1946 Class Ring.This ring is the typical style for a class ring from the forties.
People lose things. That's obvious. I'd be surprised if you haven't lost something of sentimental value. Most people do at one time or another. And it can be heart-breaking. It is especially nice to celebrate with people when the lost is found.
Someone lost this class ring. It was found along a wooded path in West Virginia. The path was at one time an Indian and wagon trail. It is the path that my wife's mother used when she walked to school back in the 1940s. It was probably lost decades ago, but you can't be sure of that. Anyhow, attempts to locate the owner have failed and the owner may well have passed on.
If this had been found on Florida State lands, since it is well over 50 years old, it would be classified as an artifact, and you would not be allowed to pick it up if you found it. (If I'm wrong about the technical reading of the law, let me know. The Florida Public Archaeology Network [FPAN] that I mentioned the other day admits that the detecting laws are confusing.)
Interesting! I guess I could take the person who lost the ring to see where it was so she or he could see its final resting place. Maybe some archaeologist would excavated it and the state would claim it. Maybe they would write academic articles about its historic and archaeological significance. Of course I'm kidding, but to make a point.
While I'm all for protecting history for the people, not from the people, this is way too far-reaching. I'm sure many of you own items that are old enough that technically if they were dropped on state property and picked up again, you could have your car confiscated. Don't you think that is a little ridiculous.
I know that Representative Hays says that the new bill applies only to excavations, and that is true if you exclude the other things that it applies to.
Did you notice that you can use a detector in state waters but you are not allowed to "disturb' the bottom (dig)? Isn't that funny. Its like saying you can have all the food you want as long as you don't eat any of it.
Enough of that topic for today. Although I could go on about it forever, this is not the primary forum for discussion of Florida SB 868.
I received the following via email and am posting it with the hope that the lost ring might be returned to the owner.
We found a ring at Fisherman`s Village in Punta Gorda Florida shortly after Christmas this year (late Dec.2011 or early Jan 2012). I ran a found ad in the paper but no one has had the correct identifying information. The next time I was in PG was last week. I went to the police dept. and then it occur ed to me that Fisherman`s Village might have a security office. I went to the main office and told them about the ring. The woman told me a family had come in and reported losing the ring. They were just passing through and continued to call the office several times after they returned home as the ring evidently had great sentimental value. However, she (the woman in the office) had not kept the contact information of the family that lost the ring and they have not called back in a while.
If you lost the ring, describe the ring and any identifying marks along with contact information and I will send your email to the finder.
On a very positive note, one politician saw the light. A few months ago, in the summer of 2011, Mayor Mike Harris of Carthage Missouri,said “exaggerated and erroneous information” led the council to give preliminary approval to an ordinance controlling metal detecting in city parks.
At Harris’ request, the Carthage City Council tabled indefinitely final consideration of the ordinance that would have required anyone wanting to use a metal detector in a city park to sign a request sheet and turn any artifact that was older than 100 years over to the city.
Here is the link to that article.
http://www.carthagepress.com/news/x1837733881/Council-nixes-archeology-ordinance
(Thanks to James F. for this link.)
Maybe something like that can happen in Florida if our law makers will sit back and deliberate long enough to separate fact from fancy. I know that can be difficult and I know they are getting an earful of erroneous information.
Back to lost rings.
Jostens provides a list of found class rings on their site.
Here is the link.
http://www.jostens.com/rings/class_rings_cp_found_rings.html
The rings in the their reported lost database go back to the thirties. Again, now a protected artifact if found in Florida.
Class rings are can be pretty heavy. I've seen some well over an ounce.
There are other online databases for reporting lost rings and locating found rings.
They need to be combines somehow though.
Treasure Coast Beach Detecting Conditions and Forecast.
The wind is now from the south and the seas running around three feet. Detecting conditions are not good on the Treasure Coast.
Unfortunately, the predictions are not as good as they were a day ago. Yesterday the surf web sites were predicting 7.5 seas for the Fort Pierce area next week. That has now been reduced to more like five or six foot seas.
I doubt that will be enough to significantly improve detecting conditions.
Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net
