r/TreasureHunting Nov 22 '23

Help me crack a code

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99 Upvotes

Was at an estate sale and found a cool safe no combination only this weird sorting of characters


r/TreasureHunting Jul 06 '25

History Treasure I Bought an Old House in Chile and Discovered the Forgotten Life of... Dr. Death Himself (Jack Kevorkian)

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5.3k Upvotes

This might sound insane, but it's 100% real. A few years ago, I bought an old house in the port city of Valparaíso, Chile, from the heirs of a wealthy recluse — a lifelong bachelor, devout Catholic-turned-skeptic, world traveler, eccentric, and above all… an obsessive collector of everything imaginable. The house came as-is, meaning it was packed to the rafters with all his belongings — and what I found inside took me down a rabbit hole I still haven’t fully crawled out of. Among documents sold to museums, photos donated to the Rockefeller family (yes, those Rockefellers), and thousands of historical oddities, I stumbled upon what I can only describe as the early-life archive of Jack Kevorkian — Dr. Death — decades before he became infamous. What kind of stuff? Try this: Childhood report cards and high school essays Hand-drawn comics he submitted to his local paper as a teen His University of Michigan acceptance letter Candid photos, disturbing sketches, twisted-but-brilliant handwritten notes Diplomas, bank records, university credentials Film reels from a failed movie he directed (Handel’s Messiah) that sent him into bankruptcy Movie scripts, music scores, journals, postcards, photos of dead bodies, letters to art collectors, and even bizarre, morbid humor cartoons And a detailed obsession with Hitler’s artwork that, as far as I know, is completely undocumented publicly It's like someone bottled up the first 50 years of Kevorkian’s life — from birth to 1983 — and left it to rot in this house. I had no idea how this Chilean man — long dead — could have possibly gotten his hands on all this. But after researching, I found out that after Kevorkian’s failed film career in the early '80s, he lost all his belongings in a storage auction. So… it was possible. But still, how did this random guy in South America end up with it? Then came the twist. We had friends over one night and shared this bizarre story. One of my wife’s friends, who grew up in the same neighborhood as the collector’s family, froze when I said Kevorkian’s name. “Dr. Death?” she said. She then told us that when she was 14, a neighbor played a prank on her and her friends by leading them to the rooftop of his house, where they found a horrifying scene: 15–20 huge paintings depicting satanic imagery — blood, mutilation, cannibalism, Santa Claus assaulting Jesus — lit by candles. They ran off screaming. The next day, the neighbor explained it was a joke. The paintings, he said, were by a strange American artist named Jack Kevorkian — and he had always had them. I immediately knew what she had seen were the original paintings that Kevorkian later recreated in the 1990s from memory — the ones he lost in the early '80s. Originals no one believed still existed. Naturally, I asked who this neighbor was. Turned out… he was the nephew of the man who sold me the house. I called him immediately. He denied everything. But I kept pressing. Eventually, he said the paintings were no longer at the house, and he had “forgotten the story.” So I contacted his mother — the sister of the collector and one of the heirs. She was kind, and actually confirmed everything. She explained that what I found was just a fraction of what once existed: a full shipping container had arrived in the '80s, containing not just documents and paintings, but musical instruments (including a clavichord Jack built himself), wardrobes from the film, furniture, and more. According to her, her brother had bought the entire container at a U.S. auction, shipped it to Chile, and kept some things. The rest — including the “violent” paintings — were given to the sister. Too disturbing to hang or donate, she hid them in the attic. Then in the '90s, when Kevorkian became infamous, they realized who he was… and panicked. Religious and conservative, they believed he was evil and decided to “dispose” of the paintings. How exactly? She wasn’t sure. She “thinks” they were given away, or maybe destroyed. I’ve spent years trying to find them. So far, no luck. But in the process, I’ve uncovered what feels like the private, raw, unfiltered life of Jack Kevorkian — a man more complex, more artistic, more human than the media ever portrayed. His strange humor, his dark fascinations, his obsession with art, death, and redemption — it’s all here. Not just a “Doctor Death,” but a misunderstood genius, or perhaps a madman with a camera and a paintbrush. And the wildest part? No one was supposed to ever see it.


