11/30/19 Report - The Trouble With Treasure: Two Viking Hoards. Beautiful Sand. Higher Surf.

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

Source: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/11/29/viking-treasure/

The trouble with treasure is not the treasure - it is the people.  When huge finds are made, things often get tricky.  Everybody wants a piece of the pie, or in some cases, the whole pie.

I told you a day or two ago about George Powell and Layton Davies, a couple detectorists who failed to report a Viking Hoard they found.

… The total value of the viking treasure hoard Powell and Davies discovered is estimated to be in the neighborhood of three million pounds. Had the two men simply declared it as they should have, they could have received as much as half of that value as a reward. Now, as a result of their greed, they won’t see a penny, and will be facing years in prison.

Others who conspired with the detectorists to sell the items will also be facing serious penalities.

Here is the link for all of the details.

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/11/29/viking-treasure/

Thanks to SuperRick for that link.

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Part of Viking Hoard Known as the Galloway Hoard.

Source: See TheVintageNews.com link below.

… In 2014, a hoard of Viking treasure was discovered in a churchyard in Galloway, Scotland. It had lain in the ground for over one thousand years until unearthed by Derek McLennan, from Ayrshire, with his metal detector. At the time McLennan promised to share the proceeds from the sale of the items, about two million pounds, with the church but has since reportedly gone back on his word.

The Reverend David Bartholomew, a friend who is a pastor of the church, the church elders, and the trustees of the Church of Scotland have not been able to reach McLennan causing them to finally file suit against the detectorist. Reverend Bartholomew was with McLennan when the treasure was found and has expressed surprise that his friend would disregard his given word. According to the Daily Mail, the Reverend commented, “Derek was my friend and it is sad that it has come to this.”...

Here is the link for the details of that one.

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/09/20/viking-treasure-hoard/

I wonder if anyone finds Matthew 6:19-21 relevant.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
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Sand Enlarged Three Hundred Times.

Source: See GeologyIn.com link below.

You know that stuff you walk on at the beach?  It might not be as boring as you think.  In fact it can be very attractive if you look at it close enough.

Exactly what it looks like depends upon where your are, but if you magnify it three hundred times, you might see that it is composed of some very attractive bits of multicolored unique and irregularly shaped and possibly bright bits of many different things including rock, coral, shell, animal parts and even sea glass.  Above is one example you'll find at Geologyin.com (link below).

Here is a link where you can see more photos showing a variety of types of sand.

http://www.geologyin.com/2018/01/this-is-how-sand-looks-magnified-up-to.html

The particular nature of the sand at a location will determine how it packs or washes away.

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The high tides are not as high as they were the past few days.

The surf is supposed to be up to three to five feet today.

Source: MagicdSeaWeed.com

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/26/19 Re;port - Two Detectorists Pay Big Price for Not Declaring Finds. Billion Dollars Treasure Stolen. 1715 Fleet Silver Dog Collar.

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

Part of Huge Viking Hoard Discovered by Two Detectorists.
Source: metro.co.uk link shown below.

I'm having all kinds of trouble getting my post posted today.  Seems like ghosts of turkeys past are getting in the works.

Anyhow, the two detectorists who didn't report the huge Viking hoard they found are going to jail along with two accomplices.

Here is what the judge had to say the them.

The Judge added: ‘The irony in this case is if you, George Powell, and you, Layton Davies, had obtained the permissions and agreements which responsible metal detectorists are advised to obtain, if you had gone on to act within the law after you found this treasure, you could have expected to have either a half share, or at very worst a third share of over £3 million to share between the two of you.

 ‘You could not have done worse than £500,000 each.

 ‘But you wanted more.’

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/23/12000000-viking-hoard-metal-detector-thieves-jailed-11205021/

Tis the season of greed.


In today's International Business Times was another treasure story gone bad.


Treasure Heist: Burglars In Germany May Have Stolen Jewels And Other Items Worth About $1 Billion.

Police in Germany are searching for a group of thieves who stole priceless treasures from one of Europe's largest collections of jewelry and ornaments. Bild newspaper noted that the jewels and other treasures could be worth up to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion)...

Dresden's State Art Collection Marion Ackermann said the value of the collection is “incalculable” because the work was considered “unsellable.” Because of this, it will be difficult to determine the exact value of what was stolen.

The vault was first established by Augustus the Strong, ruler of Saxony, in the early 18th century to house the valued items. It was part of Augustus’ efforts to turn Dresden in a center for the arts in Central Europe that also involved commissioning works across the city to sell the city’s place as a cultural center..

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

https://www.ibtimes.com/treasure-heist-burglars-germany-may-have-stolen-jewels-other-items-worth-about-1-2873176


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Yesterday I mentioned horse tack.  I think we find more artifacts like that than we know.  I suspect many pieces or parts remain unidentified.

Noel Wells' book Small Arms of the Spanish Treasure Fleets has a section on horses and dogs because of their use in warfare and conquering the New World.

There was a picture of a engraved silver collar found on a 1715 Fleet wreck that was thought to be a dog collar.

