6/18/20 Report - Consignments Wanted. Making Hay When Sun Shines. Dust Storm.

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

Additionally from Sedwick - 

As you have probably heard by now, the ANA World's Fair of Money on August 4-8 in Pittsburgh has been suspended. We always look forward to going to the ANA show because it allows us to see our fellow collectors and dealers plus express our shared interest in numismatics.

Since some of our consignors like to see us in person at the ANA show, here is what we can offer you to make consigning an easy process:

- We are extending our consignment deadline to August 21, 2020.
- For qualifying consignments, we will pay for your shipping costs or send you a shipping label to get your consignments to us, fully insured.
- For large collections where consultation and pick up in person is safe, beneficial and feasible, we can travel to you.
- We offer discounted, expedited grading services for coins and paper money through PCGS, NGC, and PMG.
- We are able to meet with consignors by appointment at our office in Winter Park, Florida using proper health precautions.
- If you're planning on also buying in our auction, we can trade your consignment proceeds against your auction purchases.
- We are ready to consult with you at any point on what and how to consign by reaching us at 407-975-3325 or office@sedwickcoins.com.

Our May Treasure Auction 27 was a fantastic success as we saw strong bidding, a very high sell-through rate of over 95%, and a record amount of new and returning bidders.

---


I've been describing some of the mistakes I've made in the past.  So far in recent weeks I've discussed and given examples of (1) careless digging and recovery resulting in scratched or damaged finds, (2) defective containers for carrying new finds, for example hole in pocket or goodie bag, (3) inadequate bag or container for carrying large items, for example plastic bags ripped by large fossils (4) inadequate bag or container for carrying bottles or fragile items resulting in fragile items like bottles being broken while be carried in plastic bags, and (5) leaving dug or found items on beach for later recovery, which often doesn't work out well.

Here is another mistake that I made on more than one occasion.  I've talked about this one before.  It is the mistake of being too casual when detecting conditions are exceptionally good.  When conditions are right and items are being found, don't stop until you have thoroughly cleaned out the area or you are forced to stop for some reason.

I've told about this situation before, but when I arrived at the beach I found the front beach cut back several feet, and there was a drop into the shallow water where there were tons of targets.  There were targets in every square foot for a hundred yards or more along the beach.  I remember that I dug over $20 in quarters in a hunt of about four hours.  Of course there were better things besides the coins, including many rings and pieces of jewelry.  This was in Fort Lauderdale many years ago.

After my first hunt of four hours, I left to pick up my wife or something, but I knew that I had not scratched the surface and there was much more remaining to be found.  I returned the next day and found conditions virtually unchanged.  I found about as many coins and as much jewelry as the day before.  I did about a four hour hunt again, and planned on returning the next day.  As I left I looked up and saw a front moving in.   That should have been a clue.

The next day when I returned, there was almost nothing to be found.  My mistake was not staying as long as I could and absolutely getting as much as I could while conditions were right.  As they say, "Make hay while the sun shines."

Unfortunately I've repeated that mistake several times.  Another time was years ago when I was still living in the Fort Lauderdale area.  I was traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Coast to visit my parents.  It was Christmas eve, or the day before.  Anyhow, I stopped at Fort Pierce to do a little metal detecting.  It was freezing.  One of the bridges over the interstate had ice on it up north around Daytona.  ,

When I stopped at Fort Pierce, I got out of the car.  It was cold and the wind was ripping.  One other fellow showed up with a metal detector.   He was bundled up.  I saw him get ready to detect, but with the cold wind blowing, he just shook his head, turned around and left without doing any detecting.

My wife stayed in the car because of the cold.  I didn't stay on the beach long, but picked up several half reales in probably around twenty minutes.  That was another time I should have stayed longer.  There aren't many days like, so when it does happen, make the best of it.  I can think of quite a few times when I was too casual about a rare opportunity, but I there are two examples.

---

Saharan Dust Storm Headed For Gulf Coast.

Source: See weather.com link below.

See https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2020-06-16-saharan-dust-atlantic-caribbean-united-states-hurricane-season

The surf is down to around one or two feet on the Treasure Coast today.  The tides are small, and there is nothing on the National Hurricane Center map now.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/6/20 Report - Bent, Flattened, Squashed Finds. Another Digging Mistsake. Cristobal Now in Gulf.

