2/27/19 Report - Various Finds for Identification. A Very Valuable Penny. Consignment Deadline.

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

Two Pictures of the Top and Two Pictures of the Bottom of the Same Item.
Find and photo by Dale J.

Dale J. found the above item snd sent the following message.

Hi, found this some time ago. It appears to have a turned or machined end with a thin curl of metal that may have been part of a small cup. Your picture of a nested weight a while back made me think it is similar. A visit to McLarty showed another sample. That picture is included (below) but I cannot see the bottom clearly. One side is stamped LMX.

Anyway, for general interest, I am submitting these items in case you have any ideas... 

I found the following information on nested weights.

The copper-masters or "rotschmiedmeisters," who made nested weights began to stamp a unique "makers mark" upon their wares. Weight adjustments from various cities, whose jobs were to verify and adjust weights to local standards, also left distinctive marks upon the sets they examined. It is thought the use of these impressions identify both the manufacturer, and the place of use where a given set might be found.

And L.M. is found on some weights, though not specifically these type.

L.M.
These initials are seen on iron block weights. Both rectangular and oval shapes are known.

Let me know if you have any ideas or can find out anything about the markings.

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Dan B. also would like some help identifying a couple of finds.  These ones are land finds.

Here is what he said.

I have been researching a few items that I found in my local RR town today. I am coming up short my wording for the lead item (about the size of a quarter), and the "clip" with a distinctive reverse side but no markings. Any help with specifics would be appreciated. db

Quarter Size Lead Object
Find and Photo by Dan B.

Another Mystery Item by Dan B.

My guess is that the second one is an ornate tip for a strap - not heavy duty, but something more fashionable, maybe for something like a garment or purse.

What do you think?

I don't have any ideas for the first one.  If it wasn't lead, I'd think a large button.  Don't know what if anything is on the back.

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All 1943 cents were supposed to have been struck in zinc-coated steel so that copper could be conserved for more important uses during World War II. Nevertheless, a few were mistakenly struck in copper (its composition is technically bronze) and found their way into circulation.

... Still, only about 20 Philadelphia examples are known to exist...

The 1943 Copper Cent recently certified by NGC was found in a gumball machine in Philadelphia in 1976. It was then sold to a collector for the then-significant sum of $1,000.

The buyer passed down the coin to his children, who decided to submit it to NGC for certification after seeing that another NGC-certified 1943 Copper Cent — the Don Lutes, Jr. Discovery Specimen — had sold for $204,000 at auction in January. That specimen is named for the teenager who discovered the first 1943 Copper Cent in 1947 in his change.

Here is that link.

http://www.coinnews.net/2019/02/25/ngc-certifies-rare-1943-copper-cent-found-in-gumball-machine/

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From Sedwick Coins -

Now is the LAST CHANCE to contact us for consigning to our Treasure, World, U.S. Coin & Paper Money "Silver Anniversary" 25th Auction, which is already shaping up to be another great sale. The consignment deadline is March 1, 2019. 

Contact:

Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC

P.O. Box 1964 | Winter Park, Florida 32790, USA
Phone: 407.975.3325 | Fax: 407.975.3327
www.SedwickCoins.com | Office@SedwickCoins.com

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The surf is smaller and will be small for several days.  The tides are now small too.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/12/19 Report - Penny Not Worth Million Dollars. Ages and Stages of Detecting. Worked-Out Sites May Not Be So Worked Out.

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

Rare 1943 Copper Penny.

I posted an article about this penny a couple days ago.  The article claimed that it would be worth over a million dollars.  Well, it sold for $204,000.   I started to say for "only $204,000," but it is hard to say "only" when referring to a dollar amount having six figures.  That is still a very nice amount for a coin find.

Here is the link.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/01/10/rare-penny-found-high-school-cafeteria-pittsfield-expected-sell-for-big/PLOWHy26nSDVPDyi5BNVKI/story.html

I received the following email from Joe D. in response to yesterday's post about profitable metal detecting.

Hello,

I was out for the first hunt of the new year this morning! I found a few decent items and some coins! A homemade copper wire and stone necklace,  and a St. Christopher's necklace! Neither of much value, but gave me some more info on this particular beach!  Because the medal looked new, i did a brief search online and found a line of "retro" medals that matched! Like anyone that's detected for awhile, I've run across religious medals before, but found it interesting that they are still popular with the youth of today! Albeit more colorful versions and inexpensive, which kids can afford!

