Well, I am very happy to tell you that a new casque had been dig out on Feb 25th at 9 h 55 am somewhere in the USA under the look of a park guard ranger. I am very tired because of jetlag and a lot of turbulences with the plane flying back to Europe, when it was nearly impossible to sleep. You will have detailed news and pictures to come next week-end, I hope so ! There are 9 other casques to find ! Please be patient for a few days until ì give you all details ! I just want to tell all my contempt, disdain and scorn to a "so called" hunter who had hard words about me, and said he has the IQ of... I don't remember what... A silly guy anyway ! HAPPY HUNTING TO ALL OF YOU ! Meteor (and Devin and Kaspius who are in the team of finders !)

Meteor wrote:: Well, I am very happy to tell you that a new casque had been dig out ... Gah! so much conflicting emotions... ...a "new" casque? Do you mean a 3rd casque from the original set, or the 13th casque, or something else new?? Couldn't you at least mention which state it was found in? We can chew over at least that much until more details can be spilled. Well, of course I'm happy for the finders, and for the community. It's good news (but very thin) for now. Lastly... Why bump *this* thread, of all threads? Why not start a new one for discussion of this specific thing? Or bump the thread for which the clues apply. Ah well, I must back off and be patient, right? Thank you for the announcement.

I went back to the website and now I remember the nickname of the... stupid guy : GOLDEN MARTYRE. A large program for a psychiatric MD... No more comment !

I am sorry but so tired ! I just announced that on last Monday morning, I dug out the Casque of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco The riddles were not that difficult, but with a lot of "red herrings" that when you go out of the right way, it is hard to find the right trail... Another trap was to read the informations of another website without checking if it was wrong or not... I myself tried three times to become a help to the pbpreiss site, and never had any response, as I only wanted to help hunters. What a pity !

Meteor wrote:: I am sorry but so tired ! I just announced that on last Monday morning, I dug out the Casque of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco The riddles were not that difficult, but with a lot of "red herrings" that when you go out of the right way, it is hard to find the right trail... Another trap was to read the informations of another website without checking if it was wrong or not... I myself tried three times to become a help to the pbpreiss site, and never had any response, as I only wanted to help hunters. What a pity ! So much technology and no photos?

wait. this happened yesterday at 9am? if that's true SF Parks would have released a statement. They have pushed this hunt way too far not to. Maybe MaltedFalcon can call his parks guy and check. If he can't I'll call the parks department in the morning.

I am fed up with losers doubting everything for so many years. The park ranger with me all the time is Stanley. Give as many calls as you want : since my very first time I discovered a treasure in 1986 (may be you were not born yet ?) there have been losers who could not afford it : still the same old story...

Please don’t get mad or upset. That might make you disappear from this forum and never share pictures of your recovered casque or the amazing story of how you solved the clues.

Meteor wrote:: I am fed up with losers doubting everything for so many years. The park ranger with me all the time is Stanley. Give as many calls as you want : since my very first time I discovered a treasure in 1986 (may be you were not born yet ?) there have been losers who could not afford it : still the same old story... Hey man, I actually think you have some validity calm down.

Congratulations Meteor! I was wrong, it happens when you have an IQ of 48.

Congrats, but I am a little confused, you have the ability to share your discovery on this site, which is awesome, and taking the time to post back and forth banter with people,but you can't give details of your most wonderful treasure you unearthed, yes you are tired ,I would be too, but with the energy you have left in your body I would think you would share your story of your most wonderful find instead of ...

I called the after hours ranger at ggp, he hasn't heard anything. He said to call back in the morning and the day staff might know more.

Meteor wrote:: I am fed up with losers doubting everything for so many years. The park ranger with me all the time is Stanley. Give as many calls as you want : since my very first time I discovered a treasure in 1986 (may be you were not born yet ?) there have been losers who could not afford it : still the same old story... Great! by the way whats under the lid of the casque?

Here is a 1997 article from the London Times about the famous French treasure hunt designer, Max Valentin. He considered Dr. Gerald Gay (Meteor) the best treasure hunter in France and was always delighted when he could stump him. The part specifically about Dr. Gay is near the end of the article. http://ilotresor.com/article-du-times-saturday-magazine

I know of a few hunts created by Max Valentin. I respect anyone who prevailed with his clues. I participated in the one with the 3-D chat system, an early attempt at virtual reality in 2000. My memories of that one are vague, more about the personal stories and not much about the clues or the winners. Perhaps we crossed paths along the way. Thank you for replying with the answer to my main question, that you found it in San Francisco. The details can come later, when you have time to write up a proper explanation. I would also love to hear stories about your adventure, your personal thoughts about our country and my state of California. Had I known you were going to be successful, I would have made the long drive and joined you just to watch a master at work. Too bad you had to return home so quickly. Will you return to the states to claim the final prize? (and again, I wish this conversation could be split out into its own thread)

Meteor wrote:: I am very sorry, but I didn't answered to your question yet. According to me, it means this is only MY opinion until casques are found. In my mind, I think that most of the latitude-longitude in 1982 were probably right and USELESS when there were enough other clues to find the right city. IMHO, it gives twice the same information what means (for me), it is a good way to throw away these figures when they check with "GPS" further informations... This is an obvious way for an author to have searchers get read of the figures when they have, in their minds, understood them. BUT, who can say it won't be useful in another way ? To be frank, in other hunts, the figures were needed once more to hit the spot.... That is why, still IMHO, keep everything until the end of the story... I happened to find a treasure with the same figures of longitude and latitude, just measuring how many meters, or paces, or steps, north and east (for example) of a place FOUND with the same numbers... I do hope you found one. Perhaps we'll find out more this morning. As for the lat, lon, there's at least two images with doubts on the city (not SF though). Are you saying you think every city match is correct? If you question it, you get pilloried on here, which is why I don't share my alternate city thoughts. If you dug up SF, I can't imagine them not publicizing it to end the endless requests to dig. And to stop the unsanctioned digs.

Meteor wrote:: I am fed up with losers doubting everything for so many years. The park ranger with me all the time is Stanley. Give as many calls as you want : since my very first time I discovered a treasure in 1986 (may be you were not born yet ?) there have been losers who could not afford it : still the same old story... Props for the cross continent travel, looking forward to the solve information

Matthew Sparks confirmed: Brian Dewitt director of permits for SF parks and Rec - Gerald Gay had an appt monday, morning Ranger Stanly chow present - something was found and dug up in Golden Gate Park. waiting for confirmation from SF parks press department before further comment

This is amazing for the hunt in general. My sincerest congrats again to meteor. I look forward to reading his solution.

Goldengate wrote:: I'm absolutely thrilled it was found in Golden Gate Park. I've tried to justify other locations but just keep coming back to the park. Too many clues figuratively and literally (in the painting) point there. Huge congrats to Gerald for seeing what none of us could see. From some of my correspondence with him, he was interested in how the Japanese hints from BP gelled with his conclusions so it will certainly be interesting to see how it all fits together! Which verse did he say he used for SF?

I don't think he said.

strike13 wrote:: Which verse did he say he used for SF? This is the million dollar question. I'd prefer he just post the verse that he used and release the rest later. Unless I misunderstood and it is in fact v7......

