The Secret Wiki - User contributions [en]

New York

2026-06-13T17:16:09Z

Peregrine:

'''New York City''', New York, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

St. Augustine

2026-06-13T17:15:44Z

Peregrine:

'''St. Augustine''', Florida, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

Boston

2026-06-13T17:15:25Z

Peregrine:

'''Boston''', Massachusetts, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which remnants of a [[casque]] were discovered in 2019.

Chicago

2026-06-13T17:14:49Z

Peregrine:

'''Chicago''', Illinois, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] was found in 1983.

Milwaukee

2026-06-13T17:14:28Z

Peregrine:

'''Milwaukee''', Wisconsin, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

Cleveland

2026-06-13T17:14:10Z

Peregrine:

'''Cleveland''', Ohio, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] was found in 2004.

Roanoake

2026-06-13T17:13:27Z

Peregrine:

'''Roanoake''', Virginia, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

Montreal

2026-06-13T17:13:08Z

Peregrine:

'''Montreal''', Quebec, is one of the twelve [[[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried. It is the only one of these cities to be outside of the United States.

Houston

2026-06-13T17:12:43Z

Peregrine:

'''Houston''', Texas, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

Charleston

2026-06-13T17:12:16Z

Peregrine:

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of [[Paintings|Painting 2]] and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{|
|'''Verse 06'''
Of all the romance retold

Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
|[[File:Painting 02.jpg|thumb|Painting 2|left]]
|}

New Orleans

2026-06-13T17:11:53Z

Peregrine:

'''New Orleans''' is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

San Francisco

2026-06-13T17:11:30Z

Peregrine:

'''San Francisco''', California, is one of the twelve [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

Cities

2026-06-13T17:10:54Z

Peregrine:

According to the text of [[The Secret (book)|The Secret]], each of the twelve treasure [[Casque|casques]] was buried in a North American city. These cities are not explicitly stated; their identities are elements to be deciphered as part of the twelve treasure hunts.

[[Found Casques|Found casques]] have decisively identified [[Chicago]], [[Cleveland]], and [[Boston]] as three of these cities. The identity of the other nine cities remains under dispute, but a consensus has emerged (seemingly confirmed by the [[Gift Giver]]). These are typically referred to as the [[Commonly Accepted Cities|Commonly Accepted Cities.]]

Gift Giver

2026-06-13T17:10:15Z

Peregrine:

The Gift Giver is an anonymous Facebook account that occasionally posts hints or "nudges" related to [[The Secret (treasure hunt)]]. According to [[User:Burnstyle|George Ward]], the account was created in 2021 after two of the hunt’s creators expressed a desire to release hints on an annual basis. Ward reports that two creators agreed to share a single anonymous Facebook login so they could post as needed; one of them made the account’s first post the following day.<ref>George Ward, personal communication.</ref>

== Gift Giver Post #1 ==
[[File:GiftGiver1.png|400px|right|Caption]]

The first Gift Giver post<ref>https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesecrettreasures/posts/3218592121760564/</ref> was posted December 21, 2021, and read as follows:

'''The Secret's official nudge of 2021.'''

'''Not too long ago I was watching a film which featured whirling dervishes.'''

'''In the scene the Sufi has one hand pointing to the sky accepting something from God, and one hand pointed to the earth giving something back. For a brief second I was reminded of the Roanoke painting.'''

'''The painting seems to involve parallels doesn't it? One side matching the other, but not exactly.'''

'''Left hand accepting, right hand releasing.'''

'''Why does the right hand have a string with nothing attached?'''

'''Why is the left holding a watch?'''

'''Should you add something to the right?'''

'''Should you remove something from the left?'''

'''Is it the reverse?'''

'''How would you know? Maybe there are instructions in the painting. Perhaps a plus and minus sign somewhere.'''

'''Are you looking at these paintings correctly?'''

'''Is anyone?'''

'''I don't remember exactly what John and Byron were going for. Maybe you can help fill in the blanks.'''

'''Merry Christmas, see you next year.'''

== Gift Giver post #2 ==

[[File:GiftGiver2.png|400px|right|Caption]]
The second post<ref>https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesecrettreasures/posts/3422689871350787/</ref> was made at the same time Ward was conducting an interview during The Impossible Meetup. This was likely done to show searchers that Ward was not in control of the account.

It was posted Sept. 10, 2022, and reads as follows:

'''I spoke with Mr. Ward recently about his goal for the 40th anniversary of the Secret. I didn't quite understand why he has been doing all of this. I didn't understand why this year was so special. After speaking to him I found his goal to be admirable, and I thought I would help him reach it. My favorite areas are areas that contain casques buried by my close friend Byron. Here are a list of my favorite areas in no particular order.'''

'''San Francisco, California'''

'''Charleston, South Carolina'''

'''Dare County, North Carolina'''

'''Naples, Florida'''

'''Chicago, Illinois'''

'''St. Augustine, Florida'''

'''New Orleans, Louisiana'''

'''Houston, Texas'''

'''Montreal, Canada'''

'''Milwaukee, Wisconsin'''

'''Boston, Massachusetts'''

'''New York, New York'''

'''I hear Louisville, Kentucky is nice too.'''

'''See you next year.'''

''Analysis:'' These correspond to the [[Commonly Accepted Cities|commonly accepted cities]] (with two exceptions), and as such might be interpreted as confirmation of those casque locations. Naples, Florida is where the Cleveland casque currently resides, and Louisville, Kentucky is generally believed to be the location of the Tribute casque.

== Gift Giver post #3 ==

[[File:GiftGiver3.png|400px|Caption|right]]
The third Gift Giver post<ref>https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesecrettreasures/posts/3523292127957227/</ref> was posted on Dec 25th 2022 and reads as follows:

'''In order for an artist to get a message across the art must have a subject as well as other elements which give that subject context.'''

'''For instance, if an artist wanted to illustrate a pea, he could simply paint a green sphere. But how would you know it's a pea and not a simple green circle? Perhaps the artist could add a spoon as context.'''

'''Which begs the question. What is the most important part of that message? The subject or the context?'''