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

Bent Coins.

There are always those unanswerable questions.  Maybe they aren't really unanswerable, but they seem that way at the time.

I've long wondered about the many bent coins I've found.   I probably found 50 or so, and most of them were found in South Florida, but that is where I found the largest number of modern coins.  The vast majority were found in the shallow water or low tide zone near the water line.  A lot of them came from areas where I found a lot of coral rocks packed together, which led me to think they might get caught in the rocks and bent that way.  Another possibility that I considered is getting bent in beach cleaning machines, but some of them come from areas where I've never seen beach cleaning machines.

I've found most denominations bent like that, some more bent than others, but looking at the dime above, for example, it would seem to take a lot of force and although people could do it, it wouldn't be easy.

I don't know why someone would bend a coin like that, but there was a superstition that a bent coin could change one's luck.  Another tradition is that carrying a bent coin in a purse would keep the purse full.  And then there were "witching coins" and love tokens.  So I guess there are several possibilities.  Many of the bent coins were found in areas where Santeria and other religious items were occasionally found.

But it isn't only coins that get bent.  On the Treasure Coast I've found other items that are bent, folded or squashed.  For example this United States Air Force ring was squashed.

Squashed Air Force Ring

It is not silver or gold - just some fairly soft metal.

I left it the way I found it for a long time but eventually got curious enough that I tried to open it to see if there were any marks inside, and it broke.  I found no marks due to the heavy crust and corrosion.

Broken Piece of Ring.

It looks like it was plated at one time.  The metal was brittle.

I can't remember if I've found bent coins on the Treasure Coast, but if I have, it wasn't as many as I found down south.  Other bent and folded metals are found on the Treasure Coast in good numbers though.  This year I've found folded pieces of lead and other metals, but they are much easier to bend than coins.

Folded and Bent Dug Metals.

I still don't have my answers.  I don't know how coins get so dramatically bent, and don't know if it is done by man, nature or both.

---


Bill P had an example of the type of mistake I described yesterday.  Here is his.

I remember one (of many)mistakes that occurred while beach hunting. A couple asked me to search for a diamond bracelet they had just lost. I found it quickly but in my haste, cut it in half with my shovel, oops. Needless to say they weren't thrilled about me even though that could have been repaired easily by a jeweler. 

Thanks Bill.

That made me think of chains, which can be difficult enough to get in your scoop, but you can also dig into them.

---

Cristobal sat over land for a few days but is now out in the Gulf and headed towards Louisiana.  Here is what the NHC is saying.

---

We'll have a one or two foot surf for the next few days.  Now we're having some nice big tides.

Remembering D-Day,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/30/20 Report - Lead Coin. Sand and Object Movement. Various Religious Items.

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

One of the interesting odd items in the Sedwick auction yesterday is the lead coin shown above.  As you can see, it was listed as lot 1201.

You don't often see lead coins, but that Nicaragua 10 peson coin is one that has an interesting history.

… fascinating relic from the rebellion of 1927-33 that pitted forces under revolutionary leader Augusto Cesar Sandino against the U.S. military, Sandino eventually being assassinated but still revered today as a national hero and symbol of resistance to U.S. domination in Central America. Tokens like this one were exchanged for goods from local merchants.

If you dug up a lead coin you might think it is some kind of token, weight or fake.

---

I've been thinking of doing this post for over a month now, but it isn't an easy one and I still don't have it together.   The topic is very complex and involves a number of factors and interrelationships, but I'll do my best to make it clear, which means keeping it simple to some extent.

I previously did a number of posts on the movement of sand and other objects.  Different objects move differently depending upon a variety of factors, and an object such as a coin can move in a variety of ways.

The main reason we are interested in the movement of sand is that it can cover or uncover the the types of objects we look for.  The uncovering can occur naturally, which is necessary for the beach detectorist, but if you are working a salvage lease you can move the sand using blowers.

What I want to describe today is the relative movement of sand and other objects.  First I must repeat one thing that is often neglected - it is not just about weight.  The density of the object - not it's weight - is important, but it's shape is also important.  A flat thin piece of copper will be washed around by the water differently than a coin of the same weight.  You'll frequently find small thin pieces of copper washed up and laying on or near the surface of the sand when you can find little else.  And an oval lead sinker will move around very differently than a flat or triangular one.

