes to Work for Kip Wagner

At 29 years of age, Bob Marx began doing some serious diving in the western Caribbean in 1964. He was searching for Spanish treasure galleons and the time he had spent earlier researching the Spanish maritime archives in Seville, Spain had served him well.

Strapworks.com - any strap, any length, any color!

Eventually Marx ended up working for famed treasure hunter Kip Wagner whose "Real Eight" Company was heavily involved in recovering a vast trove of Spanish silver and gold and artifacts from 1715 treasure fleet wrecks just off the Florida coast.

Bob was hoping that Wagner would allow him to use one of "Real Eight's" recovery vessels, the Grifon, and its crew to search for the Maravilla, a Spanish galleon wrecked on or near Little Bahama Bank. Marx was able to search a short while for the Maravilla, but was called back to Florida when things heated up on the 1715 wreck sites.

Marx Finds the Maravilla

Around this same time Bob became the editor of Argosy magazine which was targeted toward explorers, adventurers, and treasure hunters. Not long afterward, Marx went back to Seville once again to do additional research in the Spanish maritime archives.

This research enabled Marx to eventually locate the wreck site of the Maravilla, once again using Kip Wagner's Grifon and about half of the vessel's original crew. However, Marx's joy at finding the Spanish treasure galleon was short lived.

A Curse Instead of a Blessing

In some respects Bob's finding of the Maravilla and its treasure and historic artifacts proved a curse instead of a blessing. Right off the bat, one of his crew stole two large bags of Spanish silver coins recovered from the wreck. At the time, this cost Marx around $30,000...you can only imagine what those same coins would be worth today with the high price of numismatics and precious metals.

(Spanish "pieces of eight" from the Maravilla.)

Next rogue treasure hunters moved in on part of the Maravilla wreck site while the Grifon was resupplying in port. The rogues stole an unknown amount of "goodies" from the site but beat feet for parts unknown when Marx and the Grifon's crew returned.

Clowns, Idiots, and Thieves

Finally, problems with the police as well as behind the scenes pressure on the Bahamian government by treasure hunting rivals forced Marx and the Grifon's crew off the Maravilla wreck site for good. To add insult to injury, when the Grifon returned to Fort Pierce, Florida the U.S. Coast Guard arrested everyone due to false information about the Grifon being used as a marijuana smuggling vessel.

Metal Detectors

After a series of protracted legal and political battles, Marx was forced to divvy up his Maravilla treasure recoveries with the Bahamian government in 1974. What had begun as an earnest, well-researched underwater treasure hunt on Bob's part had turned into a three-ring circus replete with clowns, idiots, and thieves.

There's more to come on Bob Marx. Stay tuned.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "The Oldtimers Knew How to Get the 'Goodies' (Part 1)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Legends of Treasure Hunting: Robert Marx (Part 1)

 (A younger Bob Marx with some Spanish "pieces of eight.")

 Legendary Contributions

Robert (Bob) Marx is a treasure hunter and underwater archaeologist whose contributions in both fields is legendary. He is also the author of numerous books on these subjects. Marx was born in 1935 and raised in the Pittsburgh area.

Treasure Hunting
Metal Detectors

At 17 he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and developed an early interest in diving and treasure hunting while stationed at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. At one point diving off the north Carolina coast Marx thought he had found the Union Civil War ironclad U.S.S. Monitor, which created a big enough stir to include a LIFE magazine article. However, Marx had found another Union vessel, the U.S.S Oriental and not the Monitor.

Diving and Writing

After his discharge from the Marines in 1959, Marx headed to the Caribbean where he spent his time island hopping and diving on shipwrecks. Understanding the value of research and wanting to learn more about the Spanish treasure fleets, Marx headed for Spain and the Archives of the Indies.

By 1964 Bob Marx was back in the Caribbean diving on potential treasure galleon wreck sites. When not diving on wrecks, Marx began writing articles on diving and treasure hunting for various magazines.