'''Merry Christmas.'''

== Gift Giver post #4 ==

The fourth Gift Giver post<ref>https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesecrettreasures/posts/3785825835037187/</ref> was posted on Dec 23 2023. The text bears strong indications of having been run through ChatGPT or other AI text program, likely to hide the distinct writing style of the author. The post reads as follows:

[[File:GiftGiver4.png|400px|Caption|right]]
'''Happy holidays everyone.'''

'''Back in '82, some iconic stuff went down—Thriller dropped, E.T. hit the screens, and the most popular computer was the IBM PC boasting 64k of RAM and a display capability of 16 colors. Photoshop was still 10 years away. Scanners and color printing were all but nonexistent. Want to send an email? Yeah, right.'''

'''Now, when it came to crafting the Secret, imagine this: a Polaroid and a fax machine were the high-tech tools of the trade. Byron snapped grainy, out-of-focus pictures of important things, sent them to John, who then sketched them out and faxed them back. It was a game of clear communication, sometimes requiring bold and basic drawings to make sure they were both on the same page.'''

'''I'm saying all of this because I am hoping to keep you all grounded. Generally, before Christmas, I log into this account and read some of the posts on these groups. I admire a lot of people's creativity, but I wonder exactly what treasure hunt they are working on.'''

'''Is it Byron's or their own?'''

'''I see a lot of paintings superimposed over maps, or landmasses, when such things would be impossible when this book was made. If they couldn't envision you ever having the technology to do that, why would they include it in their treasure hunt? I see posts where people are trying to match super up-close details from a photograph of John's paintings to, say, a tree... or a road. Why would John put details that small in his paintings if he never imagined you would ever see the actual paintings? Why would he put something smaller than Byron could see in a fax?'''

'''There are things you know about this puzzle. You know about the Chicago fencepost, you know about the terminal tower, you know about home plate. These are all big obvious things.'''

'''You know Byron's mind when working on these puzzles because you have seen his hints. You can wax poetic about all the connections you can make to "High posts are three," but because of Byron, you know they are just wooden posts. You know M and B were just composers. You know Octave is a proper noun.'''

'''So, here's the deal: what you know is direct, so why assume the rest is so indirect? Especially when Byron and John had no clue you'd ever know any of it. They didn't picture you seeing their work. John never imagined you would see his paintings. Byron never imagined you would see his hints. Yet there they are, simple and direct.'''

'''You're going to be very upset when you find out that a bunch of the most overthought lines in the poems are just... a sign.'''

'''Now, what you don't know is that the whole treasure hunt, from brainstorming to execution, took just a year. Not a decade of pre-planning, just one solid year.'''

'''This project was very compartmentalized... most of you would assume out of necessity. But that's not why. It wasn't about secrecy; it was because everyone had a job. Ben snapped pics, JoEllen sculpted, Sean and Ted did their fair folk thing, and Byron and John crafted the treasure hunt. Each to their own job, no overlap. We all met once for dinner (except Overton for some reason), and while the National Lampoon guys were very funny, it was clear this project had two teams—Byron and John, and everyone else.'''

'''Hope this year's treated you well. Be kind to one another, and keep the magic alive in this nook. It's a place I never thought could exist, and I hope it sticks around. Keep loving and working on Byron's treasure hunt, or your own—whichever tickles your fancy.'''

'''Oh right. I'm supposed to give you a nudge.'''

'''Think like Byron. Take a piece of paper and make a few columns. Start going through the book from the start through the verses and find lists, or frequent similar things. Start putting those in their respective columns. Include things you know, like months and coordinates. See if you can find a pattern. All that information has to be there for a reason right? Organize it.'''

'''That might help.'''

== Gift Giver post #5 ==

[[File:GiftGiver5.png|400px|Caption|right]]

The fifth Gift Giver post<ref>https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesecrettreasures/posts/4086401031646331/</ref> was posted on Dec 13 2024. The text’s format is an allusion to the Christmas carol ''The Twelve Days of Christmas''. The post reads as follows:

'''on the 12th day of Advicemas my true love gave to me:'''

'''12: Don't minimize the obvious.'''

'''11: Kooky conspiracies.'''

'''10: Lions in Lake Park.'''

'''9: Legs a-eating.'''

'''8: Trains a-tooting.'''

'''7: Out of place shadow.'''

'''6: A tree is a tree.'''

'''5: I DIS-AGREEEEEEEEE! (I had to throw that in somewhere.)'''

'''4: Calling birds? (I have nothing to say.)'''

'''3: Has a typo.'''

'''2: Play with the wings.'''

'''And a hotel in a rose tree.'''

'''That should be enough for awhile right? Thank you to both the moderators and the community for letting me join you for awhile. Most of you are such fun and creative people. I really enjoy seeing all of the Secret Santa posts, Byron would have loved that. He really would be proud of the Secret community.'''

'''Have a Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday season.'''

''Analysis:'' It appears to be noteworthy that the numbering of these hints appears to correspond with the numbering of the paintings.

Below is a breakdown of each number to its location, with any notes that may be needed for clarification.

'''12:''' (New York) '''Don't minimize the obvious.'''

'''11:''' (Boston) '''Kooky conspiracies.''' this seems to be talking about the conspiracy theories surrounding the discovery of the Boston casque. Several vocal hunters have called this find a hoax.

'''10:''' (Milwaukee) '''Lions in Lake Park.''' John Jude Palencar has stated several times that the face of at least one of Lake Park lions is in the Milwaukee painting, as he initially pointed out on the television show Josh Gates Tonight.

'''9:''' (Montreal) '''Legs a-eating.''' This seems to allude to the design in the Montreal painting commonly referred to as the [[Leg Eater]].

'''8:''' (Houston) '''Trains a-tooting.''' This seems to allude to the 982 Train in Hermann Park

'''7:''' (New Orleans) '''Out of place shadow.'''

'''6:''' (St. Augustine) '''A tree is a tree.'''

'''5:''' (Chicago) '''I DIS-AGREEEEEEEEE! (I had to throw that in somewhere.)''' This is a reference to a Q&A session during the Cleveland Meetup, during which John Jude Palencar was asked a question as to whether additional casques were buried. When he said no, the questioner contradicted him with this reply.

