Swift Silver Mine & Cave

The dates on the coins posted on here from Gibson's find PRE DATE Swift...Mullins was 1800s ... all the others I can think of were 1800-1920s. The coins were found in salt kegs according to Bill Gibson they were about the size of a paint bucket (5 gallon). Pine Mt was a sacred site and a huge landmark for the Indians...any cave in that mountain would have been sacred as well. At the beginning of the video with Mr. Gibson in it, a lawyer from Elkhorn City (forgot his name) shows a relic of an ancient artifact found off of Pine Mt. It almost had to be 'the great ridge'.
 

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KY Hiker said:
The dates on the coins posted on here from Gibson's find PRE DATE Swift...Mullins was 1800s ... all the others I can think of were 1800-1920s. The coins were found in salt kegs according to Bill Gibson they were about the size of a paint bucket (5 gallon). Pine Mt was a sacred site and a huge landmark for the Indians...any cave in that mountain would have been sacred as well. At the beginning of the video with Mr. Gibson in it, a lawyer from Elkhorn City (forgot his name) shows a relic of an ancient artifact found off of Pine Mt. It almost had to be 'the great ridge'.
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So if they pre-date Swift, they couldn't very well be Swift's. Mullins is even later date than Swift. So there must have been someone making money before either of them!! Now question is Was it Spanish Maybe ? Or maybe Welsh ? Or any other Ideas?? This also tells me that The Cave that was spoke of in Swift's journal could be anywhere .
 

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I'm not sure why you would think if the coins pre-dated Swift they couldn't be his. They certainly wouldn't post-date them or strike them at the current year either...some Swift Journals mention burying kegs at various locations as well. Every indication of the Gibson find points me toward the Swift legend, especially the location.
The probability of the Welsh and later the Spanish mining in KY is highly likely, Boomer has found many locations in KY with Spanish signs as I recall reading on here. I recommend everyone who hasn't, to go back to the last page and read ALL these threads one by one...very informative and insightful. Good photos and links as well! Somewhere in there are a couple of photos of coins from Gibson's find. It was said he gave away hundreds of them.

http://www.elkhorncity.org/node/89

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/l...hers-give-presentation-swift-near-breaks.html
 

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Are yours from the Gibson find? If so, that makes sense and pre-dates Swift's 1760-69 mine exploits and could actually be a coin they struck!
 

I have one from the cache Bill found it's a 1746. The others I have found over the years vary from oldest being 1736 and newest is 1760. Sorry about the dates, I thought the newest was 1759 but went thru them and had some 1760's. The 1736 I found was from a different area, closer to home.
 

mrslojo said:
I have one from the cache Bill found it's a 1746. The others I have found over the years vary from oldest being 1736 and newest is 1760. Sorry about the dates, I thought the newest was 1759 but went thru them and had some 1760's. The 1736 I found was from a different area, closer to home.
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Wow, nice...did you find these in the field or coin/pawn stores?
 

KY Hiker said:
I'm not sure why you would think if the coins pre-dated Swift they couldn't be his. They certainly wouldn't post-date them or strike them at the current year either...some Swift Journals mention burying kegs at various locations as well. Every indication of the Gibson find points me toward the Swift legend, especially the location.
The probability of the Welsh and later the Spanish mining in KY is highly likely, Boomer has found many locations in KY with Spanish signs as I recall reading on here. I recommend everyone who hasn't, to go back to the last page and read ALL these threads one by one...very informative and insightful. Good photos and links as well! Somewhere in there are a couple of photos of coins from Gibson's find. It was said he gave away hundreds of them.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/l...hers-give-presentation-swift-near-breaks.html
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Yeah but the post got ya to thinking about it though.
 

mrslojo said:
They were all finds in the field. I can't take credit for them all tho. My grandfather handed some down.
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Wow that was wonderful of him. Care to share pictures of any? Always wondered if they all are English, Spanish or French...or a mixture? Just thinking about the minting they did and how many different impressions would have been used.
 

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We love pictures, it encourages one to keep on looking because someone was successful! If they be English Crowns it fits best. We have to remember the colonials used every kind of coin available at the time...and most had so much wear they were hard to see much distinction...Swifts however would probably be pretty distinct....being newly minted....depends o the coin dies I guess.
 

I read somewhere that around the revolution (1750-1790) English crowns were in short supply, the most common coin at that time was Spanish. They were apparently minting the heck out of some silver in Central and South America at that time.
 

Tod Ringam said:
I'm fairly certain that the mine and cave is located three miles north east of Slade, Kentuky in the Red River Goarge at the head of Auxier Creek about one half mile north west of the Nada Tunnel.
Also, for what ever it's worth, this is also the location of the so called, "Great Cave of the Shawnee".
I. E., They are one and the same. There is no GC of the S per say. Tod Ringam
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you are totaly wrong i do not mean to be beligrent but when you and others see what i have found
both in the journal and pictures of the group of four 4 mines i have found you will be very suprized when the property owner lets me back on property i will get pictures , i have tested ores from all 4 mines they all show silver with one of carbonates testing over 85 % silver this i believe to be swifts rich mine , i am 82 years old i have nothing to hide it is all in my book at the time of release it will give to all an equeal chance to pursue , i will take the geologist of ky . and prove to them there is silver in ky . many times over what they say is there.
 

rgb1 said:
you are totaly wrong i do not mean to be beligrent but when you and others see what i have found
both in the journal and pictures of the group of four 4 mines i have found you will be very suprized when the property owner lets me back on property i will get pictures , i have tested ores from all 4 mines they all show silver with one of carbonates testing over 85 % silver this i believe to be swifts rich mine , i am 82 years old i have nothing to hide it is all in my book at the time of release it will give to all an equeal chance to pursue , i will take the geologist of ky . and prove to them there is silver in ky . many times over what they say is there.
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Roger, you need to make a call to U.K. geology dept. and set up an appointment with them! Best with someone with a PHD behind their name.
Oh and FYI I have been to the head of Auxier creek, it is a nice rock house that basically sits below the parking lot at the Auxier Ridge trailhead. Before the parking lot was built the trail actually passed very near that rock house. The cliffs on both sides of Auxier Branch are very interesting to see but no mines or caves other than the hole/pocket that sits across from Haystack Rock as you climb down to it's base.
 

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