Colorado lost dimes

Dec 26, 2006
20
9
Centennial, CO
sthilcollector:
The following is from a post to a different forum:

In general, it is not illegal to use metal detectors on the National
Forest, though it can be either pointless or frustrating depending on what
you are after. About all that you are allowed to take are modern artifacts
that you didn't have to dig for. Anything historic is off limits (you can
pick it up and look at but you can't dig it up or take it home). Nowadays,
that means anything left out there prior to 1957.

These are the specific laws and regulations relating to this:

USDA Forest Service Manual Direction (draft); FSM 2364.22: Metal detectors
may be used on National Forest System lands in areas that do not contain or
would not reasonably be expected to contain archaeological or historical
resources, such as developed campground and picnic areas. Metal detectors
must be used for lawful purposes and not violate ARPA or 36 CFR 261.9. Any
act with a metal detector that violates these or any other laws or
regulations is prosecutable. Normally, developed campgrounds, swimming
beaches, and other developed recreation sites are open to metal detecting
unless there are heritage resources present. In such cases, Forest
Supervisors are authorized to close these sites by posting notices in such
sites.

ARPA (Archaeological Resources Protection Act), 16 U.S.C. 470cc: "No person
may excavate, remove, damage, or otherwise alter or deface or attempt to
excavate, remove, damage or otherwise alter or deface any archaeological
resources located on public lands or Indian lands unless such activity is
pursuant to a permit. . ." ARPA applies only to archaeological features and
artifacts that are over 100 years old; This does not imply that anything
less than 100 years old is fair game; other laws and regulations also
apply.


Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR 261.9: "The following are prohibited:
(g) digging in, excavating, disturbing, injuring, destroying, or in any way
damaging any prehistoric, historic, or archaeological resources, structure,
site, artifact, or property. (h) Removing any prehistoric, historic, or
archaeological resources, structure, site, artifact, property." 36 CFR
261.9 covers the gap left by ARPA regarding historic sites and artifacts
since it has no specific age limitation to define historic. The standard
for such a consideration in most other Federal agency regulations is 50
years.

J. Scott Wood
Forest Arcaheologist/Heritage Program Manager

Check with the local Forest Service office having jurisdiction for their interpretation of the regs.

Good luck,

Harvey Whitcomb
 

dano91

Hero Member
Apr 3, 2005
850
5
colorado
One of my partners knows someone who found some of those dimes years ago. I'll pick his brain and get back to you.
Dano & Yogi.
 

Wild Boulder Bill

Full Member
Jan 5, 2005
201
9
Now residing Waynesboro Georgia
Detector(s) used
minelab explorer, whites gtx, tesoro lobo
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
That would be apache jim and I guess Frank Kerzam. Frank is one of the founders of the Pikes Peak adventures league. I can listen to him for hours. Apache said he found them. Frank says he found them.
 

Cubfan64

Silver Member
Feb 13, 2006
2,982
2,775
New Hampshire - USA
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Wild Boulder Bill said:
That would be apache jim and I guess Frank Kerzam. Frank is one of the founders of the Pikes Peak adventures league. I can listen to him for hours. Apache said he found them. Frank says he found them.

Any more specific info. than that? Roughly when were they found? Do they think they got them all? Did they need a detector, or were they just there to be found?

Just curious as it's an interesting story
 

Old Dog

Gold Member
May 22, 2007
5,860
397
Western Colorado
Paul,

The dimes are for the most part all going to be found INSIDE the park.
If you go looking either have permits or get ready to go to jail.
Lately the park service is being really stinking about prospectors.

Thom
 

dano91

Hero Member
Apr 3, 2005
850
5
colorado
Well I heard Apache Jim was mostly BS, couldn't come up with any other names either. But someone is doing some looking at it right now.
This story sometimes gets confused with another story about some 1844 dimes bound for Westport Landing. In the westport story the Mint did confirm the shipment stating that there was no Coinage being made in California at the time.
I think some have questioned the shipment of coins thru Black canyon.
The site is supposed to be near Hotchkiss Co.
Dano.
 

Old Dog

Gold Member
May 22, 2007
5,860
397
Western Colorado
The dimes to all recollection were lost on the canyon rim between Crawford and Montrose.
Some were even recovered and sightings of wagon wreckage were also discribed.
The cowboy who found the dimes could not (or would not) find the original site.

Thom
OD
 

Melbeta

Jr. Member
May 10, 2010
34
11
Wild Boulder Bill said:
That would be apache jim and I guess Frank Kerzam. Frank is one of the founders of the Pikes Peak adventures league. I can listen to him for hours. Apache said he found them. Frank says he found them.

I do not know Frank Kerzam, but I knew Apache Jim quite well, when he lived in Colo Springs, near South Circle Drive and Fountain Blvd. I will say this briefly, I found him to not be credible, and a purveryor of baloney. Almost everything he told me, turned out to be baloney. And I was one of the founders of the Pikes Peak Adventure League, along with Jim Woods and Hugh Hokenstad. I recall a name of Franke somewhere, but did not know his last name. I heard rumors that some of the dimes were found, primarily from the past, but again, cannot validate or substiante the rumors.
 