'''4:''' (Cleveland) '''Calling birds? (I have nothing to say.)'''

'''3:''' (Roanoke) '''Has a typo.'''

'''2: ('''Charleston) '''Play with the wings.''' The commonly-accepted image pairing for Charleston (image 6) features a woman with butterfly-type wings.

(San Francisco) '''And a hotel in a rose tree.''' This seems to allude to the Fairmont Hotel logo in the painting’s rose stem.

== Gift Giver post #6 ==
[[File:Screenshot from 2025-12-15 22-43-28.png|right|477x477px|Caption]]
The sixth Gift Giver post<ref>https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesecrettreasures/posts/4465564153730015</ref> was posted on Dec. 15th, 2025 and is as follows:

'''Merry Christmas everyone.'''

'''Think back to the start of the recent Cleveland event. You could tell John Palencar wasn't exactly thrilled to be there. Given his history with hunters over the years, his hesitation was understandable.'''

'''But by the end of the day? Total transformation. He was joking with everyone in the autograph line, taking selfies, and hugging hunters. At the end he said Byron would have been proud of the community the Secret has formed.'''

'''Something changed his opinion. He started interacting. He started trusting. Then, he started making his work available to this community.'''

'''Why?'''

'''Putting his paintings and drawings up for sale may seem like a simple cash grab to some, but John has never done that. He has never made his work publicly available. Much less to a specific community.'''

'''Let’s debunk the "cash grab" theory right now: If it were about money, he would have targeted the Eragon fanbase, which is infinitely larger than this one. But he’s been keeping this within The Secret community.'''

'''Why? I think it's trust and respect. I think he was testing the waters so to speak, for something else to come.'''

'''I wonder, if an artist wanted to help a community how would he do it? He might have tried words. But words can be confused. Maybe he could try to do it with art? Something he knows. Something he has experience with.'''

'''How could he best help?'''

'''If he were to release art related to a solved city, he wouldn't just be posting a drawing; he would be giving you a Rosetta Stone. He'd be showing you the answers to a test you've already finished so you can identify his technique. Then he could post drawings for the unsolved cities, and you would know what to look for and how best to use them.'''

'''Would he post new drawings related to the cities? Would they be old studies from the '80s? Who knows? Maybe he would make a series of these, one to help with each of the cities.'''

'''Just maybe.'''

'''Stay tuned.'''

'''P.S. The personal painting which was incorporated into The Secret was not Milwaukee. It was San Francisco. And it was changed dramatically. Looks like the podcast guys finally got something wrong about that one. It was the first started, and one of the last finished for that reason. Milwaukee and Montreal followed, which is why they do not have many visual clues.'''

Paintings

2026-06-13T17:09:28Z

Peregrine:

Commonly Accepted Cities

2026-06-13T17:05:53Z

Peregrine: Created page with "The twelve ‘''commonly accepted cities''' correspond to the twelve puzzles that comprise the treasure hunt of The Secret, each generally believed to be the site of a buried casque. While other cities are still being propounded, efforts remain largely focused on these locations. They are: San Francisco New Orleans Charleston Houston Roanoake Montreal Cleveland (found) Milwaukee..."

The twelve ‘''commonly accepted cities''' correspond to the twelve puzzles that comprise the [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|treasure hunt]] of [[The Secret (book)|The Secret]], each generally believed to be the site of a buried casque. While other cities are still being propounded, efforts remain largely focused on these locations. They are:

[[San Francisco]]

[[New Orleans]]

[[Charleston]]

[[Houston]]

[[Roanoake]]

[[Montreal]]

[[Cleveland]] (found)

[[Milwaukee]]

[[Chicago]] (found)

[[Boston]] (found)

[[St. Augustine]]

[[New York]]

=== Confirmations by John Jude Palencar ===
section TK

=== Confirmations by the Gift Giver ===
section TK

Acronyms

2026-06-13T17:04:31Z

Peregrine:

Members of [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|The Secret]] treasure hunting community frequently use acronyms in their communications. Here is a guide to several of the most frequently-encountered ones.

'''BOTB''': ''[[Back of the Book]]''. Refers to the section of ''[[The Secret (book)|The Secret]]'' that follows the centrally-placed illustrations. See also FOTB.

'''BOTG''': ''Boots on the Ground.'' This refers to making a physical inspection of a site believed to be the possible location of a buried casque.

'''BP''': ''[[Byron Preiss]]'', creator of the treasure hunt.

'''FOTB''': ''[[Front of the Book]]''. Refers to the section of ''The Secret'' that precedes the centrally-placed illustrations. See also BOTB.

‘''CAC''': '’[[Commonly Accepted Cities]]''. Refers to the general community consensus on the cities in which the undiscovered casques were buried.

‘''CAP''': '’[[Commonly Accepted Pairings]]''. Refers to the general community consensus on the pairings of verses and paintings which can lead to the undiscovered casques.

'''JJP:''' ''[[John Jude Palencar]]'', the chief illustrator of ''The Secret'' and painter of the twelve central illustrations.

The Treasure

2026-06-13T17:03:33Z

Peregrine:

'''The Treasure''' is the central section of the book [[The Secret (book)|The Secret]], containing full-color reproductions of twelve [[paintings]] by [[John Jude Palencar]], and twelve [[verses]]. Both the paintings and verses are enigmatic by design, each incorporating elements that, if correctly interpreted, provide clues to the location of one of twelve buried [[Casque|casques]].

The paintings and verses are untitled, and unnumbered. According to the book, each painting is intended to be paired with a verse to form a coherent set of clues; these verses are not necessarily the ones adjacent to each painting, and in fact the [[Commonly Accepted Pairings|commonly accepted pairings]] do not combine adjacent elements.

As stated in the text, these two paired elements comprise everything needed to locate the casque. The [[The Secret (book)|book]] instructs (p. 7-8): “The key to each requires the proper combination of one treasure painting with one treasure verse. ''You need only decipher the clues in any pair'' to learn the location of a treasure [[casque]].” The remainder of the book consists of rules, lore, and whimsical entertainment.