To get the basics, I'd recommend studying the following table shown above and a previous post in which I explained it.

Here is that link.

https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2020/02/22620-report-reading-water-to-find.html

So a certain amount of force is required to move the sand and a certain amount of force is required to move an object such as a coin.  The amount of force required to move sand will typically be less than that required to move the coin.  Therefore, sometimes the sand will move, but not the coin.  The sand might then uncover the coin or let it sink down to the surface vacated by the sand.

In a previous post I mentioned five ways that coins move, so that can get complicated, however coins and items such as coins will move less often and not quickly as sand.  So the thing that is important is relative movement.

Imagine the situation in which the beach sand moves but the coin remains relatively stationary.  The coin will be uncovered and if the sand continues to move without the coin moving much, the coin will sink down to the new lower surface of the sand where it can stay until it is covered again.  That is not an unusual scenario.  One important thing to remember is that the coin will remain basically stationary as long as it remains covered.  If there is enough force the coin can move when the sand moves, but in most cases it won't move as much as the sand.

If you sketched a Christmas tree and took the side on one side, that would be a fairly typical coin movement pattern over the years.  Every time there is erosion it might drop with the sand surface and drift a little towards the surf.  It might get covered from time to time but seldom get washed back up.  Usually it would stay at its current position until it is uncovered again.

A ring, because of its shape, will get washed up less often than a coin because of its shape.  There is less surface area for the force of the water to act on.  Once either of them reaches a deep level they will seldom be washed up.  It would take a rare event for that to happen.  And once either reaches shelter in a rock crevice, it would be extremely rare for either to be washed up.

Where a lot of the action happens is where the wave breaks.  That produces a lot of turbulence and lifts sand, rocks and other things that can then be pushed up the slope by rushing water.  Again, it will take a lot to wash a ring up the slope because the lack of flat surface area.

What makes things especially complicated is the continually changing force of the water as it comes in and goes up the slope and then descends back down the slope and all of the interactions.  It would be much easier to figure out if the water simply flowed in a continuous stream, but that is far from what we are dealing with.

---

The Sedwick auction concluded today.  The last session included a variety of less expensive lots, including some rather large groups of coins, clumps, paper money and mounted coins.  Among the items were the following group of miscellaneous religious items.

Here is the lot description.

Lot of twelve crosses and religious medallions and other items in base metals, various periods (1600s-1900s). 47.95 grams total, 1/2" to 2". Cool little collection of objects, from a three-masted ship to a functioning miniature spur to various medallions and simple crosses to two crosses (one ornate though incomplete) with inlaid cabochon emeralds. Great for further study.

Some of the lots in the final session went unsold, but I thought the auction did much better than I expected.  For the most part, bidders were not deterred by the economic downturn.

---

It looks like we will have a two or three foot surf for a couple of days and then a possible increase.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/29/20 Report - Valuable Imitation Cobs Versus Modern Fakes or Copies. Beach Conditions On The Treasure Coast.

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

John Brooks Early Friday Morning.

We are into summer conditions now and the beaches are sandy.  Hurricane season begins Monday.

Walton Rocks Friday Morning.

This time of years there are other things to deal with in addition to the sandy beaches, especially if you go out in the morning after rain.  You might want to think of the insects.  

This morning I wasn't bothered by the noseeums or sand flies or whatever you call them, but at some locations the mosquitos were very heavy.  Insect repellant might be a good idea.

Walton Rocks Friday Morning.

There was a little chop and both the beach and shallow water was sandy.

Frederick Douglass Friday Morning.

Frederick Douglass Friday Morning.

As you can see, these beaches didn't look very good.

---

One thing I noticed in Sedwick's treasure auction yesterday was a number of  "imitation" cobs.

You can use a lot of different words in addition to imitation, such as fake, counterfeit, or copy,  and you might think of all of them as being worthless, but that is not necessarily the case.

There were several good examples that sold for good prices.

For example, there was a Cartagena copper imitation 2-reales that sold for $6,545, including the buyer's premium.  Here it is.

