1/8/13 Report. - Shipwreck Spike and Rosary Center Piece

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

Dug Old Copper Medal
Back and Front

As you probably know, I've been having trouble uploading photos to my blog lately.  It seems there was a new compatibility issue between blogger and Internet Explorer.  Until the engineers get the problem worked out, the temporary fix is to use a browser other than IE, so that is what I did.  My bet is that these companies  create compatibility issues from time to time to force people into their other products.  I can't prove that, but I'd bet on it.

Encrusted Spike
Two Views

Anyhow, I can now easily upload stills into my blogs.  That makes life a lot easier for me.

To the left is a medal that I dug on a shipwreck beach some time ago.  These aren't the best photos, but they aren't that bad either.  The medal is very worn and the detail is not much more visible in person, even under magnification.  It is very worn.

You can see the border or cloud of stars in the first (back) view.  I can faintly make out an M in the middle, but that is about all.

On the other side I think there is an image of Virgin Mary.  I can't make it out real well either.

Anyhow, one thing I recently learned, is that this is probably a rosary center piece medal.   Below is a photo of rosary center piece clipped from an online catalog.

The one from the catalog is probably the same design as the one that I dug.  Both appear to be what is referred to as a Miraculous Medal.

I don't think too many people would lose rosary parts at the beach in tranquil times, but finding rosary parts from a shipwreck would not seem so unexpected.



Rosary Center Piece
From Catalog of
Rosary Parts

Besides personal possessions, there are records of over 5000 rosaries being shipped to the New World between 1511 and 1613.  And I would expect many more being shipped in the 18th Century.  The beads of those rosaries were made of a variety of substances, including wood, jet, bone and glass.

Many of the religious medallions and artifacts shipped to the New World in those days were copper alloys.

For more information on that, you might want to consult Deagan's book on Spanish Colonial artifacts in your local library.

To the right and above is a spike that I dug yesterday.  As I mentioned, there was a cross dug in close proximity to the spike.  The cross is also heavily encrusted and needs cleaning.

 There could be something in that crust on the spike.  The detector signal sounded to me like that might be the case.  That means more cleaning.


I'm so glad that I can easily upload pictures for my blog again.

It is overcast and drizzling on the Treasure Coast this morning.  There is a six mph wind blowing from the southeast.  The surf is a little more choppy today with swells running three to four feet.

I'd be working the low tide zone again.  Low tide is around 10:30 AM.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net