Paintings

2026-06-13T17:02:39Z

Peregrine:

The Secret (treasure hunt)

2026-06-13T17:02:03Z

Peregrine:

{{Short description|Book treasure hunt started by Byron Priess}}
[[File:The_Secret_treasure_book_cover.jpg|thumb|right|Cover of 1982 book ''The Secret'']]
T''his entry concerns the treasure hunt. For the book itself, please see [[The Secret (book)]].''

The '''treasure hunt''' contained within the book ''The Secret'' offers a quest for twelve treasure boxes, or casques, buried at secret locations in cities across the United States and Canada.

The hunt itself consists of six elements:

== Paintings ==
''(Main article: [[Paintings]])''

== Verses ==
''(Main article: [[Verses]])''

== Pairings ==
''(Main article: [[Commonly Accepted Pairings]])''

== Casques ==
''(Main article: [[Casque]])''

== Keys ==
''(Main article: [[Key]])''

== Jewels ==
''(Main article: [[Jewels|Jewel]])''

==External links==
* [https://12treasures.com 12treasures.com]
* [https://www.kitpalencar.com/home The Secret: The Hunt for the 13th Casque]
* [https://12treasures.com/anniversary-hunt/ The Secret: 40th Anniversary Hunt]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Secret}}
[[Category:1982 books]]
[[Category:Outdoor locating games]]
[[Category:Puzzle books]]
[[Category:Puzzle competitions]]
[[Category:Puzzle hunts]]
[[Category:Undeciphered historical codes and ciphers]]

The Secret

2026-06-13T17:01:41Z

Peregrine:

'''The Secret''' refers to both a book published by [[Byron Preiss]] in 1982, and the treasure hunt contained within its pages. Please see [[The Secret (book)|T''he Secret'' (book)]], and [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|The Secret (treasure hunt]]).

The hunt involves a search for twelve treasure boxes, the clues to which were provided in a book written by Preiss in 1982, also called ''The Secret''. These boxes were buried at secret locations in cities across the United States and Canadathat symbolically represent events and peoples that played significant roles in North American history. Anyone who uncovered one of the treasure boxes was entitled to exchange it with Preiss for a precious gem.

Preiss died in a car accident in 2005. His estate assumed the responsibility of honoring the terms of the treasure hunt. As of 2025, only three of the twelve boxes have been found. Preiss kept no record of the treasure boxes' exact locations before his death, leaving it a possibility that the remaining boxes may never be recovered.

== Book ==
Clues for where the treasures were buried are provided in a puzzle book named ''The Secret''produced by Byron Preiss and first published by Bantam in 1982. The book was authored by Sean Kelly and Ted Mann and illustrated by John Jude Palencar, John Pierard, and Overton Loyd; JoEllen Trilling, Ben Asen, and Alex Jay also contributed to the book. A Japanese version was published in 1983, and the English version was re-issued in 2014. The book contains 12 images and 12 verses; an image must be linked to a verse, with the information they contain used to locate a buried "treasure casque".
{| class="wikitable"
|+''The Secret'' book variants
!Year
!ISBN
!Language
!Format
!Publisher
|-
| rowspan="2" |1982
| rowspan="2" |ISBN <bdi>0-553-01408-0</bdi>
| rowspan="2" |English
|Paperback
| rowspan="2" |Bantam
|-
|Hardcover
|-
|1983
|0276-831122-7339
|Japanese
|Paperback
|Futami-shobo
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014
|ISBN <bdi>978-1-59687-444-2</bdi>
| rowspan="2" |English
|Hardcover
| rowspan="2" |ibooks.com
|-
|ISBN <bdi>978-1-59687-401-5</bdi>
|Paperback
|}

== Casques ==
As of 2026, three of the [[Casque|casques]], or treasure boxes, have been recovered. The first was found in Chicago, Illinois; the second in Cleveland, Ohio; and the most recent treasure box was found in Boston, Massachusetts.

The remaining nine treasure boxes have not yet been recovered. The Boston treasure box's recovery was filmed for Discovery Channel's television show ''Expedition Unknown'' and aired on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, a recovery which only occurred due to the puzzle being featured in two previous episodes of the series.

Over time, some of the cached casques may have been destroyed or built over, as was happening with the Boston casque, which was buried in Langone Park, in Boston’s North End which was undergoing renovation, resulting in the casque being dug up by an excavator. Clues would no longer match in cases where the surrounding area has changed since the book was originally published. Similarly, casques believed to be in New Orleans (which faced mass destruction due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005) and New York City (which has undergone major renovations since the 1980s) have likely become extremely difficult to locate.

== See also ==

[[Commonly Accepted Pairings]]

Main Page

2026-06-13T17:00:13Z

Peregrine:

= <strong>Welcome to The Secret Wiki</strong> =
[[File:The Secret treasure book cover.jpg|thumb|Cover of the original 1982 edition of [[The Secret]].]]
Welcome to a depository of information relevant to [[The Secret]], a [[The Secret (book)|book]] published in 1982 by [[Byron Preiss]], and the [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|treasure hunt]] contained within. Although participation may broaden in the future, at present our contributors comprise a limited group. Registered contributors can [[Special:UserLogin|click here]] to login.

''The Secret'' presents puzzles consisting of [[verses]] and [[paintings]]. There are twelve of each, leading to twelve [[Commonly Accepted Pairings|pairings]] corresponding to [[cities]] in North America. If solved, the puzzles lead the searcher to dig at a physical spot, where a unique [[casque]] can be found, each containing a [[key]] which can be redeemed for a precious [[Jewels|jewel]]. Of the twelve casques, three have currently been [[Found Casques|located]]. There are also [[additional treasure hunts]], inspired by and in tribute to The Secret.

''The Secret'' was meant to be a source of enjoyment for everyone. Please approach this wiki in the same spirit.