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The weather, as you know, is beautiful.  The high tides are still nice and high, but the surf calm.

It looks as if in a few days we'll be getting some rougher surf.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Pshewww.  I finally got it done.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/24/19 Report - Viking Hoard Stolen by Detectorists Mostly Still Missing. The Grandissimes by George Cable. Time to Consign.

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

Part of Viking Hoard Stolen by Detectorists.

Two metal detectorists stole a £3m Viking hoard that experts say has the potential to "rewrite history".

George Powell and Layton Davies dug up about 300 coins in a field in Eye, near Leominster, Herefordshire, in 2015.

They did not declare the 1,100-year-old find, said to be one of the biggest to date, and instead sold it to dealers.

They were convicted of theft and concealing their find. Coin sellers Simon Wicks and Paul Wells were also convicted on the concealment charge.

Here is the link for more about that.  (Thanks to William K for the link.)


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-50461860


I hope you'll read the rest of the article, but today I wanted to comment on some of the statements and issues raised by in the article.

First and foremost, I want to say that the dectectorists made the wrong decision by deciding to conceal their find and sell it for whatever they could get on the market.  They did the wrong thing and will pay the price.  Their actions also hurt the hobby and will give those who are against metal detecting ammunition to blast and additionally regulate the hobby.  The detectorists would have been better off to properly report the find.  They would have been compensated for the objects and would have received additional opportunities and been able to share in the process of discovery and knowledge produced by the finds instead of becoming criminals.

All that said, I believe that the claims made the archaeologists are, as is commonly the case, exaggerated.  Can you really rewrite history based upon a group of related coins like that?  I don't think so.  My standards are more demanding.  Are they absolutely sure about their conclusions?  I believe it would take more than one grouping of coins showing something to which there was previously no evidence.

When you watch the video you will see that they show a lot of pictures of the treasure, including the coins and gold, however the video barely goes into the evidence and conclusions.  Why is that?  Why is the newly rewritten history and the evidence not featured?  I'm afraid the fact is that the "new" knowledge ( if it qualifies as such ) is tenuous at best, being based upon a surprising juxtaposition of two kings on one group of coins - the one king being unknown to the vast majority of the people on this earth.  While the new knowledge might seem monumental to those few people who make their livelihood out of trivia that most others would never encounter in a lifetime, how earth shattering is the conclusion if it is found to be correct?  If this is the only evidence of the newly rewritten history, I'm still skeptical.  I'm sure there are other possible conclusions that should be considered.

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A few days ago I mentioned a book I was reading. I just finished it and highly recommend it to anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of history, culture and the human condition.  The book is The Grandissimes, by George W. Cable.

George Washington Cable was born in 1844 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to George W. Cable, Sr., and Rebecca Boardman Cable; his parents were wealthy slaveholders, members of the Presbyterian Church and of New Orleans society, whose families had moved there after the Louisiana Purchase

In 1880, Cable published his first novel, The Grandissimes, A story of creole life portraying multiracial member and different classes of society in the early 1800s shortly after the Louisianna Purchase. It had first been serialized in Scribner's. The plot follows the adventures and romances of several members of the Grandissime family, a French Creole family with mixed-race members. He used this historical romance as a way to explore society and its racial injustice, as he addressed European Creoles, the mixed-race class, placage, slavery and lynchings, In the same year, the United States Census Bureau commissioned Cable to write a "historical sketch" of pre-Civil War New Orleans for a special section of the 10th United States Census' "Social statistics of cities". He submitted a well-researched 313-page history, which was greatly reduced for publication in 1884.  Source: wikipedia.

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The recently concluded Sedwick auction realized over $2.3 million dollars.

You can now consign for the March 2020 auction.

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Minions.

The impeachment hearings could provide the basis for a new Minion movie in which Sondland, Taylor and Yavonovich join Bob in Revenge of the Minions.

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It is a rainy Sunday morning.  The high tides are nice and high, but the surf is small.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/17/19 Report - Hurricane Humberto and Developing System. Martin County Beach Discovery. Detectorist Sued.

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

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Hurricane Humberto is slowly moving away while another system heats up in the Atlantic.  It might come this direction.

Expect more high surf through the week.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

So far this week I've not seen any cuts on the South Hutchinson Island wreck beaches.

John Brooks Monday PM.

There was a nice little flat area near the water at low tide.  There were very few shells.

John Brooks Monday PM

John Brooks Monday PM.

A possible Native American burial site was discovered by a detectorist on Hutchinson Island in Martin Country after Hurricane Dorian.

Here is that link.

https://www.wptv.com/news/local-news/martin-county/possible-indian-remains-found-on-hutchinson-island-following-hurricane-dorian

Thanks to Jorge Y.

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The Church of Scotland is sueing for a share of a $2.5 million Viking treasure trove unearthed by a detectorist on church land.

Here is that link.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/church-viking-treasure-trove-intl-scli-gbr/index.html

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I was surprised to discover that a couple of the modern coins I picked up Sunday were wheat cents.  The one I could read was 1930-something.


