7/1/20 Report - Gold Sovereigns Found by New Detectorist. Ring, Button and Other Old Finds.

By the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of TreasureBeachesReport.blogspot.com.

Old Calendar Image.

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An amateur metal detectorist on a family holiday in Victoria’s famous goldfields has found 14 coins potentially worth thousands of dollars.

Bev Martin, 60, was searching for gold nuggets last week in Victoria’s ‘Golden Triangle’, two hours north-west of Melbourne, when her metal detector blared out to let her know she had found something special.

She started digging with her shovel before unearthing the rare coins thought to be over 150 years old...

Ms Martin, who has only recently taken up the hobby, was keen to share the discovery online with the Detecting Downunder Facebook group.

‘We’ve all heard the story of that person out on their first treasure hunt with a metal detector and hits the mother load,’ they said.

‘Well, break out your tissues because it’s happened again.’...

See

https://en.brinkwire.com/news/amateur-metal-detector-finds-fourteen-extremely-valuable-sovereign-coins/

or

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8472753/Amateur-metal-detector-finds-FOURTEEN-extremely-valuable-sovereign-coins.html

Thanks to William K.

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Source: Upnorthlive.com site linked below.

MACKINAW CITY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) -- The 2020 archeological season at Colonial Michilimackinac is off to a great start!

According to Curator of Archaeology for Mackinac State Historic Parks Dr. Lynn Evans, researchers found what appears to be an intaglio glass, or possibly crystal, sleeve button.

"We are not sure who the figure is, but it appears to be a Classical figure, which might have appealed to an educated man of the eighteenth century...

Ring Found at Same Site.

Source UpNorthLive web site.  Link below.

Here is that link.

https://upnorthlive.com/newsletter-daily/discovery-of-history-behind-colonial-michilimackinac-kick-off-the-2020-dig-season

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Excavations at Athlone Garda Barracks have offered a revealing insight into the life of a 17th century soldier, unearthing coins, musket balls, a thimble, a hair comb, among other items. The station covers a sizeable part of South Roscommon and a new station is currently Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Minister of State for the Office of Public Works announced the interesting finds unearthed during the monitored excavation works on the new Garda Station on Barrack Street, Athlone...

The items uncovered range from coins to musket balls, to a thimble and a hair comb, and fragments of clay pipes and glassware as well as military buttons, uniform buckles, and interesting animal bones...

Here is that link.

https://roscommonherald.ie/2020/06/25/musket-balls-coins-and-other-items-unearthed-at-athlone-garda-station/#.XvoWTUBFxYe

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I'm surprised that BLM accepts US currency that bears the image of slave holders, many other symbols that they should find offensive, and since they say it is the product of a capitalistic system powered by slave labor.  Consistency of thought and argument is extremely rare these days.  Logic, reason intellectual honesty are out of fashion.

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On the Treasure Coast expect a one or two foot surf for another week or two.

The National Hurricane Service expects no cyclones in the next forty eight hours.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/12/19 Report - Possible Opportunities Coming. 17th Century Shipwrecks. American Legion Anniversary Coins.

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

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

As you can see, tomorrow and Thursday the surf should be up, and then again, a bit more on Sunday.

Those are the types of thing that is common in November, but I'd prefer to see something more sustained.  After a little erosion the wind changes again and the beaches fill before the next opening.

John E. sent me the following report.

On Saturday found a 50 yard-75 yard stretch of beach with 3-4 foot cut.   Was down in some nice yellow sand...lots of targets - highlights ... one buffalo nickel ( no date) and couple wheat pennies.... 1940’s (all others clad ) and a lock escutcheon, don’t think it is very old ( 1.5 inches long) went back next day, cut was gone - no targets.... shows how short window of opportunity can be sometimes. Using equinox 800 - still learning!!      

Finds by John E.

Photos by John E.

Thanks for the report John.

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Swedish maritime archaeologists have discovered two wrecks believed to be 17th-century warships, at least one of which is likely to be the sister ship of the Vasa, a historic vessel that sank on its maiden voyage.

