7/19/20 Report - Unidentified Treasure Coast Fossil Tooth. Historic Backyard Meteorite. Tropical Wave Over Hispaniola.

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

Sunday Morning
nhc.nooa.gov

It is that time of year when storms can quickly form in our area.

A tropical wave located over Hispaniola and the adjacent waters of the southwestern Atlantic is expected to move west-northwestward over the next several days and enter the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by late Tuesday, and then move across the central Gulf on  Wednesday and reach the northwestern Gulf on Thursday...

If the predictions are correct, it looks like this one will not be a big deal Treasure Coast.

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A space rock, which weighs 66 pounds, was discovered more than 30 years ago in a garden in Blaubeuren, in southern Germany. “In 1989, a homeowner was digging a cable trench on his property in Blaubeuren, in the German region of Swabia, when his spade hit a rock,” explains the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in a statement. “Upon lifting it half a meter [1.6-feet] to the surface, he found that it was remarkably heavy.”

The rock, which is a chondrite, or stony meteorite, measures 11 inches by 9.8 inches by 7.9 inches...

Thanks to DJ for the link.    https://apple.news/AmlLMv3YcST2L92_BHwbFmw

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I found this sweet little fossilized tooth yesterday.

Fossil Tooth From Treasure Coast Beach.

After looking through some books, I think it is probably from something in the camel line, but I'd be happy to hear from anyone who knows.

It is small and very sharp.  Obviously not worn down much by wear.  Maybe an unerupted tooth.  

Another View of the Same Fossil Tooth.

On the Treasure Coast beaches you can find things that are hundreds of years old, but also thousands or even millions of years old.

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On your recent post you mentioned folks wanting to keep secrets to themselves and questioned whether or not you should share what you have learned along the way. Personally, I applaud you. I’ve been treasure hunting for nearly thirty years and have learned at least 75% of what I know about beach hunting from you. Mostly I go offshore with my guys to do the known sites of the 1715 fleet, but when the weather is not cooperating I do the beaches.

The reason for me posting this is to say that the Treasure Hunter’s Cookout was started by me 12 years ago because I wanted to get all these secretive hunters to open up to each other. I’ve accomplished my goal as I’ve seen rivals actually team up and create a more friendly atmosphere in the community. I always thought that scenarios like "I have a boat but no divers, magnetometer, sidescan, money, location etc. could cure itself if we all got together, met in a non formal, party like place and get to know each other. It appears to have worked. ...

Thanks much John.  I know your cookouts have been a big success.  Over the years I've received many glowing reports people who attended.  The cookouts have helped many, and the comradery has been a big positive for the treasure hunting community.

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And I received this email from the other side of the Atlantic.

... I have been reading the treasure beaches for years now and appreciate your blog very very much.

Your blog also brings back fond memories of living in southern Florida during the early 90s.

I always enjoy the photos of the beaches posted too.

I am located in Europe for now and mainly detect in central Europe and the northern Mediterranean.

The links about the "Dead water phenomenon" are not directly detector related,

unless you are towing a PI coil on a sled through the sea of course ...

With kind regards from across the big pond, Bjorn

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-dead-water-phenomenon.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzcgAshAg2o

I can tell from the Google stats that the blog is read overseas, but it is always nice to get an email and links for study. 

I'll be studying the links more thoroughly.   It is always good to add to your understanding.  You never know how it might help something fall into place.

Thanks Bjorn.

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The new blogger editor is slow.  I should make a transition to the new blog before long.

It looks like the Treasure Coast surf will remain in the two or three foot range for about a week.  We'll have a bit of a negative tide.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@com.

6/30/20 Report - Calm Surf and Sandy Beaches. Treasure Coast Fossils. Fishing Artifacts.

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

Typical Sandy Treasure Coast Beach.

The Treasure Coast beaches have been accumulating sand for weeks now.  In the photo you can see where the waves are crashing on a sand bar and then washing sand in, during high tide, up on the beach.

Waves Breaking on Bar

If there is a dip inside the bar, the waves will break on the bar and then disappear if the dip is deep enough.  Where there is less of a dip, the waves will continue in.  You can easily look out and see where the dips are.  

Waves Breaking on Sand Bar.

