The Beale treasure remains unaccounted for, at least as far as we know. Its not far from Johnsons fruit farm, which has arguably become ground zero for Beale Treasure enthusiasts over the last five decades. For example, one can investigate the frequency of the last digit in each number in the ciphers. I dont think I would put it in a grave with an unmarked headstone. In my youth I used to travel to many areas of interest with pops and look for relics. BealeSolved.Com This websitecurrently offers a glimpse ofourdiscoveries Thanks again! WebThe Thomas Beale Ciphers. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA Notice, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Years later, living in Williamsburg with his then-girlfriend-now-wife for her job as a musician, Reilly recalled the story and thought it would be a nice, fun, quick article to write. Then he went down what he called the wormhole., I was trying to figure out whats real, whats verifiable. Im not sure if it leads to a physical treasure or a spiritual one, she says. The treasure was found in June, in Wyoming, by someone else. area,construction details,talley ofthe pots plus contentsand thefinaldirections leading The document purports to describe how Thomas Beale, returning from a successful mining exploration of the region around Santa Fe, then a part of Mexico, got paranoid and buried a treasure in Virginia with a valueas of gold and silver prices in September 2020of $93 million, plus an unknown quantity of jewels. But if someone has overlooked a Beale treasure clue, Goad may pick up on it. Currently, there are two men who are absolutely sure they know where the treasure is buried. Yet contemporary records show he did not start in that position until at least 1823. May 15, 2020 #44 franklin said: Since you say there is a 33% does not support the solution. James Ward wrote his pamphlet on the Beale Papers in 1885. I ask Danny Johnson as we sit on a picnic table at his winery and fruit farm. Beale Paper 1 is said to give the exact location. Near a small graveyard. There hasnt been any clue saying, here I am. The first letter of the 1005th word of the modified text ("have") is always used by Beale as an "x". I first heard about this story when I was in third grade, in Pennsylvania, Reilly says, somewhat surprisingly. It must be correct.. Page three lists names and residences of who should receive the treasure. The treasure was packed in iron pots with lids and buried in a stone-lined vault. 12/13/2009 We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. I just trashed the email. Somewhere in the green hills of Bedford County in southwestern Virginia, lies a buried treasure worth over an estimated 60 million dollars. Ive always been stuck on maybe.. [update] Comprising three ciphertexts, the first (unsolved) text describes the location, the second (solved) ciphertext accounts the content of the treasure, and the third (unsolved) lists the names of the treasure's owners and their next of kin. Maybe a Masonshes a rare female Freemason herselfwrote the Morriss papers to inspire a quest for truth. The area has been repeatedly explored through the years, and possible locations for the Beale Treasure investigated. Obviously, the treasure remains to be found and so the spot has not given up any of its secrets. Because they were in a dangerous land, they decided to send the treasure back with Beale to Virginia to hide in a cave near Bufords Tavern in Buford, not far from Roanoke. Mr. Ward decided to go public with the Beale treasure. There are also several books, and considerable Internet activity. Welcome To The Beale Treasure Inside he found two plaintext letters from Beale, and several pages of ciphertext separated into Papers "1", "2", and "3". If we begin at the beginning, we have to go 200 years in the past, but instead, lets go three-and-a-half hours south, in the present, to start this adventure. On the other hand, maybe everyone is using the wrong keys, including the legendary Friedman. WebAfter eighteen months of work they sent the gold and silver back to Virginia in the hands of Thomas J. Beale, who hid the fortune somewhere in Bedford County near Montvale, an area dotted with caverns and underground springs. WebAccording to the story, Beale and his fellow hunters brought their treasure back to Buford's Tavern (now Montvale) in two wagon trains and buried it in a rock-lined underground vault. Please do not forget to renew your subscription to Northern Virginia Magazine. Or here is a referencehttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautical_mile. Theyll do anything to keep that dream alive., Johnson and I are kindred spirits on this point. In March 1820, Beales two friends returned, and after a few days, the three of them departed. Fearing thieves were closing in on him, Beale headed back east to St. Louis, traded some of the gold for jewels, and then continued on to Virginia. Shes explored the graveyards of Bedford several times, scouting everything she and her husband could find within a 4-mile radius of Bufords Tavern. The story of the Beale Ciphers is a particularly peculiar mystery, to be sure, and many people who've researched it have concluded that it's probably just an elaborate 19th-century hoax. It worked for the second cipher. I might even help them a little bit. Beale used a version of United States Declaration of Independence slightly different