     

I just wanted to comment on todays  [ 1/11/19 ] post! 

As you said, everyone has different motivations for why they detect! I started the hobby at a relatively young age of 15!( late 70's) I did it for a few years, and did ok with my search locations within biking distance for the most part! I did better with silver coins back then, than i do now!! ...

A Bounty Hunter 880 and old school yards and houses! More to find back than i guess! After that i guess a car, and girls took over my free time!!

    
I still have the silver! I've never sold anything I've found then, and now! Only given away the good jewelry to family members!

The most important reason to me for detecting, i think, is the "thrill of the chase"! And while that is still there to a large extent!  Since i started detecting again, my interest in history and things that are old, are a close second! And third would be the hunt on the internet to identify items and learn!

      
I have also enjoyed hunting for arrowheads out of state for years, (have a few places to hunt on family property) and even keep the chips because they show signs of being worked by ancient hands, which helps me connect, if that makes sense! ( now i look for bottles too).

     

Thanks for all you contribute!

Joe D.

Colorful St. Christopher Medallion

Find and photo by Joe D.

People do go through different stages in life and there are different priorities at different times.  I looked at metal detecting very differently at different times in my life.  There was the beginning, when I was just trying it out and learning.  There was different stages to that too.  Then there was a time when I was trying to see if I could make a living by metal detecting.  I wasn't so interested in actually making my living that way, but I wanted to see if I could.  Then after I answered that question for myself, I started looking at it as more of a side interest - although one that I was still very passionate about and spent a lot of time on.  That wasn't the end of it either.  I'm still learning, but look at things differently again now.

I once did a poll to determine why people metal detect.  There were  a lot of different answers.  Many people were like Joe.  They like the thrill of the hunt.  I think that is a big part of it for most detectorists.  You never know what you are going to find.

I looked for that old post in my blog but didn't find it yet.  If anyone knows where it is, let me know.  Maybe I'll find it later.

Many detectorists like to find old things and like the feeling of touching the past that they get when they find something old.

The internet has really changed things.  Back in several decades ago, metal detecting was a much more secretive activity for a lot of the hard core detectorists. Some would only detect when they would not be observed.  Some would only detect at night.  There were a few metal detecting clubs, but they were attended more by the casual detectorists who wasn't really finding a lot, and a very few of the hard core guys, who were mostly very secretive about their locations and techniques.  There were a few magazines and books, but they didn't have near the impact of all the internet resources.  And reading is a pretty solitary activity too.

Now you can find huge amounts of information on the internet - not only about metal detecting, but also about archaeology, history, artifact conservation, etc. etc.  It is a totally different world that way.  It is so much easier to find information, and that, as Joe mentions, is enjoyable too.  There is what I've called the "hunt after the hunt" when you research your finds to learn what they are and where they came from and determine their value.  I guess one of the best things about metal detecting is that there is so much to learn and you can never master it all.  There are always surprises and new challenges to keep you going.

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If you ever start thinking that all the good sites have been cleaned out, go back and read my 3/26/18 post.  Russ P. detected a home site several times and then sifted the lot.  Here is my summary of what he found. study found.

The study was conducted on a small residential lot in a working class 20th century Florida neighborhood.  The lot size was approximately 4500 square feet and the lot was occupied for nearly one hundred years.

About 500 coins total (detecting and sifting) was found by the reader.  That would be about one for every nine square feet or one square yard.

43 silver coins were found by the same reader.  That would be one for little more than every 100 square feet.  Counting known silver coin finds by one other detectorist, it would be more like one for every 90 square feet.

About one in ten coins found on this lot inhabited during most of the 20th century were silver.

Despite detecting the lot at least 12 times, only about 20 percent of the coins found on the lot were found by detecting.  The remainder were found by sifting.  Just over 30% of the silver coins found, were found by detecting.

That means there was a lot left after detecting the same lot several times.  Russ used another technique (sifting) to get the remaining coins.

Here is that link.

https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2018/03/82618-report-first-investigation-ever.html

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There isn't much surf.   I'm still hoping for a good winter storm.  None expected real soon.

Google removed the poll app from blogger.  If anyone has any recommendations on some good poll apps that I can use in this blog, let me know.  I'd like to get back to doing polls occasionally.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comast.net