The dip shown in the above photo had a lot of loose sand and shells in it.  The water was clear and you could see what look like waves of sand on the bottom.  It was far from washed down to bedrock.

John Brooks Beach Yesterday Morning.

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Recently I posted a photo of a fossil snake vertebra that I found on a Treasure Coast beach.

Here is an article discussing the evidence that men ate snakes long ago.  Notice the reptile vertebra  pictured in the article (below).

Source: LiveScience.com link below.

Here is the link.

https://www.livescience.com/ancient-humans-ate-snakes.html

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Here is another small fossil vertebra found on a Treasure Coast beach.  It is in great shape and is very different than the snake vert.  I don't have any idea what type of animal it might have come from.

Two Views of Small Fossil Vertebra 

on US quarter for size comparison.

If anyone can tell me the animal, I'd love to know.  It doesn't look like the fish verts that I'm familiar with.

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Here are a couple stone-age fish hooks found at an inland site that was once a lagoon.  Between 1932 and 2020 the land was drained.  You can see that the fishhook that was excavated before the land was drained is in much better condition than the one excavated from the drier earth.

Source: See ScienceNorway link below.

Here is the link for the article about the excavation of fish bones and fishing artifacts from a stone-age site.

https://sciencenorway.no/archaeology-history-stone-age/archaeologists-have-found-astonishingly-well-preserved-gear-from-a-fisherman-who-lived-5000-years-ago/1705054

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As they mentioned on the Dino Hunters TV show, bones have to have the right conditions to fossilize.  After an organism's soft tissues decay in sediment, the bones are left behind. Water seeps into the remains, and minerals dissolved in the water seep into the spaces within the remains, where they form crystals.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov

An area of low pressure off North Carolina has a small chance of developing into a cyclone in the next 48 hours, but it is expected to head northeast.

The surf remains small on the Treasure Coast.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/25/20 Report - Treasure Coast Historic Places - Fort Pierce Casino and Sea Mist. Some Recent Fossil Finds.

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

Fort Pierce Casino

Submitted by GM.

I received the above postcard image of the Fort Pierce casino from GM, who also sent the following picture of the casino being used during WW II. That caption refers to the casino as "a pre-war dance hall located south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet."

Thanks GM.


Nick, who sent the following pictures of the casino said, The casino was right where you make the left curve into ty he now jetty parking lot. 

Fort Pierce Casino (Bottom Right)

Submitted by Nick.

Fort Pierce Casino

Submitted by Nick.

Thanks Nick.
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Guapo (GM) also sent me the following photos and captions showing the Sea Mist.  Sorry if it is a difficult to read, but you can see the original source - the Vero Beach Press Journal.

Thanks again GM.

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Recent Beach Fossil Finds by Timothy M.

Photo submitted by Timothy M.

Timothy M. recently found the above fossils and sent the following message.


Hello again. My wife and I were out around low tide Monday afternoon just walking some beaches cleaning up trash and doing some eyeballing. She has an eye for sea glass and picked up a few nice greens. I had been talking about fossils when just north of middle cove I found a small bone with a joint, leg, wing? Little later on at the north end of Walton rocks, she found this nice dark black bone fragment with visible marrow! She trumps me again.

Your blog always encourages people to think above lost human treasures. We had a great time wondering about the origin of these obviously truly ancient objects.

Once again thanks for sharing your knowledge and joy of discovery.

Thanks for sharing Timothy.  Glad you enjoy the various types of treasure that can be found on the Treasure Coast beaches.

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On the Treasure Coast the surf is still small, but we have some negative tides.

We are getting some dust from the Sahara dust storm.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/23/20 Report - Historical Treasure Coast Images From Wabasso, Vero and St. Lucie. A Few Finds.

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

Very Round Ball-Shape Object Found Yesterday.

Here are some finds I picked up yesterday.  I don't know what the ball-shaped object might be.  It looks a lot like a cannon ball, but I'll have to do some cleaning and investigate that.

The bottles below are embossed Coca Cola and Stuart Bottling Works bottles.  Both had a lot of shells on them.  The Coke is from Washington, DC.  I think that is the first I got from there.

Embossed Coca Cola and Stuart Bottling Works Bottles.

I've been able to find some information on the Stuart Bottling Works, but don't think I ever found out what they were putting in those bottles.  I'd guess soda or mineral water.