from the original, and made mistakes in numbering it. In addition, the originals of the letters to Morriss from Beale were conveniently lost, so no one except the anonymous author got a chance to examine them. The voice from the dashboard tells me to take the next left, Route 741 to Beale Trail Road, and I have a silent laugh. The Ward document included the authors breakthrough on page two of the sheets: He or she managed to use the Declaration of Independence to break the code and learn the contentsnot the location; thats on page oneof the cipher. A pamphlet published in 1885, entitled The Beale Papers, is the source of this story. And, potentially, the seeds of obsession. Somewhere in Virginias Bedford County is a cache of riches which have been estimated to be worth more than $40 million dollars in todays currency. I have deposited in the county of Bedford, about four miles from Buford's, in an excavation or vault, six feet below the surface of the ground, the following articles, belonging jointly to the parties whose names are given in number three, herewith: The first deposit consisted of ten hundred and fourteen pounds of gold, and thirty-eight hundred and twelve pounds of silver, deposited Nov. eighteen nineteen. Theyd already given the key to someone they trusted, to allow them to decode the papers and find the treasure if none of the party survived. Prospectors even consulted mediums and astrologers. He uses some kind of computer to run the other cyphers against the Declaration of Independence (which is said to be the code to the first). So, maybe you have some insight on how to continue forward with this thought? So, what if the friend who received the cypher couldnt figure out what to do with it and created a forgery with the other two cyphers because Beale never returned. More than the legend, Johnson is fascinated by the psychology surrounding such tales. In the early 1800s, Thomas J. Beale came across an abandoned mine full of gold, silver, and jewels in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The two other men left a few days later bound for Richmond, but Beale remained through the winter. Soon, those leaves will turn crimson and gold, and tourists from as far away as Canada will make the drive to take in their autumnal splendor. WebIn 1885 a man named J.B Ward began selling a pamphlet which purported to contain information about a sizeable treasure trove buried in the present state of Virginia. 5 Treasures People Are Looking for Right Now, Divers Find Roman-era Sunken Treasure in Shipwreck Off Israel, Wikimedia Commons (CC By-SA 3.0)/HowStuffWorks, Treasure Would be $93 Million in Today's Dollars, Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security, The Beale Papers Containing Authentic Statements Regarding the Treasure Buried in 1819 and 1821 near Bufords, in Bedford County, Virginia, and Which Has Never Been Discovered, Introduction to Codes and Ciphers, Plus 20 Famous Unsolved Codes, Ciphers, and Mysterious Writings. Its interesting because [Beale] said the key, and so, since the Declaration of Independence was used [to decode page two], it seems like that is the key for the others.. There has been considerable debate over whether the remaining two ciphertexts are real or hoaxes. Interesting history topics are just a click away. Theyve wasted incredible amounts of time. . Because there may be just one. The second was made December, 1821, and consisted of nineteen hundred and seven pounds of gold, and twelve hundred and eighty-eight pounds of silver; also jewels, obtained in St. Louis in exchange for silver to save transportation, and valued at $13,000., Heres the deal: In 1885, J.B. Ward published a substantial and anonymously written pamphlet called The Beale Papers, Containing Authentic Statements Regarding the Treasure Buried in 1819 and 1821 Near Bufords, in Bedford County, Virginia, and Which Has Never Been Recovered.. Disturbingly, several people have died in the quest. With no hard evidence, I kind of feel maybe is probably the most sensible way to look at it., Art & Exhibitions If I, along with others, agreed to hide a treasure in a cave we all thought was secret and then went there only to discover it being used by other people, I wouldnt say, well, lets go use that other cave. From the experience given on the first, I would be extremely cautious in thinking any other cave of the area is unknown and safe enough to hide a valuable treasure in. [20], Several digs were completed at the top of Porter's Mountain, one in the late 1980s with the land owner's permission as long as any treasure found was split 50/50. [23], In addition, a man named "Thomas Beall" appears in the customer lists of St.Louis Post Department in 1820. Was located by Sorry folks no A Net Inceptions project. Is this local buried treasured mystery fact or just fun? It drives them to repeated attempts to break the code and find the treasure. His analysis of the writing style showed that Beale was almost certainly James B. They lose their money; their marriages crumble. The differences are shown here as {alleged decipherment | actual decipherment}: I have deposited, in the county of Bedford, about four miles from Buford's, in an excavation or vault, six feet below the surface of the ground, the following articles, belonging jointly to the parties whose names are given in number {3, | three} herewith: The first deposit consisted of {one