=== Featured recent additions ===

* [[Acronyms]]
* [[Gift Giver]]
* [[Leg Eater]]
* [[Litany of the Jewels]]
* [[Preliminary Sketches]]
* [[The Owl and the Horse]]
* [[The Passage to the New World]]

Commonly Accepted Pairings

2026-06-13T16:58:37Z

Peregrine: Created page with "A '''''pairing''''' is a logical matching of one of the twelve full-color paintings in ''The Secret'' with one of the twelve cryptic verses. As the book itself instructs (p. 7-8), “The key to each requires the proper combination of one treasure painting with one treasure verse. You need only decipher the clues in any pair to learn the location of a treasure casque.” The following constitute commonly accepted pairings (CAP) of images..."

A '''''pairing''''' is a logical matching of one of the twelve full-color [[paintings]] in ''The Secret'' with one of the twelve cryptic [[verses]]. As the [[The Secret (book)|book]] itself instructs (p. 7-8), “The key to each requires the proper combination of one treasure painting with one treasure verse. You need only decipher the clues in any pair to learn the location of a treasure [[casque]].”

The following constitute commonly accepted pairings (CAP) of images and verses. While the ones that resulted in found casques are by definition correct, it should be noted that the remainder are current reflections of broad consensus, not settled fact.

{| class="wikitable"
!Image No.
!Verse No.
!Verse opening
!Status
!Location (generally accepted)

|-
|1
|7
|''At stone wall's door''
|Unsolved
|San Francisco, California
|
|-
|2
|6
|''Of all the romance retold''
|Unsolved
|Charleston, South Carolina
|
|-
|3
|11
|''Pass two friends of octave''
|Unsolved
|Roanoke Island, North Carolina
|
|-
|4
|4
|''Beneath two countries''
|Solved (2004)
|Greek Garden, Cleveland, Ohio
|
|-
|5
|12
|''Where M and B are set in stone''
|Solved (1983)
|Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois
|
|-
|6
|9
|''The first chapter''
|Unsolved
|St. Augustine, Florida
|
|-
|8
|1
|''Fortress north''
|Unsolved
|Houston, Texas
|
|-
|10
|8
|''View the three stories of Mitchell''
|Unsolved
|Milwaukee, Wisconsin
|
|-
|9
|5
|''Lane''
|Unsolved
|Montreal, Quebec, Canada
|
|-
|7
|2
|''At the place where jewels abound''
|Unsolved
|New Orleans, Louisiana
|
|-
|11
|3
|''If Thucydides is North of Xenophon''
|Solved (2019)
|Puopolo Field, Boston, Massachusetts
|
|-
|12
|10
|''In the shadow Of the grey giant''
|Unsolved
|New York City, New York
|
|}

The Secret

2026-05-13T20:02:43Z

Peregrine: /* See also */

The Secret

2026-05-13T19:59:52Z

Peregrine: /* See also */

The Secret

2026-05-13T19:59:01Z

Peregrine: /* Treasure boxes */

The Secret

2026-05-13T19:56:38Z

Peregrine: /* Treasure boxes */

'''The Secret''' refers to both a book published by [[Byron Preiss]] in 1982, and the treasure hunt contained within its pages. Please see [[The Secret (book)|T''he Secret'' (book)]], and [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|The Secret (treasure hunt]]).

The hunt involves a search for twelve treasure boxes, the clues to which were provided in a book written by Preiss in 1982, also called ''The Secret''. These boxes were buried at secret locations in cities across the United States and Canadathat symbolically represent events and peoples that played significant roles in North American history. Anyone who uncovered one of the treasure boxes was entitled to exchange it with Preiss for a precious gem.

Preiss died in a car accident in 2005. His estate assumed the responsibility of honoring the terms of the treasure hunt. As of 2025, only three of the twelve boxes have been found. Preiss kept no record of the treasure boxes' exact locations before his death, leaving it a possibility that the remaining boxes may never be recovered.

== Book ==
Clues for where the treasures were buried are provided in a puzzle book named ''The Secret''produced by Byron Preiss and first published by Bantam in 1982. The book was authored by Sean Kelly and Ted Mann and illustrated by John Jude Palencar, John Pierard, and Overton Loyd; JoEllen Trilling, Ben Asen, and Alex Jay also contributed to the book. A Japanese version was published in 1983, and the English version was re-issued in 2014. The book contains 12 images and 12 verses; an image must be linked to a verse, with the information they contain used to locate a buried "treasure casque".
{| class="wikitable"
|+''The Secret'' book variants
!Year
!ISBN
!Language
!Format
!Publisher
|-
| rowspan="2" |1982
| rowspan="2" |ISBN <bdi>0-553-01408-0</bdi>
| rowspan="2" |English
|Paperback
| rowspan="2" |Bantam
|-
|Hardcover
|-
|1983
|0276-831122-7339
|Japanese
|Paperback
|Futami-shobo
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014
|ISBN <bdi>978-1-59687-444-2</bdi>
| rowspan="2" |English
|Hardcover
| rowspan="2" |ibooks.com
|-
|ISBN <bdi>978-1-59687-401-5</bdi>
|Paperback
|}

== Treasure boxes ==
As of 2024, three of the treasure boxes have been recovered. The first was found in Chicago, Illinois; the second in Cleveland, Ohio; and the most recent treasure box was found in Boston, Massachusetts. The remaining nine treasure boxes have not yet been recovered. The Boston treasure box's recovery was filmed for Discovery Channel's television show ''Expedition Unknown'' and aired on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, a recovery which only occurred due to the puzzle being featured in two previous episodes of the series.

Over time, some of the cached casques may have been destroyed, or been built over, as was happening with the Boston casque, which was buried in Langone Park, in Boston’s North End which was undergoing renovation, resulting in the casque being dug up by an excavator. Clues would no longer match in cases where the surrounding area has changed since the book was originally published. Similarly, casques believed to be in New Orleans (which faced mass destruction due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005) and New York City (which has undergone major renovations since the 1980s) have likely become extremely difficult to locate.

== See also ==

The Secret

2026-05-13T19:56:25Z

Peregrine: /* Treasure boxes */

'''The Secret''' refers to both a book published by [[Byron Preiss]] in 1982, and the treasure hunt contained within its pages. Please see [[The Secret (book)|T''he Secret'' (book)]], and [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|The Secret (treasure hunt]]).