GoldenMartyr wrote:: This is the million dollar question. I'd prefer he just post the verse that he used and release the rest later. Unless I misunderstood and it is in fact v7...... I would say the million dollar question is whether a casque has come out of the ground. Which Verse that was applied would be secondary to that.

toutes nos félicitations Gerald!!! Hit me up if you would like to collaborate on New Orleans. I'm an adherent of the importance of the "DIG JAX" clue in clock boys socks.

gManTexas wrote:: I would say the million dollar question is whether a casque has come out of the ground. Which Verse that was applied would be secondary to that. well for arguments sake, let's just say the casque out of the ground is a given. I think it is more important to know which verse, as opposed to whether it was found.

it was found at the Verdi statue in GGP. it seems he used V7

Goldengate wrote:: Totally makes sense. Giant pole, Giant step. Several people here have proposed this and they should get deserved props. Meteor ultimately was the one put his money down, named the spot and sealed the deal! It would be great if anyone near the park can run over and take pics of the spot -- there's bound to be some evidence of a recent dig. Just so we have pics! Yes, and he figured out the direction and the exact distance. You only get to dig a very small area. Huge congrats to Meteor! How does this tie in to the Japanese clues? I thought those clarified the posts were wooden. Another interesting thing... Verse 7. Meteor mentions in his first post something about the history of the European countries. Could the order of verses also be the founding dates of the countries?

Meteor wrote:: I just announced that on last Monday morning, I dug out the Casque of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco Congratulations Meteor! I am beyond excited to hear more about your solve! Also I humbly propose we move to the Image 1 thread

Goldengate wrote:: It would be great if anyone near the park can run over and take pics of the spot -- there's bound to be some evidence of a recent dig. Just so we have pics! its being done now.

DA25550 wrote:: ...Verse 7. Meteor mentions in his first post something about the history of the European countries. Could the order of verses also be the founding dates of the countries? My money's on European folklore/history. To me, it seems all over The Secret. Also, in his next sentence he asks us if we know what a Lorelei is.... We'll see when he posts.

This is awesome! Congrats Meteor......and looking forward to hearing more!

burnstyle wrote:: it was found at the Verdi statue in GGP. it seems he used V7 So, Is this confirmation that it was found, and we are just awaiting photos from the site?

No we are waiting for the SF parks and rec dept to authenticate the find. pix from the site are already posted on FB

I don't "do" Facebook. Are the pics from the digger or just one of us? I assume these are pics of the disturbed dig site aftermath, not of the casque or unearthing. It's still not really confirmation of anything more than a potential geo-cache find, for the serious doubters. Personally, I am feeling angry if that was the real solution/location, because I was just there are few months ago on a field trip! Nothing on that concourse outside the museum entrance felt like a giant pole to me, at least not in real life as the scene stands today. I'll need to review the old history to align the clues to how the area looked decades ago. (Anger and frustration at myself for a missed opportunity. I cannot fault the puzzle setter nor the finder. Eventually, relief will set in and we can all celebrate.)

catherwood wrote:: I don't "do" Facebook. Are the pics from the digger or just one of us? I assume these are pics of the disturbed dig site aftermath, not of the casque or unearthing. It's still not really confirmation of anything more than a potential geo-cache find, for the serious doubters. Personally, I am feeling angry if that was the real solution/location, because I was just there are few months ago on a field trip! Nothing on that concourse outside the museum entrance felt like a giant pole to me, at least not in real life as the scene stands today. I'll need to review the old history to align the clues to how the area looked decades ago. (Anger and frustration at myself for a missed opportunity. I cannot fault the puzzle setter nor the finder. Eventually, relief will set in and we can all celebrate.) the verdi statue has a boy holding a giant pole taking a step up the monument . The hole is directly below that. maybe a foot away.

maltedfalcon wrote:: No we are waiting for the SF parks and rec dept to authenticate the find. pix from the site are already posted on FB Thanks for having your daughter do that!!! Let's hope for pics from Meteor soon!!! Can't be that jetlagged

Nope.

one of MaltedFalcon's pics from the FB...

https://i.imgur.com/5WHUC29.jpg Brett's photo from a month ago, with a special note from Brett.

Question for the people who have gone through the permitting process at GGP. What was supposed to happen with the casque if it is recovered? Does the park hold on to it? Does it go with the finder? How can the park authenticate anything if it’s in France right now? I don’t have strong feelings either way on this situation. If it’s true, that’s outstanding. If it’s another hoax, it happens. I’m just really wondering how the park is supposed to proceed, seems like a potential gray area.

BINGO wrote:: Question for the people who have gone through the permitting process at GGP. What was supposed to happen with the casque if it is recovered? Does the park hold on to it? Does it go with the finder? How can the park authenticate anything if it’s in France right now? Matt asked the park, we are waiting for a response

Just my two cents. I had a solution theory also set on the Music Concourse. Though I ended up at a different spot because I obviously went off the rails somewhere. My theory is/was (we'll find out if it's even close) is that the image is a stylized map of the Music Concourse. And the symbols around the dress are symbolic representations of statues/features that surround the Concourse. And that the Yin-Yang symbol is in the right spot - And has a motif evocative of 1/2 of the Yin-Yang symbol. Dying to know if I'm even close....Pearl is the Star Spangled Banner monument, etc. etc.....We'll see

Thats not where the statue is.

I think the relation to the image is the rose. Looks like hands cradling a baby. Stem like the flagpole, The arrow at the end of the stem, the direction, extension of the pole. The layers of horizontal lines being the steps. Crossed arms are also cradling position. http://tinyurl.com/yypbur5u

burnstyle wrote:: Thats not where the statue is. Yes sorry - was not referring to the Verdi statue . Was responding to GoldenGate's question about what they yin-yang symbol represents. Sorry for not being clear. Forgot to quote.

I know everyone is excited, but there's a whole lot of arm chair jockeying going on for an unconfirmed casque. Maybe we let this guy post some photos, a solve, some funny anecdotes....first.

What’s wrong with jumping to conclusions? Happens here on a regular basis...

Goldengate wrote:: Just my two cents in how this could have worked for Gerald: VERSE At stone wall's door The air smells sweet (THIS COULD BE SPRECKLES MUSIC CONCOURSE AS MANY HAVE MENTIONED... SWEET SMELLING AIR AND THE STONE WALL'S DOOR BEING THE BANDSTAND? (THOUGH NOT REALLY STONE WALL)) . . . In jewel's direction Is an object Of Twain's attention (SUPER OBSCURE REFERENCE TO VERDI? -- TWAIN WASN'T AN OPERA FAN, SO IT'S THIN) Giant pole Giant step (BOTH POINT TO STATUE) To the place The casque is kept. (SPOT IS EXACTLY WHERE THE POLE IS POINTING WHICH IS WONDERFULLY SIMPLE) Here's hoping for confirmation soon--this is so exciting! I've been lurking here for a while, and this is my favorite puzzle. I've often thought GGP was the best match (largely for reasons GoldenGate and others have outlined in other posts), though I never would have come up with the Verdi statue. To add a thought to this: since the Verdi statue is pretty close to the Shakespeare Garden, "the air smells sweet" seems like a reference to "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," which is one of the quotes written on the wall near the Shakespeare statue. I realize it's not an exact match, but there's the proximity to the Verdi statue, the rose in the image, and the fact that other verses contain quotes from nearby signs. If that's the case, then I'm wondering if the "object / Of Twain's attention" is not the Verdi statue itself (which I agree feels like a tenuous connection to Twain), but something else in the direction of the statue/jewel. (Someone mentioned something along these lines on the FB page.) In other words, if we thought it was something like the boathouse (riverboats etc.), and we started walking in that direction from the Shakespeare Garden, we might come across the Verdi statue and notice the giant pole and giant step. I always fancied somewhere near the Pavilion, but I'm just delighted if it's been found, and I'm a bit extra happy if it's in GGP. Congratulations, Meteor! And kudos to the other hunters who were so close, too. Looking forward to hearing more about the solve. Now if someone could please go find the Boston casque...