r/TreasureHunting 6h ago

Byron Preiss_The Secret

1 Upvotes

Hi, I seem to have dug myself into a rabbit hole with this book. I've been investigating for over 5 years now, and I am convinced I have found the exact location of two, found the general locations within a 5-foot radius of three, and found general locations with a wider radius of two. I know I could find the exact location if I were to continue this journey, but what's the point? I have no one to talk about this book, and the reality of digging is insanely slim. The thought of giving up hurts because of how confident I am and the proof I have to back up my claims. But that's how everyone felt before they were proven wrong after digging, right? I'm very passionate about this, but sharing this with someone and having them tell me I am wrong would be a relief. Nobody I know is familiar with this book, which is why talking to them is a waste of time, and the fear of sharing my information with a stranger is risky, as one, they will take my credit, and two, the possibility of them disrespecting the land.

Byron wrote this book so that people can visit some of his favorite travel spots, with the benefit of learning the history that comes with it. I know this because I found the itinerary he has hidden in his book. I have also found the inspiration for his book structure and the secret behind Canada. All of this is so exciting, but again, I don't know what to do with this information.

For all my treasure hunters out there, how have you been able to stay sane throughout all this? Because I can't be alone. Should I just give up?


r/TreasureHunting 21h ago

she's a lady oh woah woah

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0 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 1d ago

Ongoing Hunt 28(m) looking for friends that want to hunt pirate treasure I need a life of adventure

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1 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 2d ago

Massive pile of Roman coins, found metal detecting in England.

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98 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 2d ago

Ongoing Hunt A fun challenge for those who want to find a small treasure and some hidden gem locations along the way

5 Upvotes

In seven days of this post head to the north to locate a crossing over a river of stone and steel. Under the crossing find a stone with a G.

(After enough people have found this place and either posted about it in the comments or DM me the next clue to the treasure and it’s contents will be shared here. This challenge takes place in London Ontario Canada and places within a 45 minute drive around the city. All items placed for the challenge will be removed after 7 months to not leave any permanent litter to our beautiful city. Please be respectful of the locations and be safe on your journey should you take the quest. When the first marker is posted I will update this post announcing it with a picture near the area.)


r/TreasureHunting 2d ago

Ongoing Hunt Warning: do NOT participate in the Veil Treasure Hunts

0 Upvotes

Just a warning to avoid the Veil treasure hunt series. I made the mistake of paying to join one of these and it was a shitshow. It felt like a borderline grift. Some red flags:

- Most of their clues and materials are (very poorly) AI generated.
- You can pay $25 each for three different concurrent hunts. They claim they’re for different locations and thus you only need to buy one, but they’re all intertwined, so you really need to cough up $75 if you want a shot. And then the same person with unlimited time to explore and travel ends up driving around and claiming multiple treasures because it’s similar solves for all three.
- They decided to make the hunt clue-based instead of a shrinking circle. But most of the clues were red herrings or unconstraining. Only one clue had any constraining power so people wasted their time on mostly useless fluff.
- Their solves are unrigorous and incorrect. An error in one of their clues came to light regarding using J2000 instead of apparent coordinates when doing object tracking (see astronomy subreddit for more info on the difference), leading to area estimates miles off. Instead of owning up to the mistake, the organizers doubled down, claiming “both are valid solutions and one just happens to match with the treasure” - like no??? You just don’t understand basic astronomy???

Overall a very negative experience that I regret wasting time and money on. Save your money. Does anyone recommend better hunts along the east coast? Thanks!


r/TreasureHunting 2d ago

Metal detector help

2 Upvotes

I'm currently stationed in california where I got big into prospecting. Picked up a GM-1000 which served me pretty well. Anyway I got orders to the florida panhandle and I know the GM wont really be of much use out there. But in florida I know theres ample treasure hunting opportunies can anyone reccomend a better detector for that environment. Ive heard the MN manticore is good as well as the equinox 900 if anyone can point me in the right direction it'd be much appreciated.


r/TreasureHunting 3d ago

Starting 08/15/26, a Texas Treasure worth $3,000.00 begins!

2 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 2d ago

The Hunt for Good returns to Warren County, Ohio on August 8th, $2,000 prize, benefits Family Promise

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1 Upvotes

Hey fellow hunters,

Wanted to share this year's Hunt for Good, an annual boots on the ground treasure hunt happening in Warren County, Ohio that doubles as a fundraiser for Family Promise, Inc., a local nonprofit helping families find housing stability.