I don't know what you'd think of it if you dug it up, but I suspect that you could think it is junk.  It really doesn't look very good.  

Here is another "imitation."  It looks very strange.   You might suspect right away that it is a fake, but it sold for over a thousand dollars.

Below is another imitation.  If you've seen many 1715 cobs, I think this one would immediately strike you as strange and probably fake.  But it is old, like the other two above, and was dated to the early 1800s.

And below is one more "imitation."

It looks strange too, but perhaps not as strange as some of the others.  It also dates to the early 1800s.

I've done posts on fakes, copies and counterfeits before.  There are different kinds.  Some are not meant to deceive.  They might be souvenirs.

Modern fakes should be stamped "COPY" but they are not always properly marked.  Sometimes they are marked but the mark can be removed or hidden.  I had one that was marked, but it wasn't easy to find the mark.

Here is one marked "COPY" I dug up down at Jensen Beach a few years ago.  It is a modern fake that isn't worth anything.

Fake Cob Marked "COPY."

Many fakes are often made of the wrong metal, as is the one above.  Fake escudos are often plated.

There were a lot of interesting curiosities in that particular session of the auction.   I never buy treasure coins or artifacts, but study the auctions.  You'll see more good examples in the Sedwick auctions than you'll likely see anywhere else, including museums.

One thing I say time and time again, is don't be too hasty.  It can take a quite a while to figure out the real story of a find.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/27/20 Report - Valuable Imitation Cobs and Coins. When Things Just Don't Look Quite Right.

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

Lot 1252 in Current Sedwick Auction.

See Online Auction Catalog

When you look at this coin, what do you see?  Does it look strange to you?  It probably should.

I was browsing the current Sedwick online auction catalog, and every once in a while, a coin would stick out to me.  I quickly browsed through a lot of coins, including ancient coins, coins of different centuries and different countries, different denominations and made of different materials, and featuring different designs, yet some of them just stuck out for some reason.  They just looked strange somehow.  And when I looked at the lost descriptions, I found they were described as "imitation" coins or cobs.  The one shown above is one of those.  Below is the lot description.

Caracas, Venezuela, "imitation cob" 2 reales, date "471" (early 1800s), quadrants of cross transposed, NGC AU 50, finest known in NGC census. Cal-749; KM-C13.1. 5.43 grams. Lightly toned over muted luster, with bold full details including 471 "date," two denominations (2) and "assayers" (M), three "mintmarks" (L), definitely one of the rarer "dates" for this series and a top-grade example as well. NGC #4771447-004.

We use a lot of different terms such as fantasy coin, fake, copy,  reproduction or counterfeit.  Sometimes those terms are used in a specific sense and sometimes a more general sense.  For me a counterfeit is meant to deceive, while a fantasy coin is not.  I suppose "imitation" is a general term, but I would not expect an imitation coin to be marked "copy" or anything like that.  Maybe there is a numismatic dictionary that defines the term, but I couldn't find one.

Anyhow, if you become familiar with a large number of examples, those "strange" coins might jump out at you.  It is easy to see what is strange about the coin shown above, but it might not be so easy to describe.  It looks like it was made by an unskilled person, and they didn't bother to put a lot of effort into it, but in general terms, it just doesn't look right.  If you are informed in an area, whether it is numismatics or some other area, certain things just won't look or sound "right."

One thing I should add, is that this coin, even though it is described as an imitation, that does not mean it is not worth anything.  This one is old and tells a story.  The auction estimate is $700 - $1000, and it already has a bid.  Lot 1253 is similar.  Check it out.

Here is another "imitation cob" that jumped out at me.

Lot 834 in Current Sedwick Auction.

This one looks messy.  One coin was struck over another coin, some of which shows through.

Cartagena, Colombia, copper "imitation cob" 2 reales, fantasy date "111" (ca. 1815), unique, quadrants of cross transposed, struck over a Cartagena provisional copper 2 reales (1813-14), NGC MS 63 BN. Restrepo-118.1; KM-unl; Cal-unl. A very rare type dating to the retaking of Cartagena by royalist forces in 1815, using Cartagena provisional copper coins for host flans overstruck with "imitation" designs meant to resemble Lima (Peru) cob 2 reales but with fantasy dates, this one "111" being the only one known to us (missing in all important collections), dark chocolate-brown in color with bold details including full pillars and cross, full "111" date and mintmark L, also with bold CARTAGENA visible in legend from undercoin, exceptional grade for any variety, in fact the highest grade possible, a true numismatic trophy combining rarity and quality. NGC #48372006-001.