“When I came down as the first diver ... I saw this wall five or six metres high and I came up and there was a massive warship,” the maritime archaeologist Jim Hansson said. “It was a thrilling feeling.”...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/08/17th-century-warships-linked-to-swedens-historic-vasa-found

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American Legion 100th Anniversary coins from the US Mint.

You can see more at the USMint.gov web site (link below).

https://catalog.usmint.gov/american-legion-100th-anniversary-coins/?cm_sp=LP1-legion-coll-030619

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It looks like there is a good chance that a window of opportunity might crack open some time in the next few days.  If you manage to hit the right place at the right time, you might get access to some older things.  It won't come to you.

Open Sesame.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/17/19 Report - Two Hoards. Columbus Landing. 17th Century St. Augustine Shrine.

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

Ancient Coin Cache Found.
Photo by Denis Glicksman

A HOARD OF EXCEPTIONAL COINS FROM THE END OF THE XVTH CENTURY DISCOVERED IN DIJON

During an archaeological diagnostic in the center of Dijon, near the old abbey of Saint-Bénigne, an Inrap team has brought to light a coin hoard of about thirty gold and silver pieces from the second half of the XVth century, coming from Italy and the Holy Roman Empire states. This hoard, of great numismatic interest, bears the likeness of a catalog of portraits of all the great princes from the end of the Middle Ages.

Here is that link.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCoins/comments/bv4cbz/the_archaeologists_of_dijon_france_have_just/

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Depiction of Christopher Columbus Landing.

Source: SpiritDailyBlog.  See link below.

Columbus day, which has traditionally been celebrated in the United States and other countries on-Oct. 12, in today's super-divisive hyper-political world, instead of a day of pride has become an opportunity to hold up and celebrate the uniquely egregious sins of Caucasian Christians.

For Christopher Columbus was not only a devout Catholic, but — like other explorers who would follow in his wake — a missionary. He considered the evangelization of the New World his primary goal...

Here is a link to an article about the religious feelings and motives of Christopher Columbus.
https://spiritdailyblog.com/commentary/hidden-history-columbus-amazing-catholicism

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St. Augustine, Fla., Oct 15, 2019 / 03:01 am (DNA)..- Bishop Felipe Estévez of St. Augustine announced Friday that the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche has been elevated as a National Shrine by the US bishops' conference.

The Shrine is located at the Nombre de Dios mission in St. Augustine, founded in 1587. According to the Diocese of St. Augustine, it is America's oldest Marian shrine... 

Here is that link.


https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/historic-marian-shrine-in-florida-elevated-to-national-shrine-54052

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Found Contents of a Bronze Age "Tool Kit."

Bronze Age Europe was a violent place. But only recently have scientists uncovered the scope of the violence, at a 3000-year-old site in northern Germany where thousands of well-armed young men fought with sophisticated weapons in in what appears to be an epic battle. Now, a bagful of bronze artifacts and tools found at the bottom of the river in the middle of the battlefield suggests some of these warriors traveled from hundreds of kilometers away to fight. That suggests northern European societies were organized on such a large scale that leaders could call warriors to distant battlefields, long before modern communication systems and roads.

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/10/3000-year-old-toolkit-suggests-skilled-warriors-crossed-europe-fight-epic-battle

Thanks to Douglas for that link.

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Source: National Hurricane Center.

As you can see from the map, there is a system in the Gulf that is expected to become a cyclone in the next forty-eight hours.

If that one affects us at all, it won't be before several days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/4/19 Report - WW2 Bomb on 17th Century Wreck. Upturned Bottle Border. The Quandry of Collections.

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

Excavated Line of Upturned Bottles.

An 1800s lot in Houston was excavated.  Above is one of the interested features that was uncovered.

“One really interesting feature that we found tends to be associated with German households,” says Boyd, “was empty bottles upturned in a line,” which were used to border yards and gardens. Backhoes stumbled upon a still-intact bottle alignment— “Only one got nicked,” says Barrett—including three original Carl Conrad & Company Budweiser bottles from the 1870s.