The hunt involves a search for twelve treasure boxes, the clues to which were provided in a book written by Preiss in 1982, also called ''The Secret''. These boxes were buried at secret locations in cities across the United States and Canadathat symbolically represent events and peoples that played significant roles in North American history. Anyone who uncovered one of the treasure boxes was entitled to exchange it with Preiss for a precious gem.

Preiss died in a car accident in 2005. His estate assumed the responsibility of honoring the terms of the treasure hunt. As of 2025, only three of the twelve boxes have been found. Preiss kept no record of the treasure boxes' exact locations before his death, leaving it a possibility that the remaining boxes may never be recovered.

== Book ==
Clues for where the treasures were buried are provided in a puzzle book named ''The Secret''produced by Byron Preiss and first published by Bantam in 1982. The book was authored by Sean Kelly and Ted Mann and illustrated by John Jude Palencar, John Pierard, and Overton Loyd; JoEllen Trilling, Ben Asen, and Alex Jay also contributed to the book. A Japanese version was published in 1983, and the English version was re-issued in 2014. The book contains 12 images and 12 verses; an image must be linked to a verse, with the information they contain used to locate a buried "treasure casque".
{| class="wikitable"
|+''The Secret'' book variants
!Year
!ISBN
!Language
!Format
!Publisher
|-
| rowspan="2" |1982
| rowspan="2" |ISBN <bdi>0-553-01408-0</bdi>
| rowspan="2" |English
|Paperback
| rowspan="2" |Bantam
|-
|Hardcover
|-
|1983
|0276-831122-7339
|Japanese
|Paperback
|Futami-shobo
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014
|ISBN <bdi>978-1-59687-444-2</bdi>
| rowspan="2" |English
|Hardcover
| rowspan="2" |ibooks.com
|-
|ISBN <bdi>978-1-59687-401-5</bdi>
|Paperback
|}

== Treasure boxes ==
As of 2024, three of the treasure boxes have been recovered. The first was found in Chicago, Illinois; the second in Cleveland, Ohio; and the most recent treasure box was found in Boston, Massachusetts. The remaining nine treasure boxes have not yet been recovered. The Boston treasure box's recovery was filmed for Discovery Channel's television show ''Expedition Unknown''and aired on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, a recovery which only occurred due to the puzzle being featured in two previous episodes of the series.

Over time, some of the cached casques may have been destroyed, or been built over, as was happening with the Boston casque, which was buried in Langone Park, in Boston’s North End which was undergoing renovation, resulting in the casque being dug up by an excavator. Clues would no longer match in cases where the surrounding area has changed since the book was originally published. Similarly, casques believed to be in New Orleans (which faced mass destruction due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005) and New York City (which has undergone major renovations since the 1980s) have likely become extremely difficult to locate.

== See also ==

The Secret

2026-05-13T19:55:30Z

Peregrine: /* Treasure boxes */

'''The Secret''' refers to both a book published by [[Byron Preiss]] in 1982, and the treasure hunt contained within its pages. Please see [[The Secret (book)|T''he Secret'' (book)]], and [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|The Secret (treasure hunt]]).

The hunt involves a search for twelve treasure boxes, the clues to which were provided in a book written by Preiss in 1982, also called ''The Secret''. These boxes were buried at secret locations in cities across the United States and Canadathat symbolically represent events and peoples that played significant roles in North American history. Anyone who uncovered one of the treasure boxes was entitled to exchange it with Preiss for a precious gem.

Preiss died in a car accident in 2005. His estate assumed the responsibility of honoring the terms of the treasure hunt. As of 2025, only three of the twelve boxes have been found. Preiss kept no record of the treasure boxes' exact locations before his death, leaving it a possibility that the remaining boxes may never be recovered.

== Book ==
Clues for where the treasures were buried are provided in a puzzle book named ''The Secret''produced by Byron Preiss and first published by Bantam in 1982. The book was authored by Sean Kelly and Ted Mann and illustrated by John Jude Palencar, John Pierard, and Overton Loyd; JoEllen Trilling, Ben Asen, and Alex Jay also contributed to the book. A Japanese version was published in 1983, and the English version was re-issued in 2014. The book contains 12 images and 12 verses; an image must be linked to a verse, with the information they contain used to locate a buried "treasure casque".
{| class="wikitable"
|+''The Secret'' book variants
!Year
!ISBN
!Language
!Format
!Publisher
|-
| rowspan="2" |1982
| rowspan="2" |ISBN <bdi>0-553-01408-0</bdi>
| rowspan="2" |English
|Paperback
| rowspan="2" |Bantam
|-
|Hardcover
|-
|1983
|0276-831122-7339
|Japanese
|Paperback
|Futami-shobo
|-
| rowspan="2" |2014
|ISBN <bdi>978-1-59687-444-2</bdi>
| rowspan="2" |English
|Hardcover
| rowspan="2" |ibooks.com
|-
|ISBN <bdi>978-1-59687-401-5</bdi>
|Paperback
|}

== Treasure boxes ==
As of 2024, three of the treasure boxes have been recovered. The first was found in Chicago, Illinois; the second in Cleveland, Ohio; and the most recent treasure box was found in Boston, Massachusetts. The remaining nine treasure boxes have not yet been recovered. The Boston treasure box's recovery was filmed for Discovery Channel's television show ''Expedition Unknown''and aired on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, a recovery which only occurred due to the puzzle being featured in two previous episodes of the series.

Over time, some of the cached casques may have been destroyed, or been built over, as was happening with the Boston casque, which was buried in Langone Park, in Boston’s North End which was undergoing renovation, resulting in the casque being dug up by an excavator. Clues would no longer match in cases where the surrounding area has changed since the book was originally published. Similarly, boxes in like New Orleans (which faced mass destruction due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005) and New York City (which has undergone major renovations since the 1980s) have become extremely difficult to track.)