The setup:

A hidden treasure box somewhere in Warren County

Clue-based trail, starts from home, leads you around the county on foot

First 7 hunters to solve it all and reach the finish win a share of $2,000

Kicks off August 8th

Registration is a donation, funds go straight to Family Promise

It's a true boots on the ground hunt, a mix of puzzle solving and exploring, with people all over the county racing the same trail. If you're into clue based hunts (not metal detecting or GPS caching, more ARG style scavenger hunt) this one's worth checking out, and it's for a good cause either way.

Details and registration: thehuntforgood.org

Happy hunting.


r/TreasureHunting 4d ago

1851 Navy colt revolver found metal detecting. Thanks for looking 👀

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170 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 3d ago

Tethered to the Past, Woven Into the Future

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1 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 4d ago

Family time. Thanks for looking 👀

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23 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 5d ago

Bank of Utah is hosting a treasure hunt!🥳💯🏴‍☠️🍀🔥❤️🎉

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6 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 5d ago

Zoltar Map

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2 Upvotes

Please log all your finds - there are apparently 10,000 around the world that need to be found


r/TreasureHunting 5d ago

Bank of Utah is hosting a treasure hunt!🥳💯🏴‍☠️🍀🔥❤️🎉

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1 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 6d ago

metal detecting local parks

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1 Upvotes

hobbits metal detecting 2026. we hunt local parks in our city and find tons of things!


r/TreasureHunting 6d ago

Ongoing Hunt Appalachian Solve

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0 Upvotes

TTI Appalachian Box solve


r/TreasureHunting 6d ago

Found a Kansas nectar sector. lol thanks for looking 👀

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2 Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 6d ago

Ongoing Hunt Special guest Bart Kay creator of The Treasures of Known Aim! TTOKA.ORG

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1 Upvotes

TTOKA.OG is not a new treasure hunt but not many people are working on it. 5 treasures in 5 States. gold - silver - bitcoin - meterite. This is hunt deals with adut themes not for kids. 18+

If you are looking for something new and a little different tune in tonight as we talk to the creator.


r/TreasureHunting 8d ago

History Treasure Found walking their dog: 1,427 gold coins valued at about $10 million, the largest known buried gold-coin discovery ever recovered in the USA

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1.1k Upvotes

r/TreasureHunting 7d ago

If My Grandfather Secretly Buried a Treasure Before He Died, Who Would It Rightfully Belong To? (Karma, Law & Ethics)

12 Upvotes

I have a question and I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

Before my grandfather passed away, it's said that he buried a treasure somewhere on his land. However, he died without ever telling anyone where it was. All of his sons and daughters have heard the story, but there's no concrete proof that the treasure actually exists.

Now, let's say someone eventually finds it. Who would it rightfully belong to? How should it be divided, especially considering that some of my grandfather's children have already passed away and left children of their own (their heirs)?

There's another complication. Some members of the family don't even want the treasure to be found. Out of selfishness, they'd rather it stay buried forever than have it divided among everyone.

On top of that, if the treasure were ever distributed among the heirs, it would almost certainly become public knowledge. The rest of the family would find out, and eventually the authorities would probably learn about it as well, which could create serious legal complications.

From a legal, moral, and karmic perspective, what do you think is the right thing to do? If you were in this situation, how would you handle it?


r/TreasureHunting 8d ago

Shitpost Burying Treasure?

2 Upvotes

I know that typically this is a place people talk about treasure they have found or general talks of treasure hunting but I am curious about something a little different. I want to find a place to bury treasure of my own. I do a lot of magnet fishing, mudlarking and river snorkeling. I'd like to eventually find a place to hide my stash for others to find. Does anyone have any experience in burying Treasure? Any tips or questions are encouraged.


r/TreasureHunting 8d ago

A New Texas Treasure Hunt: Prize $3,000.00

4 Upvotes

The Lantern Has Been Lit.

Somewhere in Northeast Texas, a real treasure worth $3,000.00 waits to be found!

Follow the clues. Solve the mystery. Begin the adventure.

The King's Missing Ledger is coming soon.