Treasure Tales and Treasure Stories About New Jersey from the Archives of Lost Treasure Magazine

Coin beach

In 1945, 12-year-old Jo-seph Dowling of Philadelphia discovered the partially exposed remains of a wooden chest near the edge of the surf on the beach at Mantoloking. Joseph dug around in the sand and came up with a hand full of gold coins which turned out to be English guineas from the 1700s. He showed them to his parents who returned to the site and recovered a number of additional gold coins. News of this discovery was confined to the family and friends of the Dowlings, and there is no knowing how many coins were eventually discovered.

But the Dowlings and their friends didn't get them all. In 1949, 9-year-old Gaye Crampton was on the same beach when she discovered what she later claimed:

"...looked like a rock about three feet in diameter composed of hardened, tar-like substance that had picked up small stones and sand. Fortunately, the lump was not as heavy as stone, and we gradually heaved it closer to the beach where it was possible to break off small pieces. I ran to my mother with a piece, and a small round object fell from it into her lap. She rubbed one in the sand and a gold coin appeared with the words 'Georgus III Dei Gratia' faintly visible."

Gaye Crampton's gold coins turned out to be brass counterfeits hidden in tar to fool customs inspectors, but many of the 100s of frenzied treasure hunters that descended on Mantoloking when word got out did find actual gold coins and jewelry. According to newspaper reports, "One Philadelphia party claimed the recovery of 93 guinea and half-guinea pieces..."

Now imagine what a treasure hunter with a modern metal detector could do on that same beach after the right storm.