Or Verdi looks like Mark Twain's twin.

[/quote] Now if someone could please go find the Boston casque... [/quote] give me 3 more days please...

Try the Columbus park there.

Word coming down from people close to the hunt is that the current discovery may quite possibly be a fake. Proceed with caution.

I thought Matt confirmed. Do you mean a fake cask?

Matt only confirmed something had been dug up turns out it was a fake casque *Yay!* - this concludes the editorial portion of our message.

burnstyle wrote:: Word coming down from people close to the hunt is that the current discovery may quite possibly be a fake. Proceed with caution. Dude probably just got confused and dug up a helmet. Still a good find.

Matt, where is the casque that you created for testing purposes? You devil....

Aquatic Park anyone? Only joking of course.

maltedfalcon wrote:: Matt only confirmed something had been dug up, turns out it was a fake casque wait, who is Matt again? I'm so confused. Someone flew from France, followed in the footsteps of someone else's clues, and dug up a hoax box? My heart and stomach cannot take this stress.

Goldengate wrote:: Well. I see Gerald read my congrats PM to him last night. But has not read the follow-up note I sent this morning... I've since edited it, in essence to read: I gots lots more to say to him.

Malted Falcon posted this on facebook Malted Falcon is Matthew Sparks on facebook Congrats to Gerald Gay seem to be in order.... From: Brian Dewitt director of permits for SF parks and Rec - Gerald Gay had an appt monday, morning Ranger Stanly chow present - something was found and dug up in Golden Gate Park. waiting for confirmation from SF parks press department before further comment Meteor posted earlier on this thread that he dug up a casque in san francisco and flew back to France before posting photos etc

Lots of drama! IMO, this solve seems a lot like the wiki solution except the ending. It's not terribly original, but I have to admit seeing the pole and the step it had that "aha" moment. It is giant from the perspective of the guy carrying it. From what I read someone on FB already dug there and found nothing? If going by the wiki solution starting in Shakespeare's garden, the sundial seems more an object of Twain's affection. But seriously, going by the Japanese clues, the wooden posts are on a "boat" or at a "wharf" and the object of affection is a boat. Hope to hear more especially from Meteor himself! I reserve judgement either way. What's going on???

Are we even sure Gerard Gay is in fact Meteor or someone trying to mess up his good name?

Goldengate wrote:: Well... I see meteor is signed onto the forum now. Gerard... care to explain? A lot of time has been wasted today. Reputations were put on the line for you. This is a sad moment in the history of this hunt and a betrayal of trust. Somebody was probably logged into the incorrect account.

I had the same spot as a theory in Nov of last year... http://thesecret.pbworks.com/w/page/221 ... 20Solution Under the username Brad. "Hey all... I have just uploaded a solution that I think is elegant and fits the bill to a couple of end points. Find it in the files here: http://thesecret.pbworks.com/w/file/129 ... %20BSJ.pdf with anotated image: http://thesecret.pbworks.com/w/file/129 ... %20Res.jpg and anotated map showing the path taken: http://thesecret.pbworks.com/w/file/129 ... %20Res.jpg There are a couple of little gaps and missing pieces, and comments would be appreciated. If anyone is in the area and willing to head to the end location nad have a look around, we could chat about what to look for. B" and: "Eureka! I think I have it. And damn you people for not putting a good photo of the Verdi statue up there! OK... rules people, rules! I live in Australia. the chances of me getting over there and digging a hole on American soil are between nil and federal offence. I need a co-conspirator. I do not want the prize. I agree with another user here that the jewel, casque and anything associated with it should be kept in a place for all to see. Somewhere in the GGP, a local bar, whatever. The solve has been such a group effort, we should all be able to visit it and share in the collective stupidity and genius that unearthed it. Credit where credit is due, that's all I ask. ... if by some long shot I am actually correct! ha ha ha. The final location, buliding on the theory above is... the base of the verdi statue near the Shakespeare Gardens, Music Concourse and Academy of Science, just off MLK Jnr Blv. This photo shows exactly where to dig. 3-3.5' down. http://thesecret.pbworks.com/w/file/Eur ... 0VERDI.jpg BECAUSE... I got to the Verdi statue via the path in the annotated map (see above post). Then I got lost. I was in my ceiling space, as all good genii are when they have that moment, and thought twain, not twain. Maybe there was a statue of 2 soldiers at attention. Googled "Twin Statues Golden Gate Park" and looked. found photos of 15/30 statues in the park... sphinxes, yep, could be them, two kids and a woman, yep could be them, Verdi statue, seen it... wait... that's the whole statue, not just the head. What's on the base? Huh? 2 kids. What are they doing? Playing with a giant pole. Really? where would that pole point? Off a giant step, on to ground that could easily be disturbed without being in a garden bed, grass, paving etc. Can someone please check this out??? Noticed the step-like formation in the dragon's tail where the kid is stepping up on to the statue. This point is close enough to many things in image too! If you find it... you. are. welcome." I'm not saying that Gerald Gay even ever saw this, but if I could come to the conclusion, so could he! Would be great to know if it's true or not to verify or negate my theory. I have also wondered if an enterprising person may make a casque and bury it to claim it as true. Oh the DRAMA!!! Brad

Perhaps the good Doctor is simply a victim of a prankster. He would only be guilty of being fooled. Twice. Preiss got him first and the prankster got him the second time. Nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all been fooled before. Mensa may have some questions though.

Goldengate wrote:: Not sure how that happens? I saw his name as logged in at the bottom of the screen, then after a couple minutes of realizing his hoax had been quickly busted, he quietly tip-toed out. We'll probably never see him here again. Which is probably for the best. BINGO wrote:: Please don’t get mad or upset. That might make you disappear from this forum and never share pictures of your recovered casque or the amazing story of how you solved the clues.

Y'all go take a shower and tomorrow we start fresh.

bah... fake hey??? Who'd sign the casque JJP? He did the paintings, not the casques!?! Damn you tricksters!!! B

Meteor wrote:: Well, I am very happy to tell you that a new casque had been dig out on Feb 25th at 9 h 55 am somewhere in the USA under the look of a park guard ranger. I am very tired because of jetlag and a lot of turbulences with the plane flying back to Europe, when it was nearly impossible to sleep. You will have detailed news and pictures to come next week-end, I hope so ! There are 9 other casques to find ! Please be patient for a few days until ì give you all details ! I just want to tell all my contempt, disdain and scorn to a "so called" hunter who had hard words about me, and said he has the IQ of... I don't remember what... A silly guy anyway ! HAPPY HUNTING TO ALL OF YOU ! Meteor (and Devin and Kaspius who are in the team of finders !) Ok I wanna hear about your find... Go on....

