While amigos it may be a little too presumptuous to say every Jesuit mission hoarded vast amounts of treasure?
It would also be very presumptuous to say they had no treasure at all?
For example this excerpt is new New York newspaper article from 1767.
The following information came from Paris thus they gave their currency in terms of what 24 Jesuits landed with in Caditz Spain from Havanah Cuba. 3.6 million livre. If we assume the money was actually in Spanish silver dollars? And that there was no gold gold coins just silver dollars at 3.6 million. And if we go on the value of a 1767 Spanish silver dollar in poor condition sold for 425 dollars as coin. If we work that calculation 425 by 3.6 million about 1.53 billion
So amigos do not let anyone tell you the Jesuits "had no money".
Do not take my word for it either see the 1767 New York Journal newspaper report below.
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To me I just think linking Jesuit activities in Superstitions is wishful thinking digressing from the real history of early Spanish mining families. That was pushing further into Apache territory and thus the conflicts and abandoned working from such territorial incursions.
As it is with many treasure stories amigos we all love em, but sadly they become so mired with assumptions that they take a life of their own. To me chasing what may or may not be treasure Symbols seems to be more chasing mirages than being more constructive. I have no doubt early Spanish miners picked over the superstitions at great cost to them in lives, from attacks from hostile Apaches.
Most likely all the early mine workings were shallow ground protruding silver and gold reefs shredding gold or silver in natural course of erosion. Most of the gold or silver reefs that was a rich vein but petered out with little or no gold on the host rock around it. The south west must of been full of these fractures However there is not say they the Spanish or latter Mexicans found every gold out cropping. So for me the real treasure of superstitions is possible remaining outcroppings of shallow gold deposits.
Regardless of all the treasure legends and lore.
Kanacki