In 1937, a man named Milton Ernest “Doc” Noss stumbled upon a cave in a small mountain called Victorio Peak in New Mexico’s Hembrillo Basin, unveiling a trove of treasures said to have been worth over $3 billion. From chests of coins and jewels to 16,000 gold bars and historical artifacts, the cavern held a captivating fortune.
Doc and his wife, Ova “Babe” Noss, devoted themselves to exploring the cavern, extracting gold bars, a crown adorned with diamonds and a pigeon blood ruby, and ancient documents dating back to 1797. However, a fateful decision in 1939, involving dynamite to expand the cave, led to its collapse, sealing Doc’s only known entrance.
Despite efforts to recover the treasure, the story took a tragic turn. Doc’s life spiraled into paranoia, business betrayals, and a fatal gunshot in 1949. Ova, undeterred, continued her pursuit, only to face challenges when the government extended the White Sands Missile Range in 1955.
In 1958, four airmen claimed to discover gold bars in Victorio Peak but were thwarted from retrieving them. Speculations arose, with some believing the Army removed the treasure. The legend endured, prompting searches and even surfacing in the Watergate hearings in 1973.
After reading the testimonies of Ova Noss, the four US airmen and others, the amount of gold bars claimed to have been found along with jewels and other items, I seriously doubt it was the work of to Chief Victorio‘s efforts against wagon trains of average settlers. The alleged connection to the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) seems very doubtful as items said to have been found, predate the groups existence.
A mysterious letter
Doc Noss is said to have reburied in a Wells Fargo chest. The letter was dated 1797, with a translation from a text by Pope Pius III. That date precedes the formation of the Knights of the Golden circle, throwing doubt on some claims that the treasure could be attributed to that group.
The translation from Pope Pius III, who held the papacy for an extremely brief period from September 22, 1503 until October 18, 1503, states the following: “Seven is the Holy number,” the passage begins. It then continues for several lines before ending with a cryptic message. “In seven languages, seven signs, and languages in seven foreign nations, look for the Seven Cities of Gold. Seventy miles north of El Paso del Norte in the seventh peak, Soledad, these cities have seven
sealed doors, three sealed toward the rising of the Sol sun, three sealed toward the setting of the Sol sun, one deep within Casa del Cueva de Oro, at high noon. Receive health, wealth, and honor.” Soledad is said to have been the former name of the peak known as Victorio Peak, and
Casa del Cueva de Oro is Spanish for house of the golden cave. If that is true, then it sounds as if Doc Noss could have possibly stumbled upon at least part of the treasures of Cibola.
The allure of Victorio Peak’s treasure, woven into historical events like the Watergate hearings, fuels ongoing speculation. Former New Mexico Attorney General David Norvell aptly captures the mystery: “There’s too much evidence to discount completely the possibility that there’s something still in there.”
A pivotal figure in this enigma is Estebanico; also known as Esteban de Dorantes and Estevanico the Moor, a Muslim from Morocco, was the first known person from Africa to explore North America. Researching the legend of Cibola, the Seven Cities of Gold, it is claimed that the legend began with Estebanico. In the 16th century, Estebanico provided tales of wealthy cities to Spanish explorers during the Narváez Expedition. His intelligence and multilingual abilities added great credibility to his accounts.
Estebanico’s relationship with Friar di Niza, as documented in di Niza’s diary, reflects his acquisition of great wealth, including turquoise, during the expedition. Estebanico’s reports of seven great cities to the north, known as Cibola, intrigued explorers, marking the beginning of the legend.
The Narváez expedition challenges the timeline presented by those who attribute the treasures to Chief Victorio and/or the Knights of the Golden Circle. The apparent contradiction raises intriguing questions about the origins of the treasures.
As the quest for answers continues, the saga of Victorio Peak, entwined with Estebanico’s legacy, stands as a captivating chapter in the search for the ‘Seven Cities of Gold,’ where history and mystery converge.
As the quest for answers continues, the saga of Victorio Peak remains an enthralling chapter in the search for the ‘Seven Cities of Gold.’ You can read more about this and other treasures in my first book, ‘Jesse James and the Lost Templar Treasure‘, available anywhere books are sold.
Official website of author Daniel J. Duke 
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