Sunday, December 5, 2010

12/5 Report - Mourning Ring and 1877 Indian Head



Silver Possible Mourning Ring Found On a Treasure Coast Shipwreck Beach.

I think this might be a mourning ring. Mourning rings often held a hair or something and were worn in memory of a deceased loved one. They were especially popular in Great Britain in the 17th through 19th centuries. Often there was an enameled skull somewhere on the ring.

The ring shown in the photo above is silver and seems to have glass over some other type of hard surface. Whatever was held under the glass has evidently deteriorated or disappeared. Sometimes there were miniature portraits under the glass.

It is one of those things that I don't know very much about. I've never personally seen a good similar example to go by.

Below is a photo of a mourning ring containing a woven hair pattern. Of course it has never been exposed to salt water and is in very good condition.

I just don't know about the above example - if it really is a mourning ring or not, and I don't know if it came from a wreck or not. I suspect not.

As always, if you have any thoughts on this I'd like to hear them.


Good Example of a Mourning Ring.

Have you ever heard of a coin that is worth more as a MS-65 than a Proof 65 coin. There is one. It is the 1877 Indian Head Cent. And in MS-65 conditions, worth about $13,000.

Check out your Indian Head finds.

If you'd like to know more about the 1877 and why it is so valuable, check out this link.

http://numismaticnews.net/article/1877_cent_seen_as_one_to_hold_on_to/

A few days ago I gave a link to a site that discussed some of the military training that took place on Hutchinson Island during WW II.

You can still see many signs of that activity. For one thing you'll see concrete foundations where watch towers or other structures once stood. There is one such foundation just north of John Brooks Park just south of the condos.

A variety of junk can be seen to litter the area there. Some of it has been picked up or covered up in recent years.

There is also a concrete foundation on the beach south of the condos I'd say a couple hundred yard or more that has been uncovered on a couple of occasions. People with PI detectors often mention that there detector goes crazy up there. It is because of the buried foundation and rebar.

You can see another concrete foundation about a hundred yards north of the Blind Creek access at the back of the beach. And there are a few others that I can think of.

That is to mention just a few.


There is one of the Treasure Coast shipwreck treasure beach maps now listed on ebay that has a bid and will conclude on Monday. One day remaining.


Not much has changed on the beaches the past few days and I don't have much new to say about that today. I'd still be checking out the low tide areas. Also you might want to hunt out some of those WWII sites. I showed a nice found canteen a few days ago.

I know I keep saying this but shipwreck cob hunting has to improve someday before long.

Until then watch for the non-metallic items and other artifacts.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net