thousand | ten hundred} and fourteen pounds of gold, and {three thousand | thirty-} eight hundred and twelve pounds of silver, deposited {November, 1819 | Nov. eighteen nineteen}. The story begins in January 1820, when Thomas J. Beale checked into the Washington Hotel in Lynchburg, Virginia. The pamphlet handles this by inserting "a" before "new government". It sits and looks down over the valley where the Tavern was. Shes the author of Introduction to Codes and Ciphers, Plus 20 Famous Unsolved Codes, Ciphers, and Mysterious Writings; Mysterious Writings is the name of her longtime blog covering all things coded. The Beale Papers text, on pages 20 to 21, gives an alleged translation of the second ciphertext, but it has nine differences from the actual one. Near a church. Danny Johnson recalls some 14 different television crews, including the BBC, the Travel Channel and a team from Seoul, Korea. Many of the old head stones on the grounds of this church are nameless and lost in time. WebMystery Solved The Beale Treasure is Found Home After 12 years of searching, treasure hunter Chaz Windbreeze has found the Beale Treasure. The treasure is stated to be 1014 pounds of Gold, 3812 pounds of silver, and then in another deposit made a few years after the first, an additional 1907 pounds of Gold, 1288 pounds of silver, and Jewels were added; In Iron Pots, with Iron Covers, resting on stone, and lined and covered with stones. WebThis page is used to summarize the many posts of The Beale Papers found here on the Mysterious Writings Website. Related: Top Ten Lost Treasure of the World. Nickell argues that the tale is thus a work of fiction; specifically, a "secret vault" allegory of the Freemasons; James B. THE BEALE VAULT Was located by decoding secretly hidden directions located within Cipher One of the Locality Cipher. Other hotel tenants found him to be popular, especially the women. Okay, then, maybe the decoded cipher Johnson gave me is real. Thomson has noticed over time that there are three types of Beale fans: the ones who want the money, the ones who just want to solve the mystery and the ones who want to know if any of it is true. Over the past six decades, hes seen helicopters, backhoes, dynamite (some of it donated by him) and interlopers by the dozens trespass, camp, blow up, dig and leave broke and brokenhearted. Ive written dozens of stories on lost treasures, Bigfoot, ghost stories, and all manner of mostly unbelievable paranormal oddities. History. You just never know., She thought there might be a message on a worn tombstone that might provide a clue, but that didnt pan out. Congratulations and we hope you enjoyed the puzzle. My personal opinion is that its not real. One reason that the mystery still attracts treasure hunters is that if the buried fortune exists, by now it has grown to approximately $93 million in value, as journalist Buzz McClain calculated in a 2020 article in Northern Virginia magazine. There have been many attempts to break the remaining cipher(s). Thomas Beales code. Obviously, the treasure remains to be found and so the spot has not given up any of its secrets. New information will be on display hereasas I think thats actually the story here, the people, and not so much the treasure ciphers It was how this quest captures people that became my focus., Even Reilly, 29, was not immune. But the Beale Ciphers still fascinate people interested in cryptography, and the story still prompts amateur treasure hunters to head to Virginia in hopes of striking it rich. [20], In 2010, an award-winning animated short film was made concerning the ciphers called The Thomas Beale Cipher.[31]. [26], However, research and facts debunk Poe's authorship. The writer includes a translated cipher of page one, which suggests Beale was an alias and that Castleton divided the treasure and gave it to locals, including Native Americans who lived in the area. Xlmtizgfozgrlmh zmw dv slkv blf vmqlbvw gsv kfaaov. Beales letters contain words that were not in the English lexicon in 1820. We leave the peak and head to the Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library to meet with Jennifer Thomson, genealogical librarian and education director. after word 240 ("invariably") and before word 246 ("design") one word must be removed (probably "a"). The friend then spent the next twenty years of his life trying to decode the messages, and was able to solve only one of them, which gave details of the treasure buried and the general location of the treasure. To decrypt it, one finds the word corresponding to the number (e.g., the first number is 115, and the 115th word in the Declaration of Independence is "instituted"), and takes the first letter of that word (in the case of the example, "I"). The pamphlet's numbering has eleven words between the labels for 630 and 640. after word 677 ("foreign") and before word 819 ("valuable") one word must be removed (probably "their"). This Bufords mentioned in the code is thought to be referring to the Tavern. The first letter of the 811th word of the modified text ("fundamentally") is always used by Beale as a "y". [25] But with mounting debts, Poe left for Boston in April 1827. According to the story, the innkeeper opened the box 23years later, and then decades after that gave the three encrypted ciphertexts to a friend before he died. Just a peaceful resting place. They employed guides, who advised to organize themselves as if they were a military unit. The solved cipher (2) differs wildly from the uniform distribution in all bases, but this is only true for the unsolved ones in base 10. The lack of clear images of the original ciphers, combined with the large quantity of numerals, has led to numerals being misprinted or omitted in many sources. Then that means that 67% does fit the solution. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine. Sending a letter from St.Louis a few months later, Beale promised Morriss that a friend in St.Louis would mail the key to the cryptograms; however, it never arrived. Buzz McClain November 13, 2020. 2016-2020 Cape Fear Publishing Co. Inc. The frequency of the solved cipher stays non-uniform. The Beale Ciphers consisted of these three cryptograms. They both remain undeciphered. It read: [blockquote align=none author=]I have deposited in the county of Bedford, about four miles from Bufords, in an excavation or vault, six feet below the surface of the ground, the following articles, belonging jointly to the parties whose names are given in number three, herewith:[/blockquote]. to the Beale Vaultwere entirely decoded from this cipher and no other.Beale's use of landmarks, the location of the A translation of the Cipher from the actual Declaration of Independence shows in fact very poor spelling: "I haie deposoted in the copntt ol bedoort aboup four miles from bulords in an epcaiation or iault six fest below the surlact of thh gtound ths fotlowing articiss beaonging joiotlt to the partfes whosl namfs ate giiet in number thrff httewith.."[citation needed]. Here I am I am Danny Johnson recalls some 14 different television crews, including legendary. A picnic table at his winery and fruit farm it sits and down... Shes explored the graveyards of Bedford County in southwestern Virginia, lies a buried worth... Stones on the Mysterious Writings website I ask Danny Johnson as we sit on a picnic table at winery! Grade, in Pennsylvania, Reilly says, somewhat surprisingly 1 is said to give the location... Windbreeze has found the Beale treasure clue, Goad may pick up on it who receive! Of United States Declaration of Independence slightly different from the original, after... So, maybe everyone is using the wrong keys, including the legendary.... To meet with Jennifer Thomson, Genealogical librarian and education director put it in a stone-lined vault that 67 does. As far as we know, beale treasure found 2020 website uses cookies to improve your.. Give the exact location a physical treasure or a spiritual one, she says referring to Tavern. Assume you 're ok with this, subscribe to our monthly Magazine when was! His winery and fruit farm, which has arguably become ground zero for Beale treasure clue, may. Someone has overlooked a Beale treasure Hotel tenants found him to be and! Code and find the treasure but you can opt-out if you wish for the Beale Papers in.... My youth I used to travel to many areas of interest with pops look. Went down what he called the wormhole., I was trying to figure whats... Over an estimated 60 million dollars ghost stories, and made mistakes numbering... One, she says james B Papers to inspire a quest for truth, she says names. Any clue saying, here I am summarize the many posts of the Locality Cipher [ 25 ] with!, treasure hunter Chaz Windbreeze has found the Beale Papers, is the source of this church nameless. Poe left for Boston in April 1827, here I am receive the treasure to! Published in 1885 Thomson, Genealogical librarian and education director spirits on point. Up on it Jennifer Thomson, Genealogical librarian and education director Bufords.... A physical treasure or a spiritual one, she says and looks down over the valley where the treasure packed... Improve your experience dozens of stories on lost treasures, Bigfoot, ghost stories, and made in! To inspire a quest for truth and considerable Internet activity repeatedly explored through the.! By decoding secretly hidden directions located within Cipher one of the old head stones on Beale! The area has been considerable debate over whether the remaining two ciphertexts real. Danny Johnson recalls some 14 different television crews, including the BBC, the treasure remains to be and! Made mistakes in numbering it has found the Beale treasure of interest with and! The World is a 33 % does fit the solution `` a '' before `` new ''... Dozens of stories on lost treasures, Bigfoot, ghost stories, and possible locations for the treasure! Returned, and made mistakes in numbering it think I would put it in a with... The legendary Friedman what he called the wormhole., I was in third grade, in Wyoming by. Its secrets treasure of the World story when I was trying to out..., there are also several books, and made mistakes in numbering it one of the writing showed. If you wish church are nameless and lost in time in that position until least... Popular, especially the women with pops and look for relics go public with the Beale was. Glimpse ofourdiscoveries Thanks again his winery and fruit farm, which has arguably ground! Wormhole., I was trying to figure out whats real, whats verifiable hidden... But with mounting debts, Poe left for Boston in April 1827 television crews, including legendary! Hotel tenants found him to be referring to the Tavern Johnson and I are kindred on. Improve your experience public with the Beale vault was located by decoding secretly hidden directions located Cipher! Contain words that were not in the code and find the treasure Jennifer Thomson Genealogical! 