Durian wrote:: Maybe we should write to MENSA and have him disbarred? Ha! An excellent idea

Erpobdelliforme wrote:: Nope. Take note. How did he know this?

Hirudiniforme wrote:: Take note. How did he know this? Was that outlined in the slow spill thread? Or did we not get that far with it?

If I was American trying to pose as a Frenchman.........I would type out what I wanted to say, put it in Google Translate to French and then translate it back to English. Damn! Which one of you is it?

XeroDM wrote:: bah... B Yep. From that photo, casque recovered was in mint condition with not a sign of aging or dirt?

DA25550 wrote:: Yep. From that photo, casque recovered was in mint condition with not a sign of aging or dirt? Yeah... it's not painted or glazed and signed incorrectly. My next question is... if Gerard/ Meteor isn't posting anything, how did someone get a photo of the casque? Was that provided by SF Parks? If so, why wasn't it supplied originally? Wasn't John Palencar adamant that people should not contact him about the Secret, and yet now he's all over discrediting a casque that by all accounts he may never have seen? Could the "fake" news be "Fake News"? Could a plot be thickening? Could I be stirring a pot? Who knows??? Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! B

BINGO wrote:: Was that outlined in the slow spill thread? Or did we not get that far with it? https://8ch.net/qresearch/res/954652.html#q954903

XeroDM wrote:: The parks department has been in touch with several people all day trying to authenticate this. I imagine they finally just sent out the pictures to John.

Hirudiniforme wrote:: Was that outlined in the slow spill thread? Or did we not get that far with it? https://8ch.net/qresearch/res/954652.html#q954903 [/quote] 8 chan I get.... qresearch, nope.

Before defaming the doctor's reputation as a few knee-jerk members have done here maybe they should obtain some of these answers first; before creating more liability for this forum. Who knows who this Meteor user is. Mark Parry can find his IP address and general location and confirm if he's in France or not.

burnstyle wrote:: 8 chan I get.... qresearch, nope. sentiment, not context.

Choice wrote:: Before defaming the doctor's reputation as a few knee-jerk members have done here maybe they should obtain some of these answers first; before creating more liability for this forum. Who knows who this Meteor user is. Mark Parry can find his IP address and general location and confirm if he's in France or not. Thats a good point. You need an ID to dig in GGP, and parks staff said it WAS a Gerald Gay. But if you are going to fake a casque, faking an ID shouldnt be too hard.

Especially a French ID since they don't have a way to verify it unless with a passport. Did he have a Cal ID?

Ha what a hoax, I feel most of us that have put time in were torn. Hoping it was found with a detailed solution to compare with the unsolved casques clues and also hope for a pattern using the 2 solved. But we were also pissed off that someone just came in and found it in a spot we had discredited, destroying our theories and potential fame in finding it. Malted Falcon and others must have been in considerable anguish. I think we must be careful about discussions offline or DM as it could fuel belief in authenticity of a total stranger. That said, if Josh Cornell did this I got to give him props!

Meteor's on again.... https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/27166819-457f-4fda-9d31-860859cfab10

Kang wrote:: Meteor's on again.... https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/27166819-457f-4fda-9d31-860859cfab10 Busted out laughing at this. Perhaps we should use this hoax as an opportunity to regroup?

Goldengate wrote:: These are all good points. It's a shame we can't trust people when they make claims like this. That said, there is no way this could be Cornell as even his multiple online personas are incapable of using capital letters. Ha maybe he had a confederate?

We should all meet up and have a few drinks one day. Feels like a lot of emotions have been gone through today.

So does this mean there might be other fakes buried out there? He said he knew where the rest were...

bbi wrote:: We should all meet up and have a few drinks one day. Feels like a lot of emotions have been gone through today. I know I've been completely distracted and disturbed and disheartened all day. I could use a drink, too. I would consider a road trip to San Francisco, to salt the Earth below that Verdi statue, to walk the GGPark, and to climb the hillside to light a candle at the Prayer Cross. Well, maybe not flames near the trees, perhaps a ritual with holy oil to anoint the rocks. Then we all gather down at the Cliff House restaurant for a meal, and stroll along the ocean to contemplate our existence. Amen.

Goldengate wrote:: If he did make other fake casques, there's obviously a way to tell if they're bogus. Seems "Gerald" felt each city casque would be different. In fact they are not. They are 12 (now 13) identical casques. Oh I get it, but could you imagine digging, hitting something, and pulling that garbage out of the ground? Anyway, I've spent more time on this con then it's worth. Onward and upward!

I wonder how this will effect the Parks view on the permit process now, as they too have been bamboozled?

Goonie68 wrote:: I wonder how this will effect the Parks view on the permit process now, as they too have been bamboozled? I don't know if they have ID scanners. Maybe the previous diggers can chime in. But definitely should require passport from foreign diggers.

Goldengate wrote:: This hoax was the cumulation of a long con by the Q4T member who calls himself "Meteor" who claims to be a Dr. Gerald Gay, an immunologist from France. He publicly introduced himself to this forum back in October of 2018 and said he planned to be in San Francisco between February 22nd and 25th for a conference. He claimed to have solved many other arm chair treasure hunts and had some theories the Secret, naming a few select cities. He didn't roll in hot saying he had absolutely solved them, but did sound confident. He posted up an article about the Golden Owl treasure hunt where the creator of the puzzle was quoted as saying Gerald was closest to the solution. Aside from his awkward French-to-English Google translate posts, there was no reason to doubt who he was or that he intended to come to San Francisco to do an honest dig. On February 14th, he sent me a PM saying he would be in the city on the days he referenced months before -- the 22nd -25th. He offered to buy me dinner and talk about the Japanese hints and how they may relate to his theory. I've been busy and passed. I did not ask for his spot and he didn't offer -- he actually thanked me for not asking. In my mind he was just holding his cards and wanted to be careful. I wished him luck and that was it. Then last night he made the claim. He said he dug it up on the date he said he would, during a time where permit holders are okayed to do supervised digs. It was a little weird he didn't post a pic, but he backed it up with a GGP Ranger's name and the fact he had a permit. The next morning very trusted key searchers with proven integrity called GGP and confirmed the Ranger's name and that "a box" had been dug up. Then the mention that it was at the Verdi monument... not the strongest location, but the pole and step featured on the monument certainly made for an interesting case -- as is the fact that many others had either dug there or had talked about it here and elsewhere. So it was plausible. It seemed to pass the sniff test. Nothing could be further from the truth. This guy fabricated a fake casque with asian characteristics that he felt might compliment the supposed immigration theme. He painted the lid to match the others with the 6:00 clock and face. He applied for and received a legit permit. Then he supposedly traveled from "France" and buried it. He followed up with me and possibly others to meet up. Then he met the Ranger, and "dug" his casque. Finally flew back to "France" and then announced it here (without pics). We were all duped. Fleeced. Conned. Flim-flamed! Whoever this person is, he is obviously deeply troubled and desperate for attention. Maybe it's a cry for help, I don't know... it seems like everyone who claims to have a "solution" or knows 100% where the casques are, suffers from the same affliction. It's sad. There are a lot of great people involved in this hunt -- it's a fun to read the theories -- even more so to come up with new ones. Unfortunately, there are others who don't come in with honest intentions. All the work he put in basically ended in a sorta con of a community for less than 24 hours only to lose all trust and credibility after he was found out. He should be ashamed. So let this be a cautionary tale for all of us: trust but verify. Thanks for reading and happy hunting! Thanks for all the info GG , this jerk was just better than most, pretty damn bold too. Let's get back to work.

