TREASURE SEEKERS SEARCH FOR AUTHOR'S HIDDEN CHEST

Years after the public caught wind that a treasure hunter's loot lies buried in remote New Mexico mountains, the precious chest remains undiscovered.

Forrest Fenn, 84, spent years assembling his bounty of gold, jewels and antiquities before a bout with cancer made him want to pass his treasures along to the next generation rather than continue to hoard it for himself.

But Fenn hasn't made his legacy easy to find. A puzzling poem stands between his hidden treasure and the man or woman who hopes to strike gold in the desert.

'There's 265 gold coins, eagles and American double eagles,' he said. 'And there's hundreds and hundreds of gold nuggets. You're gonna be amazed at what you find.'

Next, Fenn self-published a memoir, The Thrill of the Chase, distilling the autobiography and, intriguingly, including a poem that he says offers clues to lead some clever — or lucky — treasure hunter to the bounty.

It wasn't long before word of the hidden trove got out, and the publicity has caused a mini-gold rush in northern New Mexico.

One friend, Michael McGarrity, an author and former Santa Fe County sheriff's deputy, acknowledges it could be 'a private joke,' though he believes 'Forrest has certainly buried something.' If it was the treasure he saw, well, 'it really is quite an astonishing sight to see.'

There certainly seems to be no shortage of believers, including Doug Preston, whose novel 'The Codex' about a notorious treasure hunter and tomb robber who buries himself and his treasure as a final challenge to his three sons, is loosely based on Fenn's story.

'I've seen the treasure. I've handled it. He has had it for almost as long as I've known him. It's real. And I can tell you that it is no longer in his vault,' says Preston.

To read the complete article, see:
Can you solve this antique collector's clues that will lead you to gold-filled treasure chest buried in the desert? (www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3158193/Can-solve-antique-collector-s-clues-lead-gold-filled-treasure-chest-buried-desert.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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