A New Reputation

It was also around this time that he contacted the government of Jamaica to see about diving on the old pirate city of Port Royal which had been submerged due to a massive earthquake in 1692. For over two years, Marx and a crew of local divers excavated a good portion of Port Royal and recovered numerous small "treasures" consisting mainly of coins and historical artifacts.

(Bob Marx with a porcelain artifact recovered from a wreck site.)

After the Port Royal diving job, Marx gained a new reputation as an underwater archaeologist. His careful and systematic work, along with his own original methods and techniques, helped pave the way for a generation of underwater archaeologists to come.

Carhartt Wear

There's more to come on Bob Marx, so stay tuned. Until then, good hunting out there!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Finding the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet: Kip Wagner's Story (Part 1)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

New York's "Deerlick Rock Cache"

(Lewis County, New York.)

This One Could Make You Wealthy

The town of Glenfield sits on the western edge of the Adirondack Forest in Lewis County, New York. This area of north-central New York is home to what I call the "Deerlick Rock Cache," a buried treasure that, if found, could make you a very wealthy person.

Treasure Hunting

This treasure tale goes all the way back to the days of the French and Indian Wars in the mid-1700s when the American Colonials (that's us) and their British masters fought a protracted series of struggles against the French and their Indian allies. The "Deerlick Rock Cache" involves a large unit of French soldiers that was retreating down the Black River Valley and trying to shake off pursuing British soldiers and their blood-thirsty Iroquois auxiliaries.

Buried Payroll and Defeat

The fleeing French column was slowed down considerably by a number of supply wagons as well as at least one payroll wagon. Near a large rock outcropping (now known as Deerlick Rock) the French hurriedly buried their payroll as well as other valuables before they "skeedaddled" back toward Canada and relative safety, intending to recover the cache after they had soundly defeated the British and won the war.

(French gold coins like these may compose at least part of the "Deerlick Rock Cache.")

As it happened, the French were able to defeat the British and Colonial troops arrayed against them on a number of occasions. Still, despite winning a number of battles and skirmishes, they lost the war itself and, in so doing, their buried payroll treasure. You see, they were never able to return to recover it.

A Cache With Substance

Before you dismiss this tale as just another bogus "payroll" treasure yarn, some interesting facts and leads can be dredged up by only cursory research on your part. Without giving everything away on this one, I CAN tell you that these facts and leads help substantiate the existence of the "Deerlick Rock Cache."

Wolverine Boots

What could you expect to find in terms of today's dollars if you actually located this treasure cache? No one knows with absolute certainty but I suspect the "Deerlick Rock Cache" would provide "goodies" valued in the high six figures at minimum and perhaps even enough to make you a millionaire once, twice, or even three times over.

Good luck in your search!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "What to Do if You Recover a Cache or Trove"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Missourian Finds Personal-Best Artifact Treasure

(The back of the Dehoney house not far from where Chris Jolin made his find.)

Many treasure hunters are multi-faceted and multi-talented individuals with skills and expertise in cache, artifact, coin, beach, and water hunting...there are even a few of us who are "cross overs" into small-scale gold mining. Missourian Chris Jolin falls into this latter category (as do I to a great extent...I guess great minds think alike!)

An Important Attribute

Before I let my mouth start writing checks that my rear end can't cash, I best get to the heart of the matter and tell you how Chris found his own personal-best artifact treasure. The location? The old Dehoney Farm in Raytown, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City.

Metal Detectors

One thing I have to say right off the top here is that Chris does his research, an important attribute of savvy and successful treasure and artifact hunters everywhere. Like I always tell my readers, "Do your homework!" The payoff? Great finds.

Southern Sympathies Saved by a Full Belly

I've written about the bloody nature of the Civil War in Missouri and Confederate "bushwhackers" like Quantrill and "Bloody Bill" Anderson elsewhere in "Treasure Trove Dreams." If you've read any of those posts, you know that Union forces in Missouri were prone to razing the properties of Southern sympathizers while often committing incidental acts of rape, robbery, and murder.

According to info revealed by Chris' research, the Dehoneys were solid Confederate sympathizers whose home and property were one of only two that remained intact in the area. I won't go into great detail as to why this is so, but suffice it to say that the "full belly" of the local Union Commander had a lot to do with this fortunate circumstance. (Mrs. Dehoney must have been a very good cook indeed!)