Just out of interest... how far down did this guy dig? I think it would be ironically hilarious if he dug a 2 foot hole and placed a casque just inches above a real one. After doing so much work to fake up a casque, bury it, permit, dig it up... And then we all go about thinking that it isn't there, only for it to be sitting there, discredited Or is that just my twisted sense of humour? The hunt is on! Good luck all. BB B

Goldengate wrote:: This hoax was the cumulation of a long con by the Q4T member who calls himself "Meteor" who claims to be a Dr. Gerald Gay, an immunologist from France. He publicly introduced himself to this forum back in October of 2018 and said he planned to be in San Francisco between February 22nd and 25th for a conference. He claimed to have solved many other arm chair treasure hunts and had some theories the Secret, naming a few select cities. He didn't roll in hot saying he had absolutely solved them, but did sound confident. He posted up an article about the Golden Owl treasure hunt where the creator of the puzzle was quoted as saying Gerald was closest to the solution. Aside from his awkward French-to-English Google translate posts, there was no reason to doubt who he was or that he intended to come to San Francisco to do an honest dig. On February 14th, he sent me a PM saying he would be in the city on the days he referenced months before -- the 22nd -25th. He offered to buy me dinner and talk about the Japanese hints and how they may relate to his theory. I've been busy and passed. I did not ask for his spot and he didn't offer -- he actually thanked me for not asking. In my mind he was just holding his cards and wanted to be careful. I wished him luck and that was it. Then last night he made the claim. He said he dug it up on the date he said he would, during a time where permit holders are okayed to do supervised digs. It was a little weird he didn't post a pic, but he backed it up with a GGP Ranger's name and the fact he had a permit. The next morning very trusted key searchers with proven integrity called GGP and confirmed the Ranger's name and that "a box" had been dug up. Then the mention that it was at the Verdi monument... not the strongest location, but the pole and step featured on the monument certainly made for an interesting case -- as is the fact that many others had either dug there or had talked about it here and elsewhere. So it was plausible. It seemed to pass the sniff test. Nothing could be further from the truth. This guy fabricated a fake casque with asian characteristics that he felt might compliment the supposed immigration theme. He painted the lid to match the others with the 6:00 clock and face. He applied for and received a legit permit. Then he supposedly traveled from "France" and buried it. He followed up with me and possibly others to meet up. Then he met the Ranger, and "dug" his casque. Finally flew back to "France" and then announced it here (without pics). We were all duped. Fleeced. Conned. Flim-flamed! Whoever this person is, he is obviously deeply troubled and desperate for attention. Maybe it's a cry for help, I don't know... it seems like everyone who claims to have a "solution" or knows 100% where the casques are, suffers from the same affliction. It's sad. There are a lot of great people involved in this hunt -- it's a fun to read the theories -- even more so to come up with new ones. Unfortunately, there are others who don't come in with honest intentions. All the work he put in basically ended in a sorta con of a community for less than 24 hours only to lose all trust and credibility after he was found out. He should be ashamed. So let this be a cautionary tale for all of us: trust but verify. Thanks for reading and happy hunting! No We were not ALL duped or conned. I never bought it and many others did not either. I prefer to wait to see photos as proof. and hear a plausible solution. Then I might start to believe.

XeroDM wrote:: Just out of interest... how far down did this guy dig? I think it would be ironically hilarious if he dug a 2 foot hole and placed a casque just inches above a real one. After doing so much work to fake up a casque, bury it, permit, dig it up... And then we all go about thinking that it isn't there, only for it to be sitting there, discredited Or is that just my twisted sense of humour? The hunt is on! Good luck all. BB B Hahaha!

Durian wrote:: Hard to know what goes through a person (or persons) head though to motivate them to do something so absurd—and relatively easily disprovable. Yeah, that casque was bizarre; a quick glance is all you needed to know this was nonsense. Having said that, it's so bad, it's brilliant. That thing deserves a treasure hunt of its own.

Not here to argue in any way so please don't. I just want everyone to be aware that I think this was part of a larger scheme, a "documentary", in which the hoaxers are trying to punk the hunters looking for casques. I believe they've created multiple casques, definitely Milwaukee (they will claim they've already dug it up), and I believe they will attempt to pull the same stunt in NYC soon, then New Orleans this summer. Take it for what it's worth but I don't think this will be the only hoax.

Dambala wrote:: Not here to argue in any way so please don't. I just want everyone to be aware that I think this was part of a larger scheme, a "documentary", in which the hoaxers are trying to punk the hunters looking for casques. I believe they've created multiple casques, definitely Milwaukee (they will claim they've already dug it up), and I believe they will attempt to pull the same stunt in NYC soon, then New Orleans this summer. Take it for what it's worth but I don't think this will be the only hoax. What makes you think that?

Dambala wrote:: Not here to argue in any way so please don't. I just want everyone to be aware that I think this was part of a larger scheme, a "documentary", in which the hoaxers are trying to punk the hunters looking for casques. I believe they've created multiple casques, definitely Milwaukee (they will claim they've already dug it up), and I believe they will attempt to pull the same stunt in NYC soon, then New Orleans this summer. Take it for what it's worth but I don't think this will be the only hoax. Not sure if this is for a documentary but it definitely smells like a scheme or a publicity stunt. I am questioning if a dig even happened. I left some emails and messages to inquire if any dig actually happened on Monday.

Goldengate wrote:: No, Doghouse, I obviously don’t believe everyone hailed him as having definitively found it. And if you read back here and elsewhere, I wrote that I was waiting for cerification, but I was cautiously optimistic. Many were giving him the benefit of the doubt. And many weren’t. Bravo, you were among the latter — you get a gold star. But yes, we all acknowledge you are awesome and nobody’s fool if that’s what you need to hear. I just took time to break down what happened so the sequence of events was on one place. That’s all. Relax. I think we can all agree that Meteor is a troll and is no longer welcomed in this hunt. That work? Golden Gate. I am not trying to argue. I was just surprised at the many people who assumed it was real before asking any questions We don't have to agree on anything. I am not posting for your applause. I dont care if you think I am awesome or an idiot You should speak for yourself. Not every one on the forum I can't agree on anything about Meteor. I dont have enough info and the whole story is crazy to me To many people posting and not saying where they got their photos or info

NYCNative wrote:: Not sure if this is for a documentary but it definitely smells like a scheme or a publicity stunt. I am questioning if a dig even happened. I left some emails and messages to inquire if any dig actually happened on Monday. Well if anybody should know about hoaxes and publicity stunts it's certainly Dambala

Even now that this has been proven to be an elaborate hoax, people are spending time going back and forth about it. Let's just move on already and get back to actual hunting.