Here is the link.

https://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2019/9/25/frost-town-james-bute-park-artifacts-from-houstons-first-working-class-community

Reading and interpreting the patterns of the past can be fruitful and interesting for any detectorist.

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Navy divers destroy WW2 bomb found in 17th Century warship.

The 987kg (2,175lbs) explosive was towed away from the protected remains of the sunken vessel near Southend Pier.

Divers worked on the bomb in a six-day operation, working mainly by touch because of poor visibility.,..

The bomb was discovered by civilian divers from Historic England during an archaeological dive on the shipwreck London, which was launched in 1656 and sank in 1665...

Here is the link.


https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-49863564

That is one example of how things from widely differing ages can get intermingled.  Items found on old shipwrecks, like this bomb, sometimes come from other age periods and sources.

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The Quandry of Collections.

I believe that most detectorists that hunt the Treasure Coast are interested in finding old historic items.  They appreciate the history and story told by those objects.  They aren't primarily interested in economic value, but that helps.  There are exceptions for sure, but I don't think there are too many.

We all know you can't take it with you, so what do you do with it.  Well, when you have it you study it, enjoy it, talk about it and share it, but eventually you have to pass it on.  Maybe you might want to turn it into cash, but hopefully you have children or relatives that appreciate your finds as much as you do.  You might take note of those people who appreciate your items and try to foster an appreciation of the objects and their story with your children.

In any case, accumulating a bunch of stuff requires storage space.  One solution is to convert some of your less favorite finds into cash and focus on improving the quality of your collection.

If you want to turn finds into cash, a lot of mistakes can be made.  You need to know exactly what you have in order to market it well.  You have to know a little about the market for different kinds of items, and the market will change.  Reading always helps.

Kovels produces good articles and price guides on collectibles of various types.  Here is one good article on things that aren't worth collecting anymore.  The market for everything seems to vary from time to time.

https://www.kovels.com/latest-news/10-collectibles-not-worth-collecting-anymore.html

One good thing about silver and gold is that there is always a market and you can easily determine the melt value, but you can still make big mistakes by not knowing the real market value of an item.
Valuable coins can be worth many times the value of the metals.

Maybe for you it is more about the hunt.  You enjoy the search.  In that case, you might not be so interested in the monetary value of your finds but you will want to share your stories.  In that case you'll want to write down the details, as I've suggested many times before.  People tend to think of hardcopy books (maybe just people of my age) even though they are going the way of the dinosaur, but you can easily share your stories on the internet - perhaps on this site.  Of course I cannot post them all.

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Somebody was wanting to FOLLOW this blog, but couldn't find how to do that.  My followers list is presently at the bottom of the left side.  You'll have to scroll down to find it.  Unfortunately lately there have been times when it isn't showing up.  I suppose blogger will fix that.

We're having a three of four foot surf.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/14/.19 Report - 17th Century Shipwreck With Gold Coins, Diamond Ring and CHEESE. Old Plated and Gilt Buttons. Barry.

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

Source: See TheLocal.se link below.

Of the gold coins, diamond ring and cheese salvaged from a 17th century shipwreck, it seems the cheese received the most attention, perhaps because it was somewhat unusual or said more about daily life on board the ship.

Divers excavating the royal ship Kronan in the waters off the Baltic Sea island of Öland came upon the smelly material inside a black tin jar found on the seabed this month.

"It's a pretty good guess that it's some kind of dairy product, and we think it is cheese," researcher Lars Einarsson at the Kalmar County Museum told The Local on Wednesday.

"It looks a bit like some kind of granular Roquefort cheese. It's been in the mud, so it's reasonably well preserved, but at the same time it has been at the bottom of the sea for 340 years – we're not talking Tutankhamun's burial chamber," he said.

Einarsson said the thick, gooey find smells strongly of cheese and yeast.

"I think it smells quite nice, because I like exotic food. But I would not want to taste it."

He and his team presented the