Well, a real treasure hunter once told me no one has ever found any pirates treausre. They operated during a short time period and usually spent what they took. It was not a profession that had a good retirement plan. Know what I mean?

On the other hand if I did find some I would not tell anyone since someone would try to take it away. Finders keepers is no longer the rule people go by. And who can say where some of those small caches of treausre came from? The takers with the biggest stick seem to get it now. Not all the pirates lived in the 1600s.

You might generalize your search more to include other real pirates or mariners. Perhaps finding the favorite spot where people wintered their ships or put into for repairs would be good.

If you can find local history books that will be a help. Where the pirate stayed when he was not looking for loot, where he stole his loot, and ended his life are likely places. By this time it may be only a local legend but they are leads just the same. Travel to that island or location and search. The more remote a place is the better my finds have been. Search the steep hill or go down the cliff. Underwater?

As for treasure maps a few might be real but most are fakes and not worth the time. Selling the map is the best way to make money off them.

Old newspapers are a great source of information on topics not in the body of present day common knowledge. Newspapers existed in the US even back before 1750s so you might find info in print. But it takes time. If you know of a specific date or event it would be worthwhile to look it up. Might be an article or clue. Maybe a sentence that says he once wintered on Sealgull island or something that is not common knowledge.

Local fisherman would be great to ask. I suggest going where people have found things in the past and searching a long time and in the hard to reach places.

Archives of papers are the best source around. While I know nothing of them others search archives on the Spanish Gallions (sp) for hard to find clues. yo0u might check the local historical or genology archive in the area.

I researched a lot on the Outer Banks in NC but never found any silver. I spent a lot of time on Ocracoke Island. Sand covers everything so if something were there it might be 5 feet or 20 feet or more down and out of reach. Storms may bring things up within detectors reach. North of Corolla Beach is the place to search after storms and now. They find coins and artificats today there. I did find a few civil war era coins and some early 1900s but nothing to stick in the bank.

ps learn to dive. ....

• Re: Question about researching treasure Sport Diver 19:56:42 5/13/2001 (1)
  • Re: Question about researching treasure Joe Wolfe 04:33:27 5/18/2001 (0)