Hey Guys, Got word from the parks department in GGP. They DO NOT still have the casque. Dr. Gay took it with him. So it seems like it WAS Gerald Gay.

BrandonH wrote:: Well if anybody should know about hoaxes and publicity stunts it's certainly Dambala Right. how does he know that there is a "larger scheme". Where did he hear that? Dambala, who do you hang around that you know about this elaborate hoax to trick us? I think people need to reference their sources Matthew Sparks posted Congrats on facebook. Maybe Congrats was a bit early. But at least he stated the source and the facts. Park Ranger confirmed Something was unearthed in Golden Gate Park. It was simple and clear. It didnt assume anything. and let readers know it was a legit source.

burnstyle wrote:: Hey Guys, Got word from the parks department in GGP. They DO NOT still have the casque. Dr. Gay took it with him. So it seems like it WAS Gerald Gay. Burnstyle Thank you relaying Would you be able to relay any other info you got from the GGP and to whom you spoke It would be much appreciated

Goldengate wrote:: Funny for a person saying he wasn't arguing, you sure were making an argument. Fact is, it's easy to look back in hindsight and declare what you would have done differently. Thanks for chiming in. It also would have helped if you had read before posting. The fact is, a lot of us were asking questions. Because of early morning vetting work by MaltedFalcon and others, the parks dept literally confirmed the Ranger's name, the time of day it was dug up, the location, the fact that it was in fact Gerald Gay who applied for the permit, and that "a box" came out of the ground. And even then we kept digging for more information, while at the same time, taking the position of trust but verify. Did many of us offer congratulations. Yes. Of course. He made a hell of a claim. People make wild boasts about this hunt all the time... but he went ALL the way. So in light of that, he was given the benefit of the doubt as really anybody should be given. Even Brian and Andy I don't think posted pics in the immediate aftermath (I could be wrong) but I think they made the announcement and then the rest came in the days that followed. But yes, point taken... it sucks that some go to such great lengths to make dishonest claims. Who knows why. To me is seems like a guy so blinded in his desperation to be recognized as a good treasure hunter that he went so far as to plan for months, fabricate a box, bury it, apply for permits, etc. And frankly, I find that super sad. In terms of if there were more boxes he intended to bury in other cities... if there are not, I kind of think he intended there to be. He obviously thought that the boxes looked different for each city (again, somebody who didn't do the research), and he figured nobody would find the real San Francisco casque, so he designed his own to reflect what he thought would represent the immigration theme... Asian for San Francisco (though he "buried" it under a monument to an Italian composer, so that's weird). Since he mentioned a couple other cities he thought he was closing in on, I'm believe he was planning on making unique casques for those cities as well. The whole thing is sad, as are these arguments. We shouldn't be fighting or saying "I told you so", etc. Shoulda woulda coulda. This whole thing sucked for a lot of people. Human nature is what it is. There will likely be another Gerald down the road and yeah, even the most generous among us, will be more skeptical going forward. But there is good news in all of this, the fact is, in the past year, the knowledge this community gained through JM and Burnstyle's work on the podcast has deepened our knowledge through sharing information with each other, and by learning from the folks who helped BP design this puzzle. More importantly it has injected a whole new level of community into this endeavor. Gerald's unfortunate hoax would have always been uncovered for what it is, but because of the leaps and bounds we've made this last year it happened in a very short period of time. And that's a huge testament to the podcast fellas... and to us all. I did read the facebook post as they were happening. I was aware of the names and info posted. I refrained from posting while it was unfolding Wednesday morning on facebook. I did take a wait and see tactic I had already read meteor posts. I was informed. Thank you for making erroneous assumptions. Good for you.

Goldengate wrote:: Gotcha, so you like to come in after the fact spouting "I told you so." You're that guy. I get it. Again, you get a gold star! Go ahead and have the last word, you've clearly earned it. Listen man. I still dont know what or where those photos of the "fake casque" came from, I dont know anything, it all seems way too crazy to come to any conclusions. others have spoken with GGP people. Iwould really love to know what Golden gate Park had to say for all I know meteor may have found a casque. I would rather have read posts with references so I know what I am looking at or who I am getting info from than your gold star but I will take it. Thanks.

Doghousereiley wrote:: Burnstyle Thank you relaying Would you be able to relay any other info you got from the GGP and to whom you spoke It would be much appreciated I dont know if I can say who it is... because im not sure how legal it is for them to tell me the name the person who dug gave them. They would know for sure... if that counts for anything. We should be able to absolutely confirm soon.

An oldtimer should ask Mark Parry to pull Meteor's IP address to confirm his location.

BrandonH wrote:: Well if anybody should know about hoaxes and publicity stunts it's certainly Dambala Haha, this is so true. Well played.

gManTexas wrote:: Even now that this has been proven to be an elaborate hoax, people are spending time going back and forth about it. It's all in good fun. Just append your manifesto. I mocked meteor, congratulated him, and now am super impressed that he went to these lengths. That is hardcore determination. I put him at the top of the list to find a real casque now.

What strikes me as a little strange is that The Secret is a, dollars and publicity-wise, low value hunt. Why bother with such fakery? Only a few hundred of us really care and are involved. Expedition Unknown represents a bit of fame, but nothing like what would happen if someone located the original Amber Room or recovered the missing paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. There's no high-value financial reward to be gained. Even the value of the box, the jewel, and the YouTube fame isn't going to be that high. The pseudo-casque is WEIRD. It's not even close in design, except for the inside of the lid being a little like the known lid interior. If someone researched the lid interior, they'd almost certainly stumble over the fact that the casques are identical and are just painted differently, with different colored keys inside. I don't get it!

Good point Kalessin. That casque was probably enough to fool John Colby though.

New news. Ok, so this... is wierd. It seems as if Gay, and a couple of his friends came down here to solve the secret in an effort to secure a movie or television deal. They have been working with two production companies. One to film a general movie about treasure hunts, the other... well sorta like expedition unknown. Gay actually being the digger is backed up by a blog post made two days ago on a site controlled by one of the people Gay said he was working with: http://surlestracesdelachouettedor.blogspot.com/ The golden owl community is cautious about this actually being Gay, his reputation is pretty high there. However people have reached out to him for comment, and will send his comment to me

Or could it be... right con, but wrong con game! "Hey there Mister, you're a kinda famous treasure hunter. Here, I'll sell you my San Francisco casque solve for $100,000. I guar-an-TEE you will find a casque using this solution! Put the money in escrow, with instructions only to release the money to my offshore account if you dig up a casque exactly where I tell you it is!" [shenanigans ensue] "Well, well, well. Mister, you shouldn't have been so greedy. It was a casque, but you didn't leave instructions that it had to be a REAL casque. Looks like the Park Rangers get the fake casque, I get the $100,000, and you get NOTHING! Goodbye!" [jumps onto the back of a getaway motorcycle... zoom!] It's not "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" or "The Sting", but with enough car chases and explosions, it should sell a few movie tickets.

