8/31/14 Report - More On The 1715 Fleet Reliquary Pendant Found By The Booty. More On The Cob Tests. Brevard Beaches Improving.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Photos of Reliquaries 

Submitted by L. Strolia

The most read post of July was the 7/31/14 post.  I've been going back to see which posts were the most popular, or to be more exact, the most read posts.

It is not surprising that the 7/31/14 post was the most read post of July.  That is the post that reported on the amazing find made by the crew of the Booty on the Treasure Coast.

I incorrectly referred to that find as a gold pyx.  Laura Strolia, author and researcher has since told us why it is a reliquary pendant rather than a pyx.  I posted on report by author Strolia a few weeks ago, but she was kind enough to provide additional explanation, which you'll find immediately below.

More on the 1715 Fleet Triptych Reliquary Pendant

Here are some more thoughts regarding the TRIPTYCH RELIQUARY PENDANT of the 1715 fleet.

First off, I would like to better explain why this artifact is not a pyx.  A small container called a pyx was used by a priest to transport the consecrated Sacred Host to a sick or dying person.  It was crucial that nothing could penetrate into the body of this vessel and allow absorption.  The material used for a pyx would never have small or narrow spaces, such as we see in filigree work, because there would be a danger the Host would become corrupted.

Upon leaving a church, the priest placed the pyx in a purse or pouch, called a burse, which was hung around his neck by a cord. Even the burse, usually made of leather, cotton, or wool, was not enough to protect a receptacle of filigree metal since all these materials were permeable to water and air.

Another point to consider is the size of the circular opening that would encase a consecrated Host if it was a pyx.  The circle on the 1715 artifact reflects an opening that is too small based on diameters of the average vessel or ciborium of that time period. Additionally a pyx always had a closed lid, and the interior of it was made of precious metal which consisted of solid elements. This was necessary in preserving the sacredness of the Eucharist.  After the sick received Holy Communion, the pyx was then purified by the priest.

Why do Catholics exert such effort to protect and keep a Blessed Host safe?  One of my favorite stories about a Eucharistic miracle (http://fatherfladerblog.com/2013/06/07/pope-francis-and-a-eucharistic-miracle/) can hopefully answer this question. Catholics believe Jesus is alive and has a real presence in a Sacred Host.

The Reliquary Pendant found at Douglass Beach is also called a triptych, a term meaning that a work of art is made up of three hinged panels that can be opened for display, or folded shut when desired.  The circular opening on the 1715 reliquary would have held a holy remain behind a piece of rock crystal.  A fabric-covered paste board would have been stitched to the back of it.

It is intriguing to wonder about the final destination of this 1715 reliquary if the hurricane never happened.  Perhaps it was meant to hang in a private chapel of a wealthy household, or near the bedside of a clergy member?  We will never know the answer. But in this modern day of age, we are so fortunate to be able to view an artifact, such as this one, that holds such beauty and significance. – Laura Strolia

The reliquaries shown above are housed at St. Anthony’s Chapel in Pittsburgh (http://www.saintanthonyschapel.org/)

Thanks Laura!

You can see how the reliquaries shown above are similar to the item found by the crew of the Booty.


I've received a few thoughts from readers concerning the reason for some smaller cobs producing better signals than some larger cobs.  One thought is that it is due to the composition of the metal and another is that it is due to the shape of the object, with more round objects being thought to produce better signals.  I look into that subject more in the future.


The past two days I posted information about tests that I did on some cobs using the Ace 250 and Excalibur detectors.  I used the same cobs for the same tests using the Dual Surf PI, which, as you may know is reputed to be a very deep seeking detector.  I might give more detail on that some other time, but here I'll just say that the PI had difficulties simply detecting the cobs under the circumstances.  The ambient interference made the PI very erratic, and it barely could detect any of the cobs.  It did, but not very well.  I varied the gain, loudness, and delay and still could not do nearly as well with the PI as with the other two detectors.  I am sure the PI would do better on the beach.

That again shows how one detector can be best in one situation while another would be best in another situation.  It also shows why you need to know your detector.


Concerning local beach conditions Dan W. wrote and said that the Brevard beaches have been producing older coins for the first time since the beaches were renourished.

I think they got a little bigger surf up that way, but it could be more a matter of angles.

Thanks for the report Dan!

Today and tomorrow the Treasure Coast will have a one to two foot surf.  There are no storms or anything right now.

That is all for today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net