Treasure: In Search of the Golden Horse
Tom Howe
Can anyone give me more information on this video-based puzzle from 1984,
like was the contest ever completed? I have this on an RCA VideoDisc.
Thanks,
--Tom Howe
ho...@ohsu.edu
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CED Magic at http://www.teleport.com/~ceds/selectavision.html
Extensive Information on the RCA SelectaVision VideoDisc System
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Chris Cole
Tom Howe wrote:
>
> Can anyone give me more information on this video-based puzzle from 1984,
> like was the contest ever completed? I have this on an RCA VideoDisc.
This question is in the rec.puzzles archive:
==> references/books/treasure.p <==
What is the solution to _Treasure_ by Dr. Crypton?
==> references/books/treasure.s <==
"Treasure" was a puzzle by Dr. Crypton (Paul Hoffman) released
simultaneously in 1984 as a book, a videotape and a laserdisk. The book
and video versions include a number of mysterious pictures and images
connected by a loose plot involving the theft of a golden horse. The
1-kilo golden horse itself was buried, and the mysterious images were
supposed to give instructions on how to find it. The lucky winners would
get the golden horse and $500,000. The clues were interesting and
obscure; it was impossible to tell which of the puzzles were relevant to
the solution and which weren't. Enough of them were sort of solvable to
give people hope that they were on the right track. For example, some
clues written on an umbrella gave the birth and death years of Mary, Queen
of Scots; and a chess game turned out to be identifiable as Anderssen vs.
Kieseritzky, the "Shower of Gold" game. Evidently neither of these
observations was relevant to the solution in the end.
It was alleged that during the production of the video enough people
were let in on the secret that the location had to be changed... but
that very little of the puzzle was changed to reflect the new location.
Nobody solved the puzzle in time -- i.e. by midnight of 26 May 1989.
The horse was dug up by the promoters and the prize donated to a charity:
Big Brothers and Sisters of America. However, the promoters and Dr.
Crypton refused to make the solution public. Seven months later two
men, Nick Boone and Anthony Castaneda, went to Tennessee Pass in Colorado
and dug up a vial with congratulations inside. They wrote a description
of their thought processes that left other frustrated treasure-seekers
suspicious and annoyed: their "solution" appeared to be motivated very
little by anything in the puzzle itself, so that it seemed apparent to
many that they were virtually guided to that location by the promoters.
This suspicion has not been confirmed or denied.
--Jim Gillogly <uunet!rand.org!James_Gillogly>
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Mark Parry
> Can anyone give me more information on this video-based puzzle from 1984,
> like was the contest ever completed? I have this on an RCA VideoDisc.
Yeah, it finished without being solved. However a couple of guys
cliam to have solved it. Their solution was published in TREASURE magazine.
DR KRYPTON who wrote Archimedes Revenge gives a similar solution in chapter
four of his book. This came out a year before the puzzle was solved ;-)
Be in touch.
Mark
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| 9|13|16|99| Mark Parry - Mpa...@mertcplc.demon.co.uk
+--+--+--+--+
| 7| 8|92|92|
+--+--+--+--+
|90|53| 7|19| The best of men is only a man at best,
+--+--+--+--+
|47|18|53| 7| And a hare, as everyone knows, is only a hare.
+--+--+--+--+ KW 1979
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Check out The Armchair Treasure Hunt Home Page at
http://sunacm.swan.ac.uk/~milamber/treasure
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badge...@gmail.com
The contest is over...but I am still trying to understand the puzzle. So I am going to share some things in the hopes of gaining some ally's in the search,
Here are what I think of as clues. Some seem to be agreed upon by past and hopefully present seekers:
1. Circles
2. Sunset
3. Arch
4. Fibonacci numbers (I believe they ID some clues)
5. Chess
To catch up, read the Captain Nemo Solution. Many believe this was just one solution. But they had to move the Horse of Gold, to an alternate sight because people involved in the project had figured out the original burial sight.
I have one request of anyone with access to the laser disk version of the movie. If you could make a video of the chess section, it would be great. If not the whole video. I have the VHS version...but it doesn't have the chess section other than showing a Knight in the Courtyard chapter.
From others research The Immortal Game is supposed to be featured. I would like to see the laserdisc version. Please contact me directly, if you don't want to post here. I'm really hoping I'm not alone.
Also if a woman by the online handle Judy C is out there, Please, please, please contact me Badge...@gmail.com. I have questions about the Vigenere Cipher Tool and the two answers you reported. The first answer, actually works.
JB
JP Labonte
http://jeanpierrelabonte.quebec/treasure
Johnnie Brock
> I sent you an email. The info about the chess section is posted on my site, with a lot more about Treasure (i.e. I am exploring a new approach with surprising results). See
> http://jeanpierrelabonte.quebec/treasure
One of the clips on your page from the book has a large crystal ball like circle, it has 3 (itself a fibonacci number) fibonacci numbers, a gloved hand with 5 fingers, 8 Tarot cards, and added togather makes 13. Three, Five, eight, and 13. These four fibonacci numbers make the four corners of a golden rectangle. The Rabbit Card has a cipher... that points to the Nemo solution, but I think the real clue (to the original solution) is the rectangle. The seashells in the book is the obvious reference to the The Golden Ratio. Paul Hoffman was into puzzles and chess. He also lived in Chicago, IL. He cannot have overlooked two prominent area codes 314 and 618. Pi is 3.14 and Phi is 1.618 and I believe marks ground zero. The beginning of Amanda's journey. When the contest was active, I discounted this - I was certain everyone thought local features were a part of the puzzle. This is born out by some of the various still active sites that present a solution. Anyway, I have started a facebook group for my notes just search for "Treasure In Search of the Golden Horse", and anyone can request membership. Also, the way the Knight moves is related to the Golden Ratio, and the Knights Tour (the Turk solution). Look at all of this with the eyes of a 13 year old...Lewis and Clark started in the 314/618 area.
I'm convinced, the cover picture, is of the east coast. I think its Seaside, OR. Several clues point to Oregon in general (the furthest point of LC's Voyage of Discovery) Why Seaside? Researching Hoffman I found he was at a Chess Tournament there, unfortunately I have lost that source. Argh! But if you look at the cover photo, and compare it to Seaside area's topography it match's. Estuary to the north,Lighthouse to the south, the town even has a merry-go-round. Anyway, that's all I have time for now.
Johnnie Brock
Johnnie Brock
21 blocks in the burnt map per side. 21st state Illinois.
Johnnie Brock
Chess/kinight piece connection, the way a knight moves, L-shaped. Well water, and the shape was the give away, water is a treasure of a type and what do you use to find water? A Dowsing rod, ised to find treasure of some type. I saw a water department employee using two L shaped dowsing rods to locate water mains.
Anyway, the the long end of the L dowsing rod points to the water/mountai /treasure. Obviously possible Nemo confirmation.
I'm still thinking about the broken glass in the picture, the page number, if ten is mentioned in the text on the other page. Shape of the glass?
