Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of TreasureBeachesReport.BlogSpot.com.
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| Carved Jet Higa Source: Current Sedwick Coins Auction Catalog. |
This carved jet higa is lot 1545 in the current Sedwick Coins auction. Jet is black wood. It is broken and incomplete.
Higas (sometimes figas) are common Spanish colonical artifacts and have been found on wrecks of the 1715 Fleet.
Higas are charms or talismans meant to ward off evil.
They are made of various materials, including jet, ivory, and various other materials.
Below is a higa that was found by using a metal detector on a Treasure Coast beach.
That one appears to be made of ivory and has a silver cap and loop.
One that looks nearly identical is listed with a photo in the the Mel Fisher artifact database.
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| Higa Dug On Treasure Coast Beach |
Not worth a red cent! You might have heard that expression. Maybe not so much anymore, but I've heard that expression many times in the past. I always thought it meant "not worth much of anything," but red cents can actually be worth something.
What is a red cent? If you've dug a lot of coins you've probably dug some pennies that look red. I have. I've seen red wheat pennies as well as memorials.
I've read that the color is determined by different copper oxides.
I once believed that any patina on a coin was bad. That isn't necessarily so. Some patinas actually add value.
A rainbow toned silver US coin can be worth 10 or 20 times more than a similar untoned coin.
By toning I'm referring to the natural aging process, not encrustation or corrosion.
Back to red cents.
Indian head cents are popular collectibles. The following article from numismaticnews.net says, “There’s a big jump in value for red Indian Head cents. The 1890 is scarce in a high grade with red color. That’s an underappreciated rarity."
Here is a link if you want to read more about the value of Indian Heads and red cents.
http://www.numismaticnews.net/article/good-to-see-red-with-indian-head-cents
The next time you dig up a red cent in nice condition, check it out. It might be worth more than you think.
You might also want to go back and look at the nicer pennies and other coins that you've stored away, and look for those with especially nice patinas.
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| Source of photo: Comcast link below. |
Use the following link to find out.
If you've been metal detecting very long and dig things besides coins you've probably dug a few Hot Wheels. Of course it isn't likely that you'll find one this valuable, but you can find one worth a few bucks. It can be fun to research the toys you do dig to see what they might be worth.
It is always good to know what kinds of things might have some value. Sometimes you might be surprised.
http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/watch/Pawn-Stars/7196250346352115112/421517891940/Hot-Wheel-of-Fortune/videos?skipTo=58&cmpid=FCST_hero_tv_pawnstars
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On the Treasure Coast the higher surf that was predicted turned out to be only up to around four feet. Not only is that disappointing, but the wind is South/Southeast. That won't help much.
Not much hope in the predictions for this week either.
Hope you had an great Easter,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