Melbeta

Jr. Member
May 10, 2010
34
11
Old Dog said:
Paul,

The dimes are for the most part all going to be found INSIDE the park.
If you go looking either have permits or get ready to go to jail.
Lately the park service is being really stinking about prospectors.

Thom

I will go on record as agreeing 100% with this person...
 

Melbeta

Jr. Member
May 10, 2010
34
11
dano91 said:
Well I heard Apache Jim was mostly BS, couldn't come up with any other names either. But someone is doing some looking at it right now.
This story sometimes gets confused with another story about some 1844 dimes bound for Westport Landing. In the westport story the Mint did confirm the shipment stating that there was no Coinage being made in California at the time.
I think some have questioned the shipment of coins thru Black canyon.
The site is supposed to be near Hotchkiss Co.
Dano.

...And I agree 100% with this poster, regarding Apache Jim!
 

JamesFariello

Jr. Member
May 25, 2008
62
45
Brighton, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Gold, Whites 808, Eagle Spectrum, Cibola & more
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Let me take a minute to see if I can helper on this question. I was on the Delta County SO in the 1970's and left in 1978 after losing the race for Sheriff. I have been treasure hunting for over forty years and am well know in the THing field. I went looking for those dimes in the 70's when a deputy sheriff from Montrose showed me a half dozen dimes he picked up in the canyon on a rafting fishing trip. He didn't know of the story and until then I thought it was just a story too. He came down the Gunnison River on a rubber raft when the water was low and found the dimes in a sandy area in the rocks at the base of a cliff. I will go into Digital Globes site and try to get a LL (GPS) for you. I went down the river with him and another (Lang was his first name, Italian name, Roselo or something, can't remember his last name for sure, remember the first name as it was so different) guy and the water was at that time to high to get to the area. I have feeling the dimes are in there and as time goes on the location may give up the dimes. With the heat in Colorado in 2012 and the waters being so low this year, it might be a good time to try. If you find them dimes remember me and send me just one, please. James Fariello Teasure Research Library. Dano and Yogi are friends and we may do a trip if I have time. Doing a NM hunt and a TX hunting in Sept/Oct.

(
N 38.73189 W 107.83836) I remember Smith Creek being down stream from us. Good luck.​
 

Jul 21, 2015
2
0
Chicagoland
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks for the memory - I am planning a trip out there this coming October.

Anyone in the area interested in joining me for a day or so hunting?
 

snicol

Newbie
Aug 29, 2015
4
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
love to

Thanks for the memory - I am planning a trip out there this coming October.

Anyone in the area interested in joining me for a day or so hunting?

I live in colorado springs and would very much like to go on an adventure...count me in
 

Geydelkon

Newbie
Dec 6, 2015
1
0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I live in colorado springs and would very much like to go on an adventure...count me in

Hello everyone,

I live in Colorado Springs and I would like to get to know more about the Lost Dimes from the Denver mint. I am also the owner of titletothegold.com and we would like to help out with the search. Send me a message so we can meet.
 

TheHunterGT

Bronze Member
Feb 2, 2015
1,246
1,847
Central California
Detector(s) used
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Railroad went from Denver to Arizona for almost 25 years by 1907. Why would the mint be taking wagons and horses?

If any of you have been to Black Canyon you would realize there is absolutely no reason wagons of dimes heading to Arizona would ever go that route. It's a BS story in my opinion.
 

SorenCoins

Full Member
Apr 5, 2015
213
91
Parker, Colorado
Detector(s) used
Minelab Go Find 60, Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hello everyone,

I live in Colorado Springs and I would like to get to know more about the Lost Dimes from the Denver mint. I am also the owner of titletothegold.com and we would like to help out with the search. Send me a message so we can meet.

I live down in Parker, Colorado and I am 12 years old. I love this kind of stuff. I know that there were 4-6 large barrels full of dimes, being carried to Pheonix, Arizona. The wagons were lost between a Crawford ranch and Montrose. A while later treasure hunters who had the same idea as us found the four wagons on the side of a canyon where a wash took the dimes. They managed to find many gallons of dimes by the Gunnison River near the north rim of Black Canyon, however there are still many, many, many dimes that have not been found. If you ever decide to go searching for these dimes, contact me at [email protected] and I will come with you and help you find these lost dimes.
 

Gold Maven

Bronze Member
Jul 4, 2012
2,286
2,101
Holmes County Ohio
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Lobo
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I had never heard that anyone found any......interesting.

I have been there, and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison is nothing but giant vertical cliffs dropping straight to the river, very beautiful, but the only way to search for them would be in the river, imo.

If a wagon with barrels of dimes did go that way and came up missing, I think a hold up would be a more likely scenario.
 

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