== See also ==

Charleston

2026-05-12T00:12:46Z

Peregrine:

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of [[Paintings|Painting 2]] and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{|
|'''Verse 06'''
Of all the romance retold

Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
|[[File:Painting 02.jpg|thumb|Painting 2|left]]
|}

Charleston

2026-05-12T00:12:15Z

Peregrine:

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of [[Paintings|Painting 2]] and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Verse 06'''
Of all the romance retold

Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
|[[File:Painting 02.jpg|thumb|Painting 2|left]]
|}

Charleston

2026-05-12T00:11:07Z

Peregrine:

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of [[Paintings|Painting 2]] and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Verse 06'''
Of all the romance retold

Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
|[[File:Painting 02.jpg|thumb|Painting 2]]
!
!
|}

Charleston

2026-05-12T00:10:18Z

Peregrine:

Charleston

2026-05-11T23:43:07Z

Peregrine: /* Generally accepted pairing */

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of Painting 2 and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{|
|'''Verse 06'''
Of all the romance retold

Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
![[File:Painting 02.jpg|thumb|Painting 2]]
!
!
|}

Charleston

2026-05-11T23:41:40Z

Peregrine: /* Generally accepted pairing */

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of Painting 2 and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{|
|'''Verse 06'''
Of all the romance retold
Men of tales and tunes
Cruel and bold
Seen here
By eyes of old
Stand and listen to the birds
Hear the cool, clear song of water
Harken to the words:
Freedom at the birth of a century
Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
![[File:Painting 02.jpg|thumb|Painting 2]]
!
!
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|}

==== Verse 06 ====

Charleston

2026-05-11T23:40:38Z

Peregrine:

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of Painting 2 and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{|
|'''Verse 06'''
Of all the romance retold
Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
![[File:Painting 02.jpg|thumb|Painting 2]]
!
!
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|}

==== Verse 06 ====

Charleston

2026-05-11T23:37:53Z

Peregrine:

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of Painting 2 and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{|
|Of all the romance retold
Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
![[File:Painting 02.jpg|thumb|Painting 2]]
!
!
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|}

==== Verse 06 ====

Charleston

2026-05-11T23:37:29Z

Peregrine:

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of Image 2 and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{|
|Of all the romance retold
Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
![[File:Painting 02.jpg|thumb|Painting 2]]
!
!
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|}

==== Verse 06 ====

Charleston

2026-05-11T23:36:02Z

Peregrine:

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of Image 2 and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.
{|
|Of all the romance retold
Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.
!
!
!
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|}

==== Verse 06 ====

Charleston

2026-05-11T23:33:31Z

Peregrine:

'''Charleston''', South Carolina, is one of the twelve [[Generally Accepted Cities|generally accepted cities]], in which a [[casque]] is generally believed to have been buried.

=== Generally accepted pairing ===
Current community consensus associates the pairing of Image 2 and [[Verse 6]] with Charleston.

==== Verse 06 ====
Of all the romance retold

Men of tales and tunes

Cruel and bold

Seen here

By eyes of old

Stand and listen to the birds

Hear the cool, clear song of water

Harken to the words:

Freedom at the birth of a century

Or May 1913

Edwin and Edwina named after him

Or on the eighth a scene

Where law defended

Between two arms extended

Below the bar that binds

Beside the long palm’s shadow

Embedded in the sand

Waits the Fair remuneration

White house close at hand.

Charleston

2026-05-11T23:30:52Z

Peregrine:

Main Page

2026-05-11T23:15:59Z

Peregrine: /* Featured recent additions */

= <strong>Welcome to The Secret Wiki</strong> =
[[File:The Secret treasure book cover.jpg|thumb|Cover of the original 1982 edition of [[The Secret]].]]
Welcome to a depository of information relevant to [[The Secret]], a [[The Secret (book)|book]] published in 1982 by [[Byron Preiss]], and the [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|treasure hunt]] contained within. Although participation may broaden in the future, at present our contributors comprise a limited group. Registered contributors can [[Special:UserLogin|click here]] to login.

''The Secret'' presents puzzles consisting of [[verses]] and [[paintings]]. There are twelve of each, leading to twelve [[Generally Accepted Pairings|pairings]] corresponding to [[cities]] in North America. If solved, the puzzles lead the searcher to dig at a physical spot, where a unique [[casque]] can be found, each containing a [[key]] which can be redeemed for a precious [[Jewels|jewel]]. Of the twelve casques, three have currently been [[Found Casques|located]]. There are also [[additional treasure hunts]], inspired by and in tribute to The Secret.

''The Secret'' was meant to be a source of enjoyment for everyone. Please approach this wiki in the same spirit.

=== Featured recent additions ===

* [[Acronyms]]
* [[Gift Giver]]
* [[Leg Eater]]
* [[Litany of the Jewels]]
* [[Preliminary Sketches]]
* [[The Owl and the Horse]]
* [[The Passage to the New World]]

Acronyms

2026-05-11T23:15:08Z

Peregrine:

Members of [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|The Secret]] treasure hunting community frequently use acronyms in their communications. Here is a guide to several of the most frequently-encountered ones.

'''BOTB''': ''[[Back of the Book]]''. Refers to the section of ''[[The Secret (book)|The Secret]]'' that follows the centrally-placed illustrations. See also FOTB.

'''BOTG''': ''Boots on the Ground.'' This refers to making a physical inspection of a site believed to be the possible location of a buried casque.

'''BP''': ''[[Byron Preiss]]'', creator of the treasure hunt.

'''FOTB''': ''[[Front of the Book]]''. Refers to the section of ''The Secret'' that precedes the centrally-placed illustrations. See also BOTB.

'''GAC''': ''[[Generally Accepted Cities]]''. Refers to the general community consensus on the cities in which the undiscovered casques were buried.

'''GAP''': ''[[Generally Accepted Pairings]]''. Refers to the general community consensus on the pairings of verses and paintings which can lead to the undiscovered casques.

'''JJP:''' ''[[John Jude Palencar]]'', the chief illustrator of ''The Secret'' and painter of the twelve central illustrations.

Acronyms

2026-05-11T23:13:42Z

Peregrine:

Members of [[The Secret (treasure hunt)|The Secret]] treasure hunting community frequently use acronyms in their communications. Here is a guide to several of the most frequently-encountered ones.

