12/23/13 Report - Three Thoughts on a Mystery Object, Two Gold Rings, One Old Key and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

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

Here are a couple of old finds.

The old corroded key was dug in the same area as the vert, which has a small hole in the middle.


Down below I posted some more modern finds.


I posted a photo of a mystery object in my 12/20/13 post and got a few new ideas on what it might be.

Chris V. said, I was reading you post this morning and I think, and it looks like a,  brass, choke plate for a carburetor,  maybe motorcycle or small engine, they usually have 2 screw holes but i am sure some could have 3,,  it really looks like it,, the cut out it to let some air pass, down the throat. very common. especially on jet ski carbs.

There is always the possibility that somehow new stuff got mixed in with the old.


Carter M. offered this idea.  I live in Virginia and mostly hunt Civil War camps and Colonial house sites.  Your whatsit could be a piece (scale) off an epaulet, I don't know for sure though.  We do find reales here once in a while, mostly halfs or one reales from Mexico w/ 1732 the oldest I have seen dug here in Northern Va.! ( A 176? is my oldest).

Thanks for the idea Carter and congratulations on the finds.


Tom B. wrote in with another good idea.  Here is what he said.

Recently my kids bought me a metal detector for my retirement and I’ve enjoyed reading your blog for just a few months now.  I grew up on the treasure coast and have always enjoyed its beaches.

Regarding your post on 12/20 the odd crescent shaped piece of metal.  This is truly a ‘wild guess’ but were there any Scotsmen in this British Regiment.  The piece might be part of a Scottish Sporran pouch typically made of leather or fur to hold money and military men used them to hold their musket balls.  Most have three bangles that hang down from the front which would account for the three holes.  The ones that you see now are quite ornate but a soldier might have a very simple one.

Thanks for writing and all of the ideas.  I'll have to do some more research.

Sometimes a ring looks like it is heavier or lighter than it actually is.  The weight will depend in part upon the purity of the gold and the alloys.

Below are two recent dug rings, both 18K.

First is this 0.2 oz. multicolor ring of 18K.

I thought it was interesting.  It looked to me like it would weight more than that but it is thin.

And here is another 18K ring.  It is small and I thought it would weight even less than it does - 0.05 oz.

The leaves look like they were attached as separate parts.  The hollow middle looks a little odd to me, almost like it was meant to hold something, but I don't think it did.


Below is a shell item that looks like it was worked, maybe to be a punch.

It was found in the same area as the vert shown above.





We finally got some lower low tides lately on the Treasure Coast.

Still expecting a six foot surf for the 25th.   About four feet until then.

That is all for now.  Have been quite busy lately.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net