Mission Brief – Posey Treasure Hunt
This isn’t just another backyard riddle. It’s a well-orchestrated, poetic challenge
If you're just now tuning in to the hunt sparked by Gold & Greed: The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure on Netflix, here's what you need to know:
Justin Posey, one of the most dedicated searchers for Forrest Fenn’s treasure, has launched his own million-dollar challenge, hidden somewhere in the American West. The treasure, which includes historical artifacts, gold bars, rare coins, gemstones, and a Bitcoin wallet, weighs around 60 pounds and is hidden on public land.
This isn’t just another backyard riddle. It’s a well-orchestrated, poetic challenge—and the key to solving it lies in a poem that Posey made freely available on his website, supported by additional insights in his book Beyond the Map’s Edge.
✅ CONFIRMED FACTS FROM POSEY
🧭 What This Is
A modern-day treasure hunt launched in 2025 with:
A cryptic poem containing at least 10 clues
A supporting book (Beyond the Map’s Edge) with additional lore, references, and subtle hints
Appearances and scattered clues in a Netflix documentary
No requirement for advanced degrees or elite code-breaking skills
According to Posey himself:
“Any reasonable person that spends a bit of time researching online and getting a baseline understanding of me is on equal footing.
🏆 What's in the Treasure
💰 Gold & Precious Metals:
PAMP Suisse kilogram gold bars
Numerous 1 oz+ gold coins: Gold Eagles, Maple Leafs, Britannias, Austrian ducats
Gold flakes and gold dust
💎 Gemstones:
Large loose emeralds, rubies, and amethysts
🪙 Ancient Artifacts:
Lydian silver half-stater (561 BC)
1652 MS-64 Oak Tree Shilling
Artifacts from:
Kushan Dynasty (3rd century)
Crusades
Byzantine Empire
Persian Buyid Dynasty
🧿 Unique Items:
A meteorite
Forrest Fenn’s dragon bracelet (emeralds, rubies, diamonds)
₿ Bitcoin Wallet:
A wallet growing in value as books sell
Half the key is in the treasure
Half is held by a steward — finder must contact within 30 days
📜 The Poem
Posey’s poem contains at least 10 breadcrumbs, each meant to guide a searcher to the treasure’s final location. It is solvable in order. If solved fully, it will lead to an exact spot, not just a general area.
According to Posey:
“The poem contains a built-in checkpoint that will give you that reassuring feeling of ‘Yes, I’m not completely lost.’”
There is one cipher mentioned — approachable, not advanced. There may also be a minor technical element, but Posey notes this is not critical and has multiple solutions.
🧱 Where the Treasure Is Not
Straight from Posey’s rules:
Not underwater
Not on private property
Not in caves, mines, or tunnels
Not at places requiring rappelling
Not associated with any man-made buildings
Not near graves or grave markers
Not in dangerous places
Not within one mile of anywhere Posey, his family, or friends live, work, or own
✅ Where the Treasure Is
On publicly accessible land anyone can visit
Safe to get to
Within 1 mile of where you can park your vehicle (does not require a high-clearance vehicle)
Boots on the ground are required to physically retrieve it
Posey confirms:
“You don't need to hike a great distance. You don't need to hike more than a mile to figure out where the treasure is at.”
How much is solvable from home?
"A fair amount." – Justin Posey
What about trails?
"The treasure isn’t lurking near any trail... I didn’t want it to be stumbled upon." – Justin Posey
🧠 Solving Strategy (Posey's Words Only)
The poem is key: All essential clues are within
A “fair amount” of solving can be done from home
Boots on the ground are required for the final step
The map on the site and in the book is useful but not absolutely required
The clues are meant to build toward a checkpoint that confirms your direction
🧭 FIELD INSPIRATION – DETECTING LOST LEGENDS
I have been analyzing every angle of this poem and cross-referencing it against terrain, myth, language structure, and known cartographic strategies. One overlooked line might become a compass bearing. One poetic metaphor may translate to a real-world landmark. While we won’t share our current coordinates, here's what we suggest:
"Don’t just read the poem—map it. Each stanza may correspond to a specific terrain movement or celestial alignment. It’s not about cleverness. It’s about clarity."
Some advice? Look for the natural alignments in the words—"water’s silent flight" might mean more than it first appears.
🚨 QUICK START CHECKLIST
Read the poem on treasure.quest
Optional: Order Beyond the Map’s Edge on Amazon for additional context
Study the FAQs – the website contains more clues than most people realize
Be safe – all elements of the hunt are designed to be non-dangerous
If you believe you’ve found the treasure, contact the steward as instructed
More to come. Stay sharp, stay skeptical—and most of all, stay curious.
—Mike
Detecting Lost Legends