"The Patch"

To make a long story short, Chris and a friend gained permission to hunt the old Dehoney farm property with metal detectors...something I'm sure their colleagues at the Midwestern Artifact Society were envious of. It was in the backyard of the old Dehoney house that Chris and company hit "The Patch."

Dickies Work Clothes

("The Patch.")

What was "The Patch?" An area measuring approximately 50'x100' that was so chock full of old iron implements, odds and ends, and yes...artifacts, that it was enough to test the mettle (no pun intended!) of any detectorist. In fact, Chris spent 3 months working "The Patch" before he found his personal best artifact treasure.

"The Find"

Chris calls his recovery "The Find." I know...you're asking what "The Find" was, right? Well, here it is in Chris' own words:

"I wasn't having that good of a day find-wise and was actually pretty frustrated. That's when I got a half dollar signal at about 6 inches. Brush hog blades ring up like large coins on my MXT and I had dug many, many blades to this point. I figured 'here we go again.'"

"To my surprise, out popped a buckle with an eagle on it. I had never seen a military buckle before so I didn't know what I had. After washing it off, I discovered I'd recovered an 1851 regulation Union Army sword belt plate with a #19 benchmark that had been field repaired. This was my personal-best artifact find to date."

("The Find.")

Chris' may not have recovered a multi-million dollar cache or found a fabulously rich, lost gold mine on the Dehoney farm but what he did find was real treasure to him. Sometimes it's the small discoveries that mean the most.

(Note: Chris Jolin has his own website, Chris Jolin's Treasure Hunt that chronicles the Dehoney farm hunt as well as other treasure and artifact hunting escapades. I recommend you stop by and take a look.)

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Spanish Silver and Gold in Cass County, Missouri?"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

More Indiana Treasure Caches

 (Indiana counties.)

Indiana is well -known in treasure hunting circles for the sheer number of buried treasure caches and troves within its borders. So, if you're interested in treasure hunting in the "Hoosier" state you may find the following  treasure legends worth researching:

St. Clair's Trove

One of the worst defeats ever inflicted on U.S. military forces by Native Americans (Custer and the Little Bighorn included) was the 1791 rout of  Territorial Governor Arthur St. Clair's 2,000-man militia force near the headwaters of the Wabash River in northwestern Indiana. Although he survived this debacle, over 600 of St. Clair's citizen soldiers were massacred.

Treasure Hunting
Metal Detectors

Legend has it that once the writing was on the wall and the Indians had the upper hand, St. Clair ordered all the gold and silver coin buried that the column was carrying for payroll and purchasing purposes. Some historical accounts also state that many militiamen threw away their weapons and military accouterments before fleeing while others hurriedly buried personal items and coins.

As far as is known, no one has located St. Clair's Trove. Further research is needed here, but for the savvy and persistent treasure hunter or detectorist, a fortune in gold, silver, and historical artifacts still awaits recovery.

White River Gold Cache

One persistent Indiana treasure legend concerns a small band of river pirates who plied their criminal trade in the early 1800s along the White River in Owen County. A sizable cache of gold coins and other plunder was supposedly buried by these miscreants on a bluff above the river near modern Freedom, Indiana. Again, additional research is needed here.

 (West fork of the White River.)

 

Glacial Gold

Ever thought of panning or sluicing for gold in Indiana? No? Well, you should my friend. 

Some parts of the "Hoosier" state contains glacial placer gold that was carried down from gold-bearing veins in Canada millenia ago. Today, small-scale placer gold miners and gold prospecting clubs work many of Indiana's creeks and streams for fun and a bit of profit to boot.

I've written about gold in the Midwest in my small-scale mining site, "Bedrock Dreams." You can learn more about glacial gold by reading:

"Where to Find Placer Gold"

"More on Midwestern Glacial Gold (Part 1)"

Be safe out there and good hunting to you.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Indiana's Gangster Treasures"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Sand Scoops for Beach and Water Metal Detecting (Part 2)

(Adjustable long-handled scoop from RTG, Pompano Beach, Florida.)