With Humberto still producing surf for the Treasure Coast and another system coming this way, you should remain alert for any changes.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/13/17 Report - Multi-Million Dollar Reward For Detectorist. Viking Hoard. Shipwrecks in the Suwannee River. Auction Results.

Written by the treasureguide for the exclusive use of TreasureBeachesReport.blogspot.com.

Items Found in Viking Hoard
Source: DailyMail link below.

According to a May 12 article in the DailyMail, the British detectorist who discovered the famous Viking Hoard will be receiving a reward of just under 2 million pounds ( a pound is worth just over 1.25 U. S. dollars).

In Scotland the reward goes to the finder, in the rest of the U. K. the reward is split between the finder and the property owner.

Another Piece of the Viking Hoard
Source: See DailyMail link below.

To read the rest of the article and see more of the finds, here is the link.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4500480/Metal-detectorist-line-2million-reward.html

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Mystery Surrounds Sunken Remains in Florida Spring.  That is the title of a National Geographic article on shipwrecks in the Suwanee River.

...So far state archaeologists have found and are working to identify the remains of at least ten steamboats in the Suwannee River, three of which are accessible to divers.

In addition to the ruins in Troy Springs, divers can visit the David Yulee near the Suwannee's mouth, as well as the well-preserved ruins of the City of Hawkinsville,the last steamboat to operate on the Suwannee...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070215-steamboat_2.html

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As you know, the most recent Sedwick Coins auction has concluded.  You can view the prices realized by browsing through the catalog or jumping right to a spreadsheet that lists the realized prices for each lot.  Below is the link for the spreadsheet.

http://www.sedwickcoins.com/ta21/pr_ta21.pdf

While looking through the catalog, I noticed one category that did not sell well despite the overall excellent auction results.  It was the U. S. paper money category.  Many lots in that category did not sell at all, and many others sold for under the auction estimate.  I don't know much about the paper money market, so I can't say why that happened, but I would guess that Sedwick's customers are mostly intersted in coins and shipwreck artifacts.

The two maps that were offered in the auction did not sell either.

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Something to think about.

According to many books and publications, "information warfare" is reportedly being conducted by Russia on the U. S. and other countries, but what if an information war is being conducted in the U. S. by U. S. agents on the U. S.   If you accept information warfare as a genuine type of warfare and it is being conducted by dissident parties in the U. S., you could say the U. S. would be in a civil war.  It isn't like THE Civil War - North against South - it is more like the war against terror.  In fact one side might be aligned with terror without the intention or realization.  The result is the same.  While information warfare is often associated with computers, TV is one of the most effective tools (weapons) for the delivery and spread of misinformation.

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I didn't detect much last year due to a series of issues, and I haven't detected much yet this year either.  Hopefully that will hange later this year.

Righ now we have a one to two foot surf.  In a few days it will in increase a two to three foot surf.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/22/15 Report - A Few Recent Treasure Coast Finds. Beach Conditions. Important Viking Hoard Found.

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

Emerald, Spike and Copper Finds.

I've been busy lately trying to keep up with beach changes.  That is a good thing.  Since October we've actually had some erosion and a few periods of improved beach hunting conditions.  It has been better than all summer by a large amount and better than at least the previous winter or two.  I had to do a lot of checking around to keep up with it all

I didn't get around to posting many finds lately.  Above are a few miscellaneous finds from December. On the piece of copper is a small emerald and a spike.  There were some cobs found and other artifacts.  I'll try to post some of those soon.

Yesterday afternoon I checked around and the beaches and those that I saw didn't look very good.

Monday Afternoon.

There was no erosion on this beach.  Notice the seaweed.

Frederick Douglas Beach. Monday Afternoon.

A few days ago this beach had tons of new sand piled up on the front beach. Then one morning the new sand had a small cut, which barely scratching the surface of the new sand.  Shortly after that sometime, much of the new sand got moved.  Now the beach looks more normal again.

At the top of the slope in front of the cliff is a bunch of shells, many of which got covered by one of the two most recent high tides. You can see a new layer of sand just a few inches thick that washed up during a recent high tide.  It partly covered many of the shells and some of the sea weed.  Sometimes you can see signs of how a beach developed over a period of days.  This is one of those cases.

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Here is another important find by an amateur treasure hunter.  Detectorists contribute a lot of important finds.

A close up of some of the jewellery and ingots of a significant Viking Hoard found near Watlington, in Oxfordshire, England as they are displayed at the British Museum in London, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. The hoard contains 186 coins, seven items of jewellery and 15 ingots of precious metal. The items include rare coins from era of King Alfred the Great (871-899) and King Ceolwulf II (874-79) when the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex fought the invading 'Great Heathen Army' also known as the great Danish army, in the late 800's.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Here is the link to the entire article.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/viking-hoard-found-in-field-sheds-light-on-englands-origins/ar-AAgf9hq?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=UP97DHP

Thanks to William K. for sending the link.

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We're going to have several days of moderate surf ( mostly 2 - 4 foot) and southeast winds.  That won't do much good.  Still I'm encouraged about the rest of the winter.  I think it looks promising.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net