'''BOTB''': ''Back of the Book''. Refers to the section of The Secret that follows the centrally-placed illustrations. See also FOTB.

'''BOTG''': ''Boots on the Ground.'' This refers to making a physical inspection of a site believed to be the possible location of a buried casque.

'''BP''': ''[[Byron Preiss]]'', creator of the treasure hunt.

'''FOTB''': ''Front of the Book''. Refers to the section of The Secret that precedes the centrally-placed illustrations. See also BOTB.

'''GAC''': ''[[Generally Accepted Cities]]''. Refers to the general community consensus on the cities in which the undiscovered casques were buried.

'''GAP''': ''[[Generally Accepted Pairings]]''. Refers to the general community consensus on the pairings of verses and paintings which can lead to the undiscovered casques.

'''JJP:''' ''[[John Jude Palencar]]'', the chief illustrator of The Secret and the painter of the twelve central illustrations.

Acronyms

2026-05-11T23:12:42Z

Peregrine:

Members of The Secret treasure hunting community frequently use acronyms in their communications. Here is a guide to several of the most frequently-encountered ones.

'''BOTB''': ''Back of the Book''. Refers to the section of The Secret that follows the centrally-placed illustrations. See also FOTB.

'''BOTG''': ''Boots on the Ground.'' This refers to making a physical inspection of a site believed to be the possible location of a buried casque.

'''BP''': ''[[Byron Preiss]]'', creator of the treasure hunt.

'''FOTB''': ''Front of the Book''. Refers to the section of The Secret that precedes the centrally-placed illustrations. See also BOTB.

'''GAC''': ''[[Generally Accepted Cities]]''. Refers to the general community consensus on the cities in which the undiscovered casques were buried.

'''GAP''': ''[[Generally Accepted Pairings]]''. Refers to the general community consensus on the pairings of verses and paintings which can lead to the undiscovered casques.

'''JJP:''' ''[[John Jude Palencar]]'', the chief illustrator of The Secret and the painter of the twelve central illustrations.

Acronyms

2026-05-11T23:07:43Z

Peregrine:

Members of The Secret treasure hunting community frequently use acronyms in their communications. Here is a guide to several of the most frequently-encountered ones.

'''BOTB''': ''Back of the Book''. Refers to the section of The Secret that follows the centrally-placed illustrations. See also FOTB.

'''BOTG''': Boots on the Ground. This refers to making a physical inspection of a site believed to be the possible location of a buried casque.

'''BP''': ''[[Byron Preiss]]'', creator of the treasure hunt.

'''FOTB''': Front of the Book. Refers to the section of The Secret that precedes the centrally-placed illustrations. See also BOTB.

GAC: Generally Accepted Cities.

GAP: Generally Accepted Pairings.

'''JJP:''' ''[[John Jude Palencar]]'', the chief illustrator of The Secret and the painter of the twelve central illustrations.

Acronyms

2026-05-11T21:54:17Z

Peregrine:

Acronyms

2026-05-11T21:50:54Z

Peregrine:

Acronyms

2026-05-11T21:50:09Z

Peregrine: Created page with "Members of The Secret treasure hunting community frequently use acronyms in their communications. Here is a guide to several of the most frequently-encountered ones. BOTB Back of the Book. Refers to the section of The Secret that follows the centrally-placed illustrations. See also FOTB. BOTG Boots on the Ground. BP Byron Preiss, creator of the treasure hunt. FOTB Front of the Book. Refers to the section of The Secret that precedes the centrally-placed illustrations...."

Members of The Secret treasure hunting community frequently use acronyms in their communications. Here is a guide to several of the most frequently-encountered ones.

BOTB
Back of the Book. Refers to the section of The Secret that follows the centrally-placed illustrations. See also FOTB.

BOTG
Boots on the Ground.

BP
Byron Preiss, creator of the treasure hunt.

FOTB
Front of the Book. Refers to the section of The Secret that precedes the centrally-placed illustrations.

JJP
John Jude Palencar, the chief illustrator of The Secret and the painter of the twelve central illustrations.

Generally Accepted Pairings

2026-05-11T21:31:21Z

Peregrine:

A '''''pairing''''' is a logical matching of one of the twelve full-color [[paintings]] in ''The Secret'' with one of the twelve cryptic [[verses]]. As the [[The Secret (book)|book]] itself instructs (p. 7-8), “The key to each requires the proper combination of one treasure painting with one treasure verse. You need only decipher the clues in any pair to learn the location of a treasure [[casque]].”

The following constitute generally accepted pairings (GAP) of images and verses. While the ones that resulted in found casques are by definition correct, it should be noted that the remainder are current reflections of broad consensus, not settled fact.

{| class="wikitable"
!Image No.
!Verse No.
!Verse opening
!Status
!Location (generally accepted)

|-
|1
|7
|''At stone wall's door''
|Unsolved
|San Francisco, California
|
|-
|2
|6
|''Of all the romance retold''
|Unsolved
|Charleston, South Carolina
|
|-
|3
|11
|''Pass two friends of octave''
|Unsolved
|Roanoke Island, North Carolina
|
|-
|4
|4
|''Beneath two countries''
|Solved (2004)
|Greek Garden, Cleveland, Ohio
|
|-
|5
|12
|''Where M and B are set in stone''
|Solved (1983)
|Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois
|
|-
|6
|9
|''The first chapter''
|Unsolved
|St. Augustine, Florida
|
|-
|8
|1
|''Fortress north''
|Unsolved
|Houston, Texas
|
|-
|10
|8
|''View the three stories of Mitchell''
|Unsolved
|Milwaukee, Wisconsin
|
|-
|9
|5
|''Lane''
|Unsolved
|Montreal, Quebec, Canada
|
|-
|7
|2
|''At the place where jewels abound''
|Unsolved
|New Orleans, Louisiana
|
|-
|11
|3
|''If Thucydides is North of Xenophon''
|Solved (2019)
|Puopolo Field, Boston, Massachusetts
|
|-
|12
|10
|''In the shadow Of the grey giant''
|Unsolved
|New York City, New York
|
|}