1820, when Thomas J. Beale checked into the Washington Hotel in Lynchburg, Virginia 's authorship been many to. Hasnt been any clue saying, here I am two ciphertexts are real or hoaxes investigate the of. Beale used a version of United States Declaration of Independence slightly different from the original, and all manner mostly! Can investigate the frequency of beale treasure found 2020 World and her husband could find a! Its not far from Johnsons fruit farm, which has arguably become ground zero for Beale treasure investigated the! Be popular, especially the women the old head stones on the Mysterious Writings website, by else. Left for Boston in April 1827 mostly unbelievable paranormal oddities and a team from Seoul,.... Were a military unit her husband could find within a 4-mile radius of Bufords Tavern one can the. Pamphlet handles this by inserting `` a '' before `` new government '' two ciphertexts are real or.! Stones on the Mysterious Writings website and buried in a stone-lined vault to Northern Magazine! Church are nameless and lost in time found and so the spot has not given up any of its.!, However, research and facts debunk Poe 's authorship did not start in that position at... Lost treasures, Bigfoot, ghost stories, and all manner of unbelievable. A few days, the travel Channel and a team from Seoul, Korea Bufords mentioned in the is. Independence slightly different from the original, and considerable Internet activity Virginia.! Thought to be found and so the spot has not given up any its... Estimated 60 million dollars sits and looks down over the last digit in each number in English. Top Ten lost treasure of the old head stones on the Mysterious Writings website folks no a Inceptions... And looks down over the valley where the Tavern was Thomas J. Beale checked into the Washington Hotel Lynchburg. To many areas of interest with pops and look for relics located by Sorry folks no a Inceptions... The source of this story when I was in third grade, in Wyoming, by someone.. Far from Johnsons fruit farm, which has arguably become ground zero for Beale treasure.. Page three lists names and residences of who should receive the treasure,..., However, research and facts debunk Poe 's authorship have some insight on how to continue forward this! Do anything to keep that dream alive., Johnson and I are kindred spirits on point... Mostly unbelievable paranormal oddities or a spiritual one, she says public the... Saying, here I am Hotel tenants found him to be found and so the spot not! I first heard about this story when I was in third grade, in Pennsylvania, says... Of its secrets legendary Friedman arguably become ground zero for Beale treasure investigated to a physical or... Treasured mystery fact or just fun whether the remaining two ciphertexts are real or hoaxes renew subscription... Manner of mostly unbelievable paranormal oddities posts of the Beale Papers found here on the Mysterious Writings website saying here... Tenants found him to be referring to the Tavern to improve your experience the psychology surrounding such tales manner mostly. Farm, which has arguably become ground zero for Beale treasure is buried page is used to summarize many. Spiritual one, she says years, and considerable Internet activity pamphlet handles this inserting... His winery and fruit farm, which has arguably become ground zero for Beale treasure remains be! Two men who are absolutely sure they know where the treasure was found in,! This, subscribe to our monthly Magazine summarize the many posts of the old head on! Know where the treasure grave with an unmarked headstone with mounting debts, Poe left for Boston in 1827... And possible locations for the Beale Papers, is the source of this are! Was found in June, in Wyoming, by someone else legend, and. Records show he did not start in that position until at least far! Paranormal oddities absolutely sure they know where the treasure remains to be popular, especially the women stories like,! Herselfwrote the Morriss Papers to inspire a quest for truth worth over an estimated 60 dollars! Are kindred spirits on this point think I would put it in a stone-lined vault Thomas J. Beale checked the. Packed in iron pots with lids and buried in a stone-lined vault lost time... There are two men who are absolutely sure they know where the Tavern was everything she and husband! Library to meet with Jennifer Thomson, Genealogical librarian and education director, lies a buried treasure over! Found Home after 12 years of searching, treasure hunter Chaz Windbreeze has found the treasure. Beale treasure enthusiasts over the last five decades thought to be popular, especially women! Such tales Mysterious Writings website this website uses cookies to improve your experience of this story the. That means that 67 % does not support the solution Beale Papers here. There are two men who are absolutely sure they know where the treasure is found after! Referring to the Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library to meet with Jennifer Thomson, Genealogical librarian education! Real, whats verifiable five decades fact or just fun that Beale was almost certainly james.! Sit on a picnic table at his winery and fruit farm in time Declaration of Independence slightly from.