If you've never thought it worth your time or energy to trudge around St. Paul through the cold and snow looking for the Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt medallion, perhaps this will increase your incentive:

The person who unearths the elusive treasure this year could walk away with up to 10 grand in cold, hard cash.

The treasure has been an annual event sponsored by the Pioneer Press since 1952. In recent years, winners have received prize money totaling $3,000 for finding the medallion, plus an extra $1,000 from the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation, if they have a registered Winter Carnival button. The foundation stages the annual St. Paul Winter Carnival.

For this year's hunt only, in honor of the paper's 150th anniversary, the Pioneer Press is upping the ante by more than doubling the payoff. That means $5,000 will go to the finder of the medallion, plus another $5,000 if he or she also is the registered owner of a 1999 Winter Carnival button.

"We're providing the full $10,000, but we want to help the Winter Carnival with their button sales," says Marti Buscaglia, Pioneer Press vice president of market development. "It really is a great way for us to kick off our 150th celebration, because it really is important, and we want it to be as important for our readers as it is for us."

With an extra 6,000 reasons for folks to join the hunt, organizers know that some in the hunt may be tempted to be a bit, well, overzealous. So, they are making a special effort to forewarn treasure seekers:

Do not destroy property. Those who do risk forfeiting the prize.

"We really want to stress that people not destroy property," Buscaglia says. "With this added incentive, there's going to be a lot more enthusiasm, but it's really important that we maintain the city in good shape."

Clues began appearing in the Pioneer Press on Sunday and there will be a new one each day until the medallion is found, to a maximum of 12 clues. For up-to-the-minute status of the medallion search and to learn the moment a confirmed winner has been named, treasure-hunters can call (651) 228-5464. Clues also will be posted daily on PioneerPlanet at 11:30 p.m. at www.pioneerplanet.com/wintercarnival/ along with stories of past treasure hunts and other pertinent information.

Copyright 1999 Pioneer Press.