This one is also old and has a lot of history behind it.  It is selling for a very good price.

I didn't plan to talk about imitation coins this morning, but these things just jumped out at me and I thought it was interesting.  Sone copies or counterfeits can be worth a lot.  If you look at enough examples, things that just don't look quite right will jump out at you.

There are a lot of curiosities to explore in the third session of the current Sedwick auction.

---

I was planning on posting about some metal detector tests today.  I'll get back to that some other day.

---

It seems like the surfers are having the same problems that the detectorists are, and they are suffering withdrawal.  Here is one sentence from an article on MagicSeaWeed that you might like to read.

For the first time in generations, surfers are having to skulk around and risk running afoul of the law if they are to ride waves. It’s like the 1950s all over again!

Here is the link.

https://magicseaweed.com/news/surf-bans-public-shaming-and-the-art-of-civil-disobedience/11848/

---

I mentioned cause of death the other day as it relates to what we are seeing as Covid-19 statistics.  Tim M. sent this example.

My father, an Air Force veteran through out the "conflict" from 1957 through 1975 died of multiple cancers primarily agent orange specific leukemia. Death certificate states COPD.

That is one of the types of thing I was referring to.   For data to be meaningful, it has to be coded consistently and reliably.  Classification categories need to be clearly defined along with clear criteria for class inclusion.

In the past I've talked about the importance of definitions as they apply to metal detecting.  How, for example, do you define success?   If you are very clear about what you want to accomplish, your chance of success, as you define it, will be improved.

Tim also said.

I have been reading your blog for years now, and truly enjoy the knowledge you share. I personally  would be happy to pay a monthly or yearly subscription fee to continue to have the privilege of the continuation of the education you provide. '

Also I am completely on the same page as the sad state of people thinking beyond what media is promoting without any real scientific factual basis. 

I was most gratified by Tim's reference to "education."  

When I referred to subscription I wasn't necessarily talking about a fee, however I might be able to provide an upgraded level of specific timely service for a few folks that might find it worthwhile.

I'm still thinking about what I might want to do.  

---

I've also been thinking about expanding on my formula for success.  I have a factor or two that I haven't yet added to the formula even though they should be added.

---

The surf is supposed to be a touch bigger this week, but only up to around two or three feet.

As I've said some of the Indian River County beaches will reopen tomorrow.  I'll be watching for St. Lucie County news.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/22/20 Report - Sedwick Treasure Auction No. 27 Lots. Researching A Wood Handled Fork Find. Openings.

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

Sedwick Treasure Auction 27 Ad

Treasure, World, U.S. Coin and Paper Money Auction 

Live on the Internet: Wednesday-Friday, May 27-29, 2020

The Sedwick Treasure, World, U.S. Coin and Paper Money Auction #27 will go live on the Internet Wednesday-Friday, May 27-29, 2020

Below are some of the lots that will be auctioned as described by Sedwick.

Gold Cobs features a variety of choice Mint State coins from the 1715 Fleet including the very scarce Lima, Peru, 1703H 8 escudos graded NGC MS 62, a date that is missing in the State of Florida collection. We also have an unprecedented pair of Seville, Spain, cob 2 escudos from the Atocha and Santa Margarita shipwrecks graded PCGS AU50 and MS61 respectively.

Shipwreck Ingots boasts yet more treasure from the Atocha in the form of two long gold “finger” bars and three large silver ingots. Our usual wide selection of Shipwreck Coins features many dated silver cobs from the Concepción (lots 169-208) and Capitana (lots 209-243) as well as an assortment of choice pieces from the ever-popular Atocha (lots 77-158) and 1715 Fleet (lots 291-342).

Be sure to check out the Potomac Collection in Mexican Silver Cobs, which contains some key “Early Series” Charles-Joanna assayer-Rincón rarities like an ever-popular 3 reales (lot 439), a 2 reales plated in both Guttag’s and Nesmith’s works (lot 440), and a very choice ½ real (lot 443). A 2 maravedís from this collection (lot 460) is the first of its kind we have offered. Also don’t miss the very rare Royals (galanos): 8 reales 1727D (lot 478) and 2 reales 1715J (lot 491).