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The Sea Mist, Wabasso Beach.

Postcard Image Submitted by JamminJack

Yesterday I mentioned using old postcards for research. JamminJack said, I used post cards for research for a long time. Years ago, I donated my collection to Historical Society. It made me feel rewarded knowing future researchers will have access to them.

Below were several used for my research for 1715 Fleet and Treasure Coast. They are accessible online through MyFlorida site. 

This photo was taken before development of Wabasso beach. Check the cars and see if you can figure out the time frame.  

The title reads...

The Sea Mist, Wabasso Beach.

Back then Vero and Wabasdo were one beach. Confuses researchers when reading older articles on wrecks found, etc. 

Do you know exactly where it was?

Penn Wood Court

Postcard Image Submitted by JamminJack

About this one, Jack said, ... Pennwood Court, now Pennwood Motel. Kip Wagner helped with the construction of the motel.

Sexton's Motel Resort.

Postcard Image Submitted by JamminJack.

...Sexton's motel/resort. He was known for taking his guests across the Indian Lagoon to areas where treasure was being found.

St. Lucie State Museum.

3rd image is the building that later became Seal Museum at Pepper Park. This was built after treasure was being found in the Ft. Pierce area. I remember going in this museum.

Thanks to Jack for those images and descriptions. 

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From DJ...

Your June 22 blog reminded my of a search I could not complete. I found this reference to a casino (highlighted for you) and have been unable to locate the site of the old Casino. The only other reference was an advertisement I found once. I would imagine it would be directly across the Indian River as the barrier island was was only accessible by boat at that time. But thats a large area and many uncertain facts remain. Lots of development since them and most artifacts would likely be covered up by now or in the Indian River under sand and silt, anyway good to think about.

DJ also sent the following image of a great research tool.

Thanks DJ.

Can anyone tell us where the Fort Pierce casino was? I only have a vague recollection that I once knew about it.

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The low tide was nice and low yesterday.  The surf is still small.

Tropical depress Four is off the New England coast.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/4/20 Report - Great White Trolls Treasure Coast. Lazy Surf and Beaches. Blind Creek Designated Clothing Optional.

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

Miss May

Source: BrevardTimes.com link below.

FORT PIERCE, Florida – A female great white shark measuring 10 feet, 2 inches long was tracked swimming off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida at 7:46 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2020...

Here is the link for more about that.

http://www.brevardtimes.com/2020/06/great-white-shark-tracked-swimming-off-fort-pierce-florida//


Here is where Miss May was sighted.

Location of Miss May on June 3.

Source: Ocearch.org/tracker.

The above position of Miss May is given by https://www.ocearch.org/tracker.   Besides sharks you can reset the species to track whales, turtles and other animals.

Very interesting site.

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Turtle Trail Wednesday Near Low Tide.

Photo by DJ.

You can see that seaweed has accumulated on the beach since Tuesday.

You can take Tuesdays photos and compare them to the Wednesday photos and correlate that with what the surf was doing to get a sense of what a direct east swell will tend to do to this location.

Turtle Trail Near Low Tide Wednesday.

Photo by DJ.

Thanks for the photos DJ.

You can stil lsee the flat out front.

Tuesday I saw a large object in the surf out where the waves were crashing.  At the time I decided to take a closer look at it later when the tide was lower.  That was a mistake.  When I came back I couldn't see it at all.

Over and over I find that on the beach you have to do things when you get the chance because you might not get another chance.

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St. Lucie County has officially designated Blind Creek Beach as a clothing-optional beach.  Naturists have been working for that designation for years.

Clothing-optional beach etiquette is described on the http://www.treasurecoastnaturists.org/beach-etiquette.html web site.

If you don't want to see naked bodies don't go to this beach.

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Cristobal hasn't moved much yet, but is still expected to head towards Louisiana.
]

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

It looks like we'll be in for a lot of small surf for the next week or two.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

5/15/20 Report - Tropical Storm Could Be Developing. A Few New Treeasure Coast Beach Finds. The Role of The Beach Detectorist.

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

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

 Gradual development of this system is
expected, and it will likely become a tropical or subtropical storm
on Saturday when it is located near the northwestern Bahamas. Later
in the weekend and early next week, the system is expected to move
generally northeastward over the western Atlantic... See nhc.noaa.gov for more about that.