Durian wrote:: Come on, if you said this in 2004-2005 I may be on board but now, 90% of the people involved with this hunt exhibit symptoms of histrionic personality disorder. Everybody is looking to grab a buck or a moment of fame in conjunction with The Secret. It's all "lame" IMO...this incident was at least mildly entertaining.

Come on, if you said this in 2004-2005 I may be on board but now, 90% of the people involved with this hunt exhibit symptoms of histrionic personality disorder. Everybody is looking to grab a buck or a moment of fame in conjunction with The Secret. It's all "lame" IMO...this incident was at least mildly entertaining.[/quote] Today's typical QforT member...... https://i0.wp.com/www.bboyacademy.com/w ... 900%2C1130

MERLIN wrote:: Today's typical QforT member...... https://i0.wp.com/www.bboyacademy.com/w ... 900%2C1130 Dude dont insult Sir Slick like that. What did he ever do to you? he just likes to party, he dont cause trouble... he dont bother nobody.

Goldengate wrote:: Yeah, their "movie" doesn't have a chance... THIS CRAZY DRAMA unfolding right now is the movie. This is some Cohen Bros-level fiasco. It's riveting how insane this is. What would be a good film title? Casque Simple No Casque For Old Men FarJosh The Big Digoutsky

Hahahaha - The Big Digoutsky!!!!

*silently sings* If you're going to San Francisco.... be sure to put, a ceramic box in the ground.....

As long as lady gaga and bradley cooper aren't involved.

Starting Ben Affleck as Dr Gerald Gay and Jennifer Lopez as the helpful, gullible park ranger Stanley

burnstyle wrote:: New news. Ok, so this... is wierd. It seems as if Gay, and a couple of his friends came down here to solve the secret in an effort to secure a movie or television deal. They have been working with two production companies. One to film a general movie about treasure hunts, the other... well sorta like expedition unknown. Gay actually being the digger is backed up by a blog post made two days ago on a site controlled by one of the people Gay said he was working with: http://surlestracesdelachouettedor.blogspot.com/ The golden owl community is cautious about this actually being Gay, his reputation is pretty high there. However people have reached out to him for comment, and will send his comment to me So this guy is a liar and a cheat and a con-man - I suspect that also applies to all his "finds" in France

So did anyone take a picture of the digsite with disturbed earth they can share?

Choice wrote:: So did anyone take a picture of the digsite with disturbed earth they can share? Here you go, taken at 12:30 the following day.

Thanks Matt, did you notice how wide the disturbed area was and how far from the structure? It's hard to tell with all the mulch. 2nd and 3rd pictures, the spot is way too close to the structure to be a giant step or to be the end of the pole extension.

maltedfalcon wrote:: Here you go, taken at 12:30 the following day. https://i.imgur.com/V6SVXxT.jpg https://i.imgur.com/HB2WOoF.jpg https://i.imgur.com/IId9ZtQ.jpg sorry, i was doing so much scrolling, I couldn't tell how many pictures were actually posted, so here's just the links. (Also, the pics are *much* wider than my browser window, and I didn't know the forum was cutting off the sides. Better to have the link to open in a new window for scaling/scrolling outside the limits of a post.)

I have a concern about the giant step since the baby has it's own baby step in the structure. So the next interpretation would be taking a giant step; based on the height of average person maybe 4 ft. That dig spot is only a foot from the structure.

Choice wrote:: I have a concern about the giant step since the baby has it's own baby step in the structure. So the next interpretation would be taking a giant step; based on the height of average person maybe 4 ft. That dig spot is only a foot from the structure. I'm trying really hard to keep up here. Didn't we establish that this was a hoax? So it's not the real dig spot. Why are you concerned about this spot?

Apparently so, however that area had been proposed before by others and has validity. Not that exact spot.

Because the spot does seem marginally plausible even so.

forest_blight wrote:: Because the spot does seem marginally plausible even so. Thank you for the clarification.

forest_blight wrote:: Because the spot does seem marginally plausible even so. So much so that this is at least the 3rd dig in that exact spot Plus the area has been "probed" a lot. The area dug looks to be about 3feet by 3feet it quickly stops being easily digable as you move away from the monument into the roots of the pines.

The news ran a section about the fake casque. https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/ ... gate-park/ Here is a response to my FOIA request: https://12treasures.com/wp-content/uplo ... cted-3.pdf https://12treasures.com/wp-content/uplo ... 2_1024.jpg https://12treasures.com/wp-content/uplo ... g_2324.jpg

His Pulled IP address is in France. That could be faked too with VPN. http://ipaddress.is/80.12.37.250#.XH4dHohKjDc

Anyone zoom in the first photo of the casque and see what's inside? Seems like a list of years and chinese characters, but not Chinese New Year animals as one would suppose. It reads something like: House Trust 1916 1917 I don't remember that being shown in the photos of the casque... Let the crazy ensue in... 3 2 1... Brad

The fact that the image of the dig is from Huntington Falls and not the Verdi Statue and park didn't confiscate the obvious fake cask as evidence of a crime, digging without permit makes me suspect that park may be complicit in the hoaks. The more info they release the more inconsistencies are exposed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSK--XYQwXw

The Huntington Falls marker is clearly cracked and falling apart now, I hope not as a result of this idiot's actions.

how'd you know? you in SF?

Spiritr wrote:: how'd you know? you in SF? He's referring to the crack visible in the image above.

forest_blight wrote:: The Huntington Falls marker is clearly cracked and falling apart now, I hope not as a result of this idiot's actions. It's just another rock from a weird angle. You can see from his pic where he dug just under the main rock and it looks like there is still something there in his pic.

Does anyone know the spot he dug? Can you point it out on a map? I am trying to find images of the Huntington Falls marker stone. Is it at the base of the falls?

Dominick wrote:: Does anyone know the spot he dug? Can you point it out on a map? I am trying to find images of the Huntington Falls marker stone. Is it at the base of the falls? http://tinyurl.com/yycpebyh

Choice wrote:: http://tinyurl.com/yycpebyh Thank you, that is not what I meant. I know where the falls are. Where is the rock that he is standing in front of? Where is the hole that he dug? Why is it not near where he said he was going to dig?

If I remember right it's on top of the fall. You have to climb a bunch of steps.

I have been there many times. The falls are part of my solution that I am working on. I have been up and down those steps many times. I just don't remember seeing that rock.

Did Gay find another cask?

Dominick wrote:: I have been there many times. The falls are part of my solution that I am working on. I have been up and down those steps many times. I just don't remember seeing that rock. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hunti ... 22.4740103 and https://www.google.com/maps/place/37%C2 ... d-122.4745

When I was last on Strawberry Hill I remember thinking that the ground was too rocky. I don't think he dug 3 feet down on that hill.

Choice wrote:: Did Gay find another cask? Like a different cask from a different book or another "cask" from a different city?

Well, according to the park's statement he pulled out something at Verdi, then they release a photo of him pulling another one at the falls. So according to the parks documentation he found 2 casks at GGP. Who knew.

