Gold Prospecting, Treasure Hunting, Mining, Relic Hunting, and Metal Detecting in Massachusetts

Bay State

GOLD

Gold has been discovered in Massachusetts in the western portion of the state. While no lode has been discovered yet, it is still likely.

Placer Deposits

A placer deposit is a concentration of a natural material that has accumulated in unconsolidated sediments of a stream bed, beach, or residual deposit. Gold derived by weathering or other process from lode deposits is likely to accumulate in placer deposits because of its weight and resistance to corrosion. In addition, its characteristically sun-yellow color makes it easily and quickly recognizable even in very small quantities.

The gold pan or miner's pan is a shallow sheet-iron vessel with sloping sides and flat bottom used to wash gold-bearing gravel or other material containing heavy minerals. The process of washing material in a pan, referred to as "panning," is the simplest, most commonly used, and least expensive method for a prospector to separate gold from the silt, sand, and gravel of the stream deposits. It is a tedious, back-breaking job and only with practice does one become proficient in the operation. Thankfully, technology finally caught up with our gold fever and brought us metal detectors!

A number of placer nuggets in this part of the state were probably deposited by glacier movement. As always, ask for permission before detecting / panning on private property. Here's some locations where nuggets have been found in the past:

Franklin County: Look for streams with fairly good flow. Gold has been found in near Bernardston in Couch and Keets Brooks. Near Charlemont, it's been found in Maxwell Brook.
Hampden County: Near Blandford, check out the Gold Mine Brook

RELICS, COINS, & JEWELRY

Massachusetts is a relic hunter's paradise! Massachusetts offers a rich colonial, revolutionary war, and civil war history - waiting for you to rediscover.

For hundreds of years, the Mid-Atlantic coastline served as the busiest passage for thousands of Spanish, Danish, French English, and colonial ships. Pirates and privateers combined with storms and shifting sand bars made this course the most hazardous in the world. Hundreds of these ships may still be lying on the bottom of Massachusetts' Bays.

Locals say that if you just walk along the coast after a storm, you can find Spanish doubloons, coppers, pillar dollars, guineas, jewelry, pottery and other relics without a detector. Just imagine.....having one!

Here's a few more ideas to get you started:

Schools and College Campuses
Parks / Playgrounds / Picnic Areas
Foundations, Wells, and Cellar Holes of Old Churches or Houses
Downtown Construction Sites
Swimming Holes and Beaches
Camp Grounds, Boy Scout Camps, and WPA / CCC Camps
Sports Facilities
Ghost Towns
Riding Stables and Race Tracks
Old Fair and Carnival Locations
Old Town Dumpsites

GEMS

Blue or violet colored diaspore crystals of gem-quality large enough to cut small stones have been recovered from the emery mines and mine dumps in Hampden County. Hampden County deposits also produce fine, facet-quality faintly greenish colored datolite.

LOST TREASURE

As in other areas of the US, there are several tales of lost treasure in Massachusetts concerning caches buried for safety. In many of these stories, people either died or forgot where they buried the stash. Contributing factors include:

1. Federal laws making possession of gold illegal in the early 1900s

2. Distrust of banks during the Great Depression.

The banks of the Parker River near Byfield may be a worthwhile site for treasure hunting, including over $200,000 worth of gold and silver in a chest.
At Dalton in Berkshire County loot stolen by Hessian mercenary soldiers during the American Revolution is said to be buried. Doubtless, such coins as Pine Tree shillings would have been included.
Near old Tenney Castle at Methuen, Essex County, two eccentric brothers are said to have hidden a fortune.

These excerpts are a sampling from American Coin Treasures and Hoards