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Yesterday I looked a few beaches and did a little quick check at one beach.  As I mentioned yesterday I found a couple pieces of what I think is old lead.  Those finds gave me a clue that despite the relatively sandy conditions, shipwreck finds are not too far off.

Piece of Folded Lead Found Thursday.

In the past I talked about what I called "signal finds."  They are finds that are most valuable as clues or signs of conditions or nearby treasures.

When I looked out this morning and saw the nice rainy weather, even though I wasn't planning on going out until evening, I decided to go to the beach.  I like rainy mornings and staying out of the hot sun.

So when I got to the beach, conditions didn't look any better than the day before.  In fact, there was more sand.  Overall conditions were worse.  I would estimate that in most places there were inches of new sand.  Nonetheless, yesterday I had identified one area as a good possibility and focused on that area after doing a general quick check of a wider area.

When I hit the newly targeted area, I got additional encouraging signs.  First a small corroded bullet showed up.  It was not a old shipwreck item, but still somewhat encouraging.

Next I found a nearly dissolved piece of iron, then another piece of lead, which was folded up when found, then a shipwreck spike, and then a tack (photo below).

Friday Finds.

I was most surprised by the spike.  And to make it more surprising, it was found in one of the most heavily detected spots of the entire Treasure Coast on a day when there was no big improvement in conditions.  I saw two people metal detecting that area just yesterday, and that is no small target.  I could understand the tack being missed, but not so much the spike.

Anyhow, no big finds.  I guess if it was on Oak Island, the spike could be the subject of hours of excited hooplah, talk and speculation, but no big deal for the Treasure Coast.  Just a pleasant day of metal detecting.

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People who metal detect search for different reasons.  Different people search for different kinds of objects.  What a person searches for depends upon a variety of factors, including where they are and what kind of objects can be found at a location, but it also depends upon personal interests.

Some detectorists search for coins, others for modern jewelry, others for hoards, others for gold nuggets and others for shipwreck artifacts.  Those are just a few examples.ind

Different kinds of finds can be treated differently.  Coins can be either spent, sold, made part of a collection, or in the case of those that might be corroded or badly damaged recycled for the metal content or simply thrown away.

Jewelry finds might be returned to the original owner when that is possible, sold, or kept and worn.

The Treasure Coast is known for its shipwreck related finds, including both coins and artifacts.  In the case old coins or artifacts, the role of the detectorist might be seen as finding or recovering the item, but the detectorist's role might involve much more.

After the find, there is the cleaning and identification.  Every detectorist wants to know more about their find.  In the case of a coin, that might mean identifying the mint and date, but it can involve much more, such as the shipwreck it came from, if it did indeed come from a shipwreck, as well as the method of manufacture and other details of its history, use and cultural significance.

The primary role of the detectorist is often discussed as finding or recovering items, but that might be only the first step of a long series.  Some items, depending upon the type of the item and it's condition and significance, might be passed down as a family heirloom for generations or become part of a collection or museum display.

Items that are published in one form or another, can entertain and inform many people.  Both trivial and more significant finds can add to the overall knowledge base of individuals and contribute to the knowledge of the society.  Digital communications have made it possible for the regular citizen to become broadly informed and contribute to the shared experience and knowledge of societies and cultures.

The beach detectorist does not find undisturbed sites with items preserved in context.  Rather they recover "isolated" finds that were not preserved in context.   That is one thing that differentiates the beach detectorist from the archaeologist.

Beach detectorists save individual items from the dynamic and corrosive salt water environment in which will gradually deteriorate or quickly be destroyed by natural forces.  The challenge is to not only to recover items that have survived up to that point, but then to clean and conserve them and glean whatever can be known about them.  The next step is to share the knowledge and pass the items and knowledge down to future generations.

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A year or two ago I thought my detecting days were over, but my back has been holding up well this year so far, so  I'm just happy I've been able to put in a little detecting time without any big problems.


Today the surf is supposed to be four to seven feet.  The same tomorrow.  We might get a change in wind direction though, which could help.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

5/7/20 Report - Old Treasure Coast Coin Thought To Be From Unknown Wreck and 1715 Fleet Coin Ceritified. Some Beach Erosion.