Choice wrote:: Well, according to the park's statement he pulled out something at Verdi, then they release a photo of him pulling another one at the falls. So according to the parks documentation he found 2 casks at GGP. Who knew. So he found one cask but the story we have been told so far has many wholes. I read his emails with the park. He said he wanted to meet at the statue. But where he dug was not near the statue at all. It is a good 15 minute walk.

Choice wrote:: Well, according to the park's statement he pulled out something at Verdi, then they release a photo of him pulling another one at the falls. So according to the parks documentation he found 2 casks at GGP. Who knew. He originally applied to dig at the Verdi statue. But on the day he arrived, he changed his mind and actually dug at Huntington Falls. I've had this confirmed by GGP staff. Personally I think he had every intention to dig at Huntington Falls, I believe this Dr. Gay is so competitive and paranoid that he really thought that if he specified Huntington Falls whilst applying for his permit that the GGP staff would go and probe and dig around or tell someone else. Thats why I think he said Verdi as to throw anyone of the scent. Actually, does anyone know how long Simone's Point has been called that atop of Huntington Falls? I was just thinking about someone Gay had said about sounds in one of his previous bragging posts. Simone is the French female equivalent to Simon. Simon is the English form of the Hebrew name Simeon which means “hearkening” (as in “one who hears”). The name is borne by several characters in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments.

Matt reported from Verdi site the next day that it was disturbed. Maybe Gay was right to be paranoid! Curiouser and curiouser.

wait, I'm totally lost here, what is going on? what exactly are you guys talking about here??? Did I miss any extraordinary news??? Sounds like I missed a lot of pages... Choice, I'm just clicking over the pictures and pdf you posted and what is that thing? what's with all the Huntington Fall discussions? Who is this...Gay person? He found the cask there!?? And I see it has a...paper with some weird characters and years in it, what was that thing? those characters are definitely not Chinese, the middle one is Japanese, or...some random Kanji or something....makes me curious...

This thing is a bigger puzzle than the original puzzle!

The repeated symbol is apparently Chinese for "snake" as in "year of the snake."

Unknown: He originally applied to dig at the Verdi statue. Unknown: ...he changed his mind and actually dug at Huntington Falls. Because that's where he planned to bury the fake. Might have even tried before being scared away, which would explain the superficial ground disturbance that we see in some of the pictures. Because that's where he (or an accomplice) actually ended up burying it. Probably because the area is more remote, and for his purposes, getting the fake in the ground undetected was the only thing that mattered. I won't claim to understand Dr. Gray's motivation, but his actions here are the easiest thing about this saga to know. It's a textbook con, and he would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for you meddling kids.

forest_blight wrote:: The repeated symbol is apparently Chinese for "snake" as in "year of the snake." what repeated symbol? I'm only seeing 3 words there so you might be referring to something else... where did you see a "snake"? words I'm seeing are 宅 託 為 with 1916 1917 underneath....

Unknown: Bingo wrote: I’m still wondering how you know all this. Was your earlier statement about the lack of visual evidence directed at the Verdi statue location? Or was it the Huntington Falls stone marker? Or was it both? If so, how did you know all of this before all of the information had been gathered? Seems like you may be holding back important information on us.... I don't know any more about this hoax than you do Bingo, and I never said that I did. But it was pretty clear to me from his initial posts that Meteor was not who he claimed to be. And that this whole thing was a hoax, no matter what "evidence" to the contrary might have existed in the first few hours after he made his initial claim about finding a casque in GGP. Hence, the "nope" comment, which was a blanket statement not meant to be directed at any one aspect of the episode. I have been clear from the beginning that unless I have the facts, I am posting my opinions. You, and others are welcome to consider or reject what I post as it suits each of you.

Erpobdelliforme wrote:: I don't know any more about this hoax than you do Bingo, and I never said that I did. But it was pretty clear to me from his initial posts that Meteor was not who he claimed to be. And that this whole thing was a hoax, no matter what "evidence" to the contrary might have existed in the first few hours after he made his initial claim about finding a casque in GGP. Hence, the "nope" comment, which was a blanket statement not meant to be directed at any one aspect of the episode. I have been clear from the beginning that unless I have the facts, I am posting my opinions. You, and others are welcome to consider or reject what I post as it suits each of you. Don't be modest, Erpobdelliforme. Tell them how you knew. We are going to have to sooner or later.

Hirudiniforme wrote:: Don't be modest, Erpobdelliforme. Tell them how you knew. We are going to have to sooner or later. Can’t wait. I paid for the whole chair, but I only need the edge of it.

BINGO wrote:: Can’t wait. I paid for the whole chair, but I only need the edge of it. He won't. And he won't let me either. He keeps saying it would be "irresponsible." I keep naggin' him though. The slow spill will be revived.

Goldengate wrote:: Except Meteor was exactly who he claimed he would be Fake and Gay?

Erpobdelliforme wrote:: I don't know any more about this hoax than you do Bingo, and I never said that I did. But it was pretty clear to me from his initial posts that Meteor was not who he claimed to be. And that this whole thing was a hoax, no matter what "evidence" to the contrary might have existed in the first few hours after he made his initial claim about finding a casque in GGP. Hence, the "nope" comment, which was a blanket statement not meant to be directed at any one aspect of the episode. I have been clear from the beginning that unless I have the facts, I am posting my opinions. You, and others are welcome to consider or reject what I post as it suits each of you. In all honesty, goldengate... I am interested to know how/why you posted where Gay dug, well before any info was out, and then quickly deleted your post. Remember... west side... b/w two streets...?

Goldengate wrote:: Is that supposed to be funny or just baldly biggoted? Just curious. If intended to be funny, you may want to rethink that stand up career. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/fake-and-gay

Unknown: what repeated symbol? I'm only seeing 3 words there so you might be referring to something else... where did you see a "snake"? words I'm seeing are 宅 託 為 with 1916 1917 underneath.... I will take my reply to the new thread as Spiritr suggested.

Goldengate wrote:: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/fake-and-gay Another post edited... not surprising.

Hirudiniforme wrote:: Another post edited... not surprising. Dang, I type one sentence and edit it 5 times just to get the wording right, mostly! Or even to add more info rather than posting multiple times. I didn't know you could be judged for that too.

This is like an episode of Twilight zone where everyone turn on eachother thinking the other guy is an alien.

Unknown: Can’t wait. I paid for the whole chair, but I only need the edge of it. Might as well sit back and get comfortable Bingo. I've already told you everything I know about this situation. Unless what you are asking is how I came to the conclusions I did, in which case, you should PM me and we can discuss this privately. Everyone else seems more interested in thread integrity than my thought process on the matter. Well, everyone but 421 that is.

BREAK. I reported the thread using the icon to alert the admin for a need to split this thread from the moment the "discovery" was posted. I'll send an email today, as the admin rarely checks the inbox here. We could ask for this thread to be locked, if necessary. The discussion about the foreign editions of the book was a solid topic until that point, and should not be sullied by this diversion. Move to the new thread to discuss this specific hoax/fraud/whatever, or just drop the subject.

Eastcoast wrote:: Props for the cross continent travel, looking forward to the solve information Dang now I feel like a Jussie Smollett supporter!

Eastcoast wrote:: Dang now I feel like a Jussie Smollett supporter! Also fake and gay.