The Lima and Potosí Silver Cobs sections are packed with many 8 reales from a fresh collection, including several nice Potosí Royals (galanos), like a 1654E 8 reales discovery piece struck with previously unknown dies (lot 578).

In Other Silver Cobs we feature one of the largest selections of Colombian cobs we have ever had, a key being a very rare billon cob ¼ real of 1622 (lot 662), the first one we have offered. Here you will also find the first coins of the Nueva Granada Collection, an expertly crafted assemblage of the very best Colombian coinage from the Spanish colonial era into the Republic period. This collection continues into the World Coins section where we have such rarities as: the finest known Bogotá 1770VJ pillar 8 reales graded PCGS MS65 (lot 821); a Popayán 1814/3JF bust 8 reales of Ferdinand VII graded PCGS XF40 (lot 823); and the highly sought and finest known Medellín 1868 medio peso graded PCGS MS62 (lot 854); all of which are plated in Jorge Emilio Restrepo’s Coins of Colombia (2012). Also note the 1888 “Cocobola” 50 centavos (lot 874) and several other choice and rare Colombian “half dollars.”

---

Fork Find.

I found three of these a number of years ago and did a lot of work to get them cleaned up.  This one is by far the nicest.  It cleaned up fairly well even though it took quite a while.  They were wrapped and stuck in a hollow space in a rock wall.

I recently decided to see what I could learn about the forks.

Here are some other older silverware that I found over the years.  The pewter spoon on the bottom is in bad condition but is probably one of the older ones.

Some Other Silverware Finds.

Of course the first thing I did, after getting the fork cleaned up, was look for a maker's mark or any other marks.  I looked it over carefully with magnification, but couldn't find any marks.

So I went to the books.  The one that seemed to have the closest thing was A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America by Ivor Noel Hume.

In the book I found the following illustration.

Figure 63 in A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America by I. Hume.

Notice the three tined fork at the bottom.  Below are the descriptions.

The fork at the bottom of the illustration (no. 9) is described as an American iron fork with bone-plated handle held together with pewter mounts, circa 1850-80?

The handle on my fork is wood, not bone, but how do the other parts match?

I got out a handy little magnet and tested the tines and tang.  They are ferrous.  The rivets are ferrous too.

Next I tested the arrow and metal around the bottom end of the fork.  They are not ferrous, but I do not know what they are.  Pewter is a possibility from the look.

According to Hume, the earliest recorded English silver fork is two-tined and has a mark that dates it to 1632/33.  He also says that silver forks did not become popular in England until the end of the 17th century, and at that time they had three tines.  By the mid eighteenth century English forks had four tines.

Spanish silver forks, in contrast to English forks, had four tines by the early eighteenth century.  Some of those have been salvaged from 1715 Fleet wrecks.

Four-tined French forks have been found in contexts of the 1730s and 1740s in Nova Scotia.

Hume notes that silver forks are seldom found in excavations in America, but  those in steel are common, and they range from two-tined from the last quarter of the seventeen century to the beginning of the nineteenth century, though three tined forks became common in the second half of the eighteenth century.

So it is quite a complex and mixed mess, but with the exception of the wood handle, my find seems to be similar to the one listed as number 9 in Hume's figure 63.  It has three tines, ferrous tines and tang and rivets, and possibly pewter parts.  So I'm unsure, but am thinking it could be mid 19th century.  Perhaps I'll learn more eventually.

\

One thing I want to point out is the usefulness of a small refrigerator magnet that allowed me to easily test the parts to determine if they were ferrous or not.   A large magnet would not have allowed me to test small parts independently.


---

I've been hearing from people who are eager to get outside and would like to know of any beaches or parks have opened or any parks.  I'd like to hear form you when you learn of openings.

I read online that Jonathan Dickenson State Park is due to open today, but also heard that Palm Beach was not ready to open.  They have more cases than the Treasure Coast.

Georgia and South Carolina are opening retail establishments.

---

I'm concerned about the ability of a population stressed economically, healthwise and psychologically to be able to respond well to hurricane season with the store shelves depleted and supply system disrupted.  Imagine having to ramp up to hurricane preparedness if an early threat emerged.  Even though we can shut down the economy, the world will not stop and there could be more events that we need to be able to respond too.  While some express delight in the crashing oil industry, if we are too weakened we will be more vulnerable to natural disasters or other bio threats or any of variety of forms of terrorism.

[ Less than an hour after I posted this, it is announced that Iran is causing trouble.  Pompeo scheduled to make announcement soon.]

---

Here is a touching video showing a WWII vet serenading his wife in a long-term care facility through a window.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/wwii-veteran-serenades-his-wife-through-window/vi-BB12ZUKS?ocid=spartandhp

---


Beach-side residents are allowed on the beaches now.  I was surprised to learn that some condos had the residents restricted for a while.

I am making some changes.  You might not see them for a while though.

The surf will be small for the next week or two and the tides moderate.

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/21/20 Report - Cannon Dug Up. Odd Shaped Coins. Black Swan Treasure Remembered.

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

An old cannon was found buried at a construction site near the Pak Kong car park in Rua de Demétrio Cinatti on Thursday, the Public Security Police (PSP) said in a statement...

Here is the link.

https://macaunews.mo/old-cannon-found-at-construction-site/

That is one hefty cannon.

---

The Numismatist lists about 900 US coins and coin varieties and gives the prices for those coins in multiple conditions - usually nine or ten conditions, making a total of around 9000 prices.  That is a lot of coins and prices.

Heptagonal Coins From

Mexico and Kenya

The vast majority of those coins are round.  That is not surprising, but there are coins that are not round.  I've found some like the ones shown above, but also some that are square and some that might be described as scalloped.  I didn't take the time to find them, but below is a stock photo showing both square and scalloped coins.

I started wondering why most coins are round.  Vending machines depend upon coins rolling down a shoot, so that is one reason for modern coins to be round, but why were coins round before there were vending machines.  Of course we know that some cobs were not very round and some of them were nearly square, but there still was a tendency to make coins round.  It seems to me that manufacturing square coins might make more efficient use of the metal, depending upon the method of manufacture.

I wonder why coins have been so predominantly round, even back to ancient times?  It would seem to me that square would be just as satisfactory as long as there were not sharp corners.  I guess a single unbroken line without angles is simple and strong.  And it seems easier to stack round coins.

Anyhow I got interested in coins that are not round (other than cobs) and will try to find some that I've found.  If I correctly recall, St. Lucia had both square and scalloped coins.

What odd shaped coins, other than cobs, have you found?

---

Phillip E. sent me the following photos of Jacksonville Beach.  The top photo is the one published by the media and the bottom one is the one he took,  Very different looks.

---

Tony S. reminded me of the finagling in the Odyssey Marine vs Spain Black Swan case.

If you want to check it out here is the link.

https://goldandsilverblog.com/black-swan-silver-treasure-plundered-by-spain-with-surreptitious-help-from-u-s-0351/

Notice the letter towards the end of the article.

Since they lost the Black Swan Treasure they became primarily a mining company.  GlobalNewsWire quotes them as saying, We currently have three significant seafloor mineral projects in various stages of development for critically important resources including; phosphate, cobalt, nickel, copper, rare earths and gold.

Their stock is down around $3.50 per share.

Anytime there is big treasure, politics will be involved.


The GoldAndSilverBlog does not seem to have any recent posts.

---

You haven't been hearing so much about the IMHE model, as I said would be the case after they presented it.  Not only did it have a huge cone of error (using hurricane model terminology) and was way off, but it really set me off when they gave mitigation as the reason for the difference between the actual numbers and the numbers predicted of the model without even considering error or any other possible factors.  That was just too much for me, especially from expert scientists.  I acknowledge that I was hard on them. To me that is not about politics at all.  It is about using data, and reaching conclusions - the same kind of thing I talk about all the time as it applies to finding objects or identifying artifacts.  It shows the general usefulness and applicability of the same methods ie. considering all the factors and alternative explanations.

---

There is more talk of opening up states and businesses.

On the Treasure Coast the surf is small, and it won't be long until salvage season gets ramped up.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net.