Stolen gold bar from Fisher museum

[lukdiver]

That's funny. I like most treasure hunters on here have hefted that bar. Many years ago in Key West when Mel Fisher was aboard that galleon we were introduced to Mel by Dave Fasold (he passed many years ago). When in town we heard a story that someone working for Mel felt he wasn't getting paid well enough and put a silver bar (yeah #70!) under his arm and took off running and they didn't catch him. Another 'story': a person working aboard the galleon couldn't get a raise and to get 'back' he placed battery acid at the base of one of the mast. Took some effort but over time it had it's intended effect and mast came down. The galleon was eventually so deteriorated it was sinking and Mel had put the deal together to move into the end of one of the concrete warehouses that was available when the navy base reverted to civilian use. Dave Fasold was quite a character, my twin brother and I missed him. Bob

 

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[Au_Dreamers]

Great news!!

article states broke... not smashed.

You know why those bars were 80lbs?

Because one man can't grab one and run away.

Where ever that gold bar is I hope it's not melted

 

[enrada]

When I look at a picture of the gold bar it appears to be XXl..(21 1/2) carats. That means that the bar is relatively soft. I think that the bar could have been easily removed with a threaded J rod and a cross bar across the case. None of us would test how soft a high carat bar is to bend. The reason jewelry is 10-14-18 carat is because 24 carat is too soft. I am not sure what carat gold teeth fillings are.

 

[WaterScoop]

It was Plexi.

I guess the article is wrong* then

 

[CaptEsteban]

Dental gold is usually around 16kt.

 

[aquanut]

I read, back when it happened, that a corner of the plexiglass housing was pried open and the bar removed from there.

 

[Bum Luck]

I hefted it too as well. I won't lie and say I was a kid though.

I recall the case was Lexan (Polycarbonate), which is almost impossible to break. I've shot holes in 1/4" Lexan, but it takes quite a bit. A 22 ain't gonna do it; it takes a high power rifle. And you can pound on it forever, good luck.

You can drill it.

 

[Jason in Enid]

I hefted it too as well. I won't lie and say I was a kid though.

I recall the case was Lexan (Polycarbonate), which is almost impossible to break. I've shot holes in 1/4" Lexan, but it takes quite a bit. A 22 ain't gonna do it; it takes a high power rifle. And you can pound on it forever, good luck.

You can drill it.

But it wasnt a solid piece. The corner joints are the weak spots.

 

[Salvor6]

Jason you are right. I work with Lexan all the time. I made a lot of boxes out of Lexan and glued the joints with MEK. That is the weak spot. It is not fool proof and really meant to keep the honest people from breaking in.

 

[CASPER-2]

When I look at a picture of the gold bar it appears to be XXl..(21 1/2) carats. That means that the bar is relatively soft. I think that the bar could have been easily removed with a threaded J rod and a cross bar across the case. None of us would test how soft a high carat bar is to bend. The reason jewelry is 10-14-18 carat is because 24 carat is too soft. I am not sure what carat gold teeth fillings are.

MY 24 k band found in Fla. in 2017

 

[CaptEsteban]

I wonder if the Fisher employee who was arrested a couple of years ago, had anything to do with the bar being stolen. This could have helped lead to the arrest of the 2 with theft of the bar. When the case comes to court, I guess we will hear more, then.

 

[Bum Luck]

Jason you are right. I work with Lexan all the time. I made a lot of boxes out of Lexan and glued the joints with MEK. That is the weak spot. It is not fool proof and really meant to keep the honest people from breaking in.

I agree.

The bond strength should be at least 80% with Methyl Ethyl Ketone or better with other solvents probably not available back then.

The best tool would be a sawzall or grinder and a few minutes work, but noisy.

It could be simply snipped with a bolt cutter in 3 seconds.

 

[FingerChili]

And here they make sport of stealing the bar. You can skip the first 8 minutes of theatrics if you want to see it done.

 

[Jason in Enid]

yeah, but thats ignoring the internal framework that the Fisher display had. You could not have physically rotated the bar to face the hole you put your hand through.

 

[Denniss]

I agree.

The bond strength should be at least 80% with Methyl Ethyl Ketone or better with other solvents probably not available back then.

The best tool would be a sawzall or grinder and a few minutes work, but noisy.

It could be simply snipped with a bolt cutter in 3 seconds.

That's thinking out side the box, I've been thinking popping the case with an enerpak to get the bar out, could have worked. I never thought about getting two half bars out.

 

[ibjeepn]

Picked that bar up a few times in the 90's. They could have used something to disengage the panels where they are joined. Or something that expanded from the Inside ? My have been a simple scientific feat..

 

[ARC]

Small Harbor Freight "scissor jack" with large ratchet.
Or small hydraulic piston jack.

 

[Bum Luck]

That's thinking out side the box, I've been thinking popping the case with an enerpak to get the bar out, could have worked. I never thought about getting two half bars out.

i have a disordered brain ..........

 

[ARC]

I use to watch people lift that bar... most always tried to twist or move it around ... saw many people pull hard on it as well.

I thought back then that being a soft metal it might be pulled hard and broken in 2 pieces...
or could be scored or pried up / down with a bar till it deformed or broke... then 2 pieces removed.

Some people would even yank hard on it.

Even as a kid I thought... one day it will break and someone is gonna steal that thing.

 

[Boatlode]

I use to watch people lift that bar... most always tried to twist or move it around ... saw many people pull hard on it as well.

I thought back then that being a soft metal it might be pulled hard and broken in 2 pieces...
or could be scored or pried up / down with a bar till it deformed or broke... then 2 pieces removed.

Some people would even yank hard on it.

Even as a kid I thought... one day it will break and someone is gonna steal that thing.

Isn't it true that gold will not crack no matter how many times you bend it?