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

Two-Reale Found by Terry S.

Photo by Terry S.

As you might recall, I previously showed and discussed this two-reale that was found by Terry S.  Terry had the coin cleaned by West Bay Trading Co. of Vero, who also issued a certificate of authenticity for the coin.

Other Side of Same Two-Reale

Find and photo by Terry S.

Here is the certificate of authenticity.

Certificate of Authenticity for Above Two-Reale

Photo by Terry S.

Terry believes the coin came from an early and previously unknown Treasure Coast shipwreck and is probably the oldest coin ever found on the Treasure Coast.  The COA indicates that the wreck is unknown and the coin is graded as grade 1.

Terry also had an eight-reale cleaned and certified by West Bay Trading Company.

Eight-Reale

Find and photo by Terry S.

Here is the other side of the same coin.

Undated Eight-Reale

Find and phot by Terry S.

And here is the COA for the eight-reale.

COA for Eight-Reale Found by Terry S.

Photo by Terry S.

As you can see, the eight-reale is certified as being from the 1715 Fleet and being grade 1.

Thanks for sharing Terry.

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7PM Update:  A front came thought this morning and there was some small erosion as early as noon today.


Looks like the surf will be building.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

I found a few little things yesterday on a local walk.  I haven't taken photos of them yet though.

I also have some other better finds that I'll be looking at.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/4/20 Report - TreasureGuide's Formula For Metal Detecting Success. Tragic Treasure Coast History. Analyzing Your Goals.

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

I developed a formula for metal detecting success. I presented the first version a few years ago but have continued to improve upon the formula.

The previous version of my success formula looked something like the following.

Success = L + T + Sk + E + D

I defined Success as the number of finds. I suppose it would be better to define success in terms of total value. Value, of course, is subjective. 

How you define success is very important. You should be very clear about what you want to accomplish so you can quantify and measure your progress. Keep track of what you accomplish as it relates to your goals. That feedback will help you improve your level of skill. It might not seem like it is very important, but you will be surprised by how much it helps to measure and monitor your success in a very precise way.

In my old formula, L represents location, T is time spent detecting. Sk stands for skill level, D, the detector used, and E is amount of effort.

I discussed those factors to some extent in previous posts. I talked about the effort factor in my 1/9/18 post, for example.

Extreme effort can really pay off. It refers to really pushing the boundaries in a variety of ways. I've discussed that before and won't get into it again now. Extreme effort can be limited by your determination, physical fitness, and courage, or should I say stupidity.

D is for the type of detector you use and its capabilities - not how you use it. How you use your detector is part of the skill factor.

I wanted to revisit the formula because I am going to add a couple new factors.

The most important factors are listed first. The two new factors were added to the end of the formula but that might change after I more carefully evaluate their relative importance.

Location is the most important factor in my opinion. If you are not where the targets are, none of the rest matters much. And time is definitely right up there at the number two spot.

Factors can interact. I suspect that most of them do. If you have a quality detector, it still doesn't matter much unless you know how to use it well. So the skill factor definitely interacts with the detector factor.

Not long ago I mentioned the importance of the time you spend scouting around and how that time can be as important as the amount of time you spend detecting. Time spent on the beaches and time spent scouting the beaches can dramatically improve your chance of being at the right spot at the right time. The time factor therefore includes time spent in the field scouting as well as time spent actually detecting. It also includes researching sites. Therefore to be more specific, my time factor includes three factors: time scouting (Ts), time detecting (Td), and time gathering and assimilating information (Ti).

The new factors that I am adding today are networking (N) and access (A), so the new revised formula is  Success = L + T + Sk + E + D+ N + A.

Networking, like employment networking, includes relationships that provide you with important information. It helps you find out what is going on where. That includes internet as well as other relationship networks. This blog has a networking component.

The other new factor that I am adding to the formula today is access. Some people have more access than other people. For example, if you are a park ranger that can metal detect in a park while others can not, that gives you an advantage. Or if you have access to restricted areas because of your employment or occupation or other reasons, that can als be an advantage. Or if you have access to the beaches when others do not, such as having a beach-side residence so you can get on the beach while the beaches are closed, that is an advantage too. Perhaps the most obvious example is having a state lease to shipwreck site that excludes others from being able to detect that site.

So that is my new and improved version of my formula for metal detecting success. Expect future adjustments to the formula.

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The Treasure Coast was the scene of some very gruesome 20th century history as mass murderer Gerard Schaefer tortured and killed along South Hutchinson Island and A1A in the 1970s. One incident occurred at Blind Creek. If you have a weak stomach, you might not want to read anymore about this, but here is the link in case you do.

https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/schaefer-gerard.htm

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Definitions are important if you want to communicate clearly or think clearly. I highly recommend using "operational definitions," but I won't attempt explain anymore about that now.

Having some meaningful measure of success will help you assess how well you are doing, but first you have to know exactly what it is that you want to accomplish.

If you just look at detecting as a hobby or a form or relaxation, you don't need anykind of measure, but if you want to accomplish something specific, it will help to have good data.

First, ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Is it old coins, modern jewelry, artifacts or whaat? Are you going for quantity or quality? Or are you going for total value? Just what is it? You'll often find that quality is sacrificed for quality or vice versa, but you need to be clear about your goals.

If your target is something really big, you'll probably need a lot of a patience. Maybe you don't have the patience to do that. Maybe your personality would be better suited to something that makes it easier to see occasional success. That is something to consider.

Your personality will determine to some extent the types of goals that will best suit you. If you can't tolerate long periods of time without any clear successes, you might mix types of hunting, You might find yourself taking time off from your big target to do a bit of something that provides more frequent feedback.

If you watch Gold Rush on TV you'll see guys spending huge amounts of money on big equipment and land and then processing untold amounts of paydirt to accumulate a decent amount of flour gold. That is not for me. First, I'm not going to make a huge investment out front and then work a long time trying to make back my original investment. Secondly, processing endless yards of dirt to get that kind of gold just doesn't interest me. It requires a lot of repetition.  It might be profitable, eventually, but it is just not my style.

It is important to know yourself, and it can be very helpful to be very clear about your goals and keep good records that will provide feedback on your progress. But that also requires you to be a certain type of person.

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The tides are big, but the surf is getting smaller. Tuesday and Wednesday the predictions say we will be getting a one foot surf.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/11/20 Report - Some of The Oldest Coins Found On The Treasure Coast.

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

Maravedi Found by The Capitana Crew During The 2019 Season.

On 3/7 I posted a photo of a find by Terry S. and asked if it might be the oldest coin found on the Treasure Coast.  JamminJack sent me a photo of this maravedi found by the crew of the Capitana during the 2019 salvage season.

From my research it seems to match a maravedi pictured in Monedas Espanolas Desde Juana y Carlos A Isavel II 1504 a 1868 by Calico et al.  From that, it appears to be a four-maravedi from the mint of Santo Domingo and from the reign of Juana and Carlos and would also be early 16th century, like the coin found by Terry.

I should say that as far as I know, Terry's coin has not yet been authenticated, but if it is authentic and my match is correct, then both the maravedi and Terry's find seem to be from the same general time period.

Below is the other side of  the maravedi.

Other Side of Same Maravedi Found by The Capitana Crew During the 2019 Season.  

And below is a scan of an illustration of a similar four-maravedi from Santo Domingo shown in the Calico book. (Sorry about the lack of clarity of the scan.)

Four Maravedi from Santo Domigo Shown in Calico Reference.

But that isn't all.  JamminJack also sent me a photo of a very old coin which he described as "found on the Winter Beach camp site before development covered the site."  It is in his possession.

Photo of Holed Carlos y Juana Mexico One-Reale

Find and photo by JamminJack. 

This type of coin is also illustrated in the Calico et al reference book on page 30.

Here is the tag coin's tag.

Tag of Above One-Reale.

Submitted by JamminJack.

My reference book, like the tag, dates that coin to the early 16th century.

On 3/7 I asked if Terry's find might be the oldest coin found on the Treasure Coast.  Without being able to put an exact date on any of these coins, they do appear to be from the same period.  Two examples were shown today.  Each one could be the oldest of its type.   If not the oldest, they appear to be among the oldest.

I intended to check out the coins in the Florida collection too, but haven't done that yet.

Isn't it interesting that one of these old coins was found during the 2019 salvage season and then another in early 2020.  Just coincidence?   Or could there be some connection?  Maybe a hole or area containing older items was exposed.  I don't know.

There are always new and interesting questions.

I've been planning on talking more about the Winter Beach camp for some time now, but there has been a lot going on.  Maybe I'll get to it soon.


Thanks to the expert readers of this blog for helping me to bring you such interesting content.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/7/20 Report - Could This Recent Find Be The Oldest Coin Ever Found On The Treasure Coast? Very Possibly!

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

Possibly Oldest Coin Ever Found On The Treasure Coast

Find and photo by Terry S.

I've been reporting and documenting Treasure Coast treasure hunting history, especially beach metal detecting, for several years now.  That wasn't my plan when I started this blog, but that is one thing that I've done.  As such, it has been my privilege to report many interesting finds and the stories of those who search the beaches.  Today I present the story of what is a possibly a record-breaking find made by Terry S.

Terry S. just made the find shown above and has been trying to figure out exactly what it is.  Below is what he said. 

  

 

Well folks I finally found a coin that is better than anything I have ever hoped for. This coin was probably lost on the treasure coast beaches 200 years before the 1715 Spanish Plate fleet disaster. This coin was around when Leonardo da Vinci was painting and his work was later to become so famous. It is what most including me  would say is the find of a lifetime.

When I found this coin at first I didn’t know for sure what it was, I thought it might be a Spanish reale because I could just make out what appeared to be the Spanish shield on one side. I called Jerry and together we thought it may be a reale but again we both were not sure. That evening Jerry called me and asked what it weighed. It was 6.5 grams and Jerry has a 4 reale that weighs 13 grams... making it a two reale.

I sent several pictures of the coin to a friend that is a real expert and he emailed me back saying that it looks as though it is an Old World coin minted in Spain and asked me to bring the coin over. Now it’s getting interesting and more than a little exciting.

Jean and I took the coin over and my friend spent a lot of time studying the coin and had several reference books as well as an article about some Spanish history dating to the mid 1550’s  that he brought up on his computer and asked me to read. I asked him if this coin would date before the 1715 coins being recovered, and he said before that. I then asked if he thought it may date to the 1600’s and again he said before that. At that point I knew I really had something good. A couple days ago I received an email from him saying  the coin appears to be a Carlos & Juana 1504 – 1516 silver coin. But I can’t say more until it’s cleaned.

   

I have had the coin soaking in distilled water, but last night my curiosity got the better of me and used the method where you cover the coin with saliva and wrap it in tin foil holding it until it gets warm then rub it with baking soda. It started to clean up but then I realized that I was being foolish and quit, this coin needs to be taken to an expert for cleaning and I shouldn’t be messing with it. This would be the front of the coin and it’s much more incrusted than the reverse...

It is going to be interesting to see if any coins this age or older have ever been found on Treasure Coast beaches... To a senior citizen with a metal detector this is exciting.

At the top of the post is the coin after Terry removed a little of the dirt.  Below are two more views from before any dirt removal.

Two Views of Same Coin Found by Terry S.

 I looked through one of my books and found a coin that looks similar.  The similar ones I found are Carlos and Juana coins minted in Mexico prior to 1516.

Isn't interesting that just the other day I listed a number of 16th century Treasure Coast shipwrecks and then this early coin is found.   Of course even if the coin is 16th century, that doesn't mean it was lost that early.  We don't know if it was or not.

I sent Terry the a copy of a page (shown below) from the book, Monedas Espanolas Desde Juana y Carlos a Isabel II 1504 a 1868, by Faran Calico, Xavier Calico y Joaquin Trigo, 6th edition, Barcelona, 1985.  That page seems to show coins very similar to the one found by Terry.

On the right side (top to bottom) of Terry's coin I think I could see part of what would be "Charolus."  And on the left (bottom to top) a bit of "IOHANA."  

The other side, I presume, would have large pillars in the center as shown on the coins in the book.

Quite a find!

Congratulations Terry!

I do recall seeing one very old maravedi that was found on the Treasure Coast, but unfortunately at this time don't recall its age.

Is this the oldest coin ever found on the Treasure Coast?  Let me know if you know of any older.

I'll look into it too.

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This has been a good winter for Treasure Coast treasure hunting.

The surf today will be 3 - 5 feet, increasing up to 7 - 11 feet Monday.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net