Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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| Pewter Shipwreck Plates. Source: ibtimes link below. |
Pewter is an attractive metal which has been used for the production of household and other items in Britain since Roman times. It is an alloy consisting mostly of tin which has been mixed with small amounts of other metals such as copper, lead or antimony to harden it and make it more durable...
During the 17th and 18th centuries pewter would have been found in every household. Jugs, plates, buttons, pilgrim badges, tankards, wine cups, inkwells, candlesticks and spoons are just some of the many items for which it was used.
That is from the link immediately below.
The Pewter Society gives the following tip for cleaning encrusted pewter.
Whilst hydrochloric acid is commonly used to remove calcareous encrustation from objects recovered from the seabed, it should not be used on pewter objects. This is because of the destructive action of chlorides on tin, which can continue despite best efforts to rinse the acid away after treatment. You should instead use dilute nitric acid (a 5 – 10% solution). This will remove the encrustation safely. It usually has no effect at all on the underlying patination, but at very worst it will simply put a thin oxide layer on the surface.
One wreck that was carrying a lot of pewter is the Punta Cana wreck, which was found off the Dominican Republic. Over 1200 pieces of pewter tableware were salvaged from that wreck.
Findings show the wreck was a Spanish ship that was lost in the 1540s near the end of its journey from Seville to the colonies. It is one of the earliest European wrecks discovered in the Americas.
Many of the pewter plates bore the same mark found on items discovered in the wreck of Henry VIII's warship the Mary Rose, which sunk in the Solent in 1545. Around a third of the pewter has the mark of Sir Thomas Curtis, one of the most important pewter makers from the 16th century.
Here is that source link.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/punta-cana-pewter-wreck-dominican-republic-shipwreck-519437
You might find the story about that wreck interesting. Although it was a Spanish ship, much of the pewter on it was from an English maker.
There are, of course, huge differences between what you might expect to find on a ship coming to the New World as opposed to one taking treasure back to Spain.
As with most artifacts, proper care and storage is required in order to maintain the item in the best condition possible.
Antiques Magazine had the following to say.
Apparently, then, pewter disease (tin pest, it is sometimes called) is born of the unholy wedlock of cold and moisture, each of which by itself is fairy innocuous. The first principle of conservation, therefore, is: keep pewter both warm and dry; but at any rate, do not allow it to become simultaneously cold and damp.
Here is that link.
http://www.themagazineantiques.com/news-opinion/from-the-archives/2013-03-11/care-of-pewter/
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The current Sedwick Coins auction goes live from the floor on May 18th and concludes on the 19th.
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Maybe I've talked about this before, but it appears to me that some of the biggest obstacles to success are internal. Take a look at Hilary and Donald. Both are very successful and both are very driven - perhaps too much. Although they might both think that they are uniquely intelligent and able, there are probably many people who are just as capable but not nearly as successful. Some would say that those two people are uniquely gifted or had opportunities or situations that most other people have not had. They might say that Donald inherited millions or that Hilary rode into the White House on her husbands coat tales, and that would seem to me to be at least partly right, but what I am more focused on is the personal qualities that has permitted their success.
Both are very driven. You might say obsessed. And while you might wonder if that is healthy, it is a big factor in where they are. People with similar levels of wealth or opportunity have not done nearly as much.
I'm not talking politics today. I'm talking about success or the lack of success, and that applies to everybody and everything you might want to do, even metal detecting.
Do you detect just to pass some time? Is it just a hobby for you? How badly do you want to succeed? What do you want to accomplish? Why?
There is no right answer, but I think those are all important questions. Your answer will have an effect on how much you find.
Those who find the most generally hunt the most. Yes, there is the element of luck to some extent. You might be one of those rare people who finds a gold coin on your first hunt - as unlikely as that is. Or you might stumble on the world's largest treasure while walking your dog.
Those kinds of things do happen, but the odds are very long against it. Generally speaking, those who find the most, hunt the most and work the hardest. They have the drive, and when they encounter obstacles they overcome them one way or another. They are willing to pay the price. They might work smarter than someone else, but they also work harder.
Don't expect big success to come easy. If you want it enough, there is a better chance that you will achieve it.
I'm not saying you should want it. For me there are other things in life that are much more important. Each and every person has to determine what is important to them. I think you'll benefit from being clear about your goals and what you want to accomplish with your life. Wishing won't make it true. If you really want it, you should be willing to work for it. Your drive and effort should match your goals and priorities.
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The surf will be a little rougher today, but not much. It will decrease back to about one foot the next couple of days, and we'll have mostly a south wind.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