In this post of I'll cover a variety of beach and shallow water hunting sand scoops and provide you with pertinent and useful information on each. Here we go:

Adjustable long-handled: Like the scoop pictured above, adjustable handle sand scoops are the “cream of the crop” when it comes to shallow water or beach metal detecting. Scoops like this are typically constructed of anodized aluminum or stainless steel and usually have a 5-7" diameter basket with a 5/8-½” screen, and the handle adjusts to a length of around 40.” These dimensions are pretty typical, but they can vary according to the manufacturer.

CAUTIONARY NOTE: Before you purchase any long-handled sand scoop, adjustable or not, make absolutely certain that the scoop and basket are strong enough for use in water and wet sand. Some long-handled sand scoops are only meant for use in DRY SAND! If you attempt to use one of these in dense, heavy, water-soaked sand it’s likely to fold up on you like a cheap suit. The wet sand models are typically constructed more robustly and have a reinforcing brace on the back of the scoop basket.

Metal Detectors

Fixed long handled: Like their adjustable “cousins,” fixed long-handled sand scoops can be used for both shallow water or beach hunting. An obvious advantage to using long-handled scoops is that they don’t tear up your body and back anywhere near as much as regular, short-handled sand scoops do. Any of you who have spent hour after hour out there stopping or bending down with a regular sand scoop know what I’m talking about here.

(Close up of a fixed, reinforced wet sand scoop.)

Short-handled or “grip:” These types of sand scoops are the most commonly used (and seen) by beginning detectorists working loose sand beaches or environments. For obvious reasons, they are not very useful at all for shallow water hunting unless the water is only a few inches deep. However, most of these small sand scoops are made of steel and can take a lot of punishment. I bought my short-handled scoop over 30 years ago and despite its rusty appearance it is still solid and ready to go.

Strapworks.com - any strap, any length, any color!

One thing to bear in mind here is that most sand scoops varieties or types come in many different configurations. Make sure that you buy (or make) the type(s) of sand scoop(s) that best fits your needs on the beach or in the water.

Good hunting!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: “Basic Treasure Hunting Equipment”

© Jim Rocha (J.R.) 2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com

Sand Scoops for Beach and Water Metal Detecting (Part 1)

(Basic sand scoop manufactured by RTG in Pompano Beach, Florida.)

Two Fundamental Tools

Treasure hunting has many facets and levels ranging from "big ticket" cache or trove searches right down to basic one-on-one coin, jewelry, and artifact hunting with a metal detector. One of most fun and potentially remunerative aspects of the latter types of small-scale treasure hunting is beach and water detecting.
You'll need two fundamental tools to beach and water hunt:

1) a good metal detector manufactured by a well-known and reliable company (Fisher, Minelab, Garrett, Whites, Tesoro, etc.); and

2) a well-made sand scoop (or two or three).

Just as Important

I'm not here to discuss metal detectors in this post, however. You can read one of my "Treasure Trove Dreams" reviews of detectors if that's your primary information interest.

Treasure Hunting
Metal Detectors

No, I'm here to write about something much more mundane but just as important if you're into beach and water hunting. That's the humble sand scoop.

Basic Premise

There is quite a range of types and configurations of sand scoops out there these days and as a former beach hunter I can tell you that each has its own performance strengths and applicability depending on the situation at hand. If you're a shallow water hunter (lakes, ponds, back bays, and so on) a scoop is absolutely mandatory.
The basic premise of any sand scoop is, of course, its ability to sift the sand away (wet or dry) from targets found with a detector and then "scooped up." To accomplish this task most sand scoops will be be configured with 5/8" holes to allow the sand to be filtered or washed out while the "goodies" (rings, coins, other jewelry) remain within the scoop itself.

In my next post(s) on this topic, I'll cover a variety of sand scoops and provide you with pertinent and useful information on each. Until then...good hunting!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Gold Detector Reviews: Garrett's 'Infinium LS'"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2011

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com