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V11 2008 INDEX
E-SYLUM ARCHIVE
TENNESSEE'S CASHVILLE GOLD COIN TREASURE HUNT A SUCCESS
A few weeks ago we reported on a publicity stunt by a
Nashville, TN area business involving a citywide treasure hunt for a $500
gold coin. The event was quite a success, and as I mentioned at the time I
would highly recommend a similar treasure hunt to publicize major coins
shows around the country. As shown by this article, a great deal of
interest was generated among the general public. Besides, the old "coin
drop" stunt is getting a little tired. -Editor
Mandy Claiborne never imagined that she and
friend John "Bip" Burage would walk away with $500 at the end of Cashville
Gold & Silver Buyers' citywide treasure hunt.The pair had searched for the coin for five days in Centennial Park before they found it.
"I felt so silly out there picking up rocks and looking in odd places," said Claiborne, a Sylvan Park resident. "It was funny the day we actually found it, because we'd looked in the area before, just not in the particular spot it was hidden."
The $500 value gold-replica coin was hidden under the bridge in the Sunken Garden at Centennial Park, where people often get married.
"There must have been at least 70 people, if not more, at the park that day looking for this coin," Claiborne said. "I didn't think we'd find it because everyone was so focused. They were everywhere."
Nearby, Julie Schoerke, owner of the JKS Communications public relations firm and one of the event organizers, watched the scene play out.
She remembers the moment when the last clue was released on the Cashville Web site.
"All of these people were on cell phones, it turns out with people at home at computers waiting for the last clue, and other people were sitting in cars in the parking lots at Centennial Park with laptops refreshing the page until the clue came up," she said. When it did come up, "we heard yelling and people started running . ... It was just kind of wild to see everybody descend, all ages, all socioeconomic backgrounds, on this little area."
Cashville Gold & Silver Buyers, in the Davidson County town of Berry Hill, launched its inaugural treasure hunt early last month.
Josh Levine, Cashville's president, said he took a half-ounce gold USA Eagle coin, made it into a replica and hid it in Centennial Park. The winner could choose to keep the real coin or trade it in for $500.
To read the complete article, see: Friends team up to win gold coin treasure hunt (http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20080922/NEWS01/809220329/1006)
To read the previous E-Sylum article, see: TREASURE HUNT: A TWIST ON THE OLD COIN DROP PUBLICITY PLOY (http://www.coinbooks.org/club_nbs_esylum_v11n33.html#article27)
Wayne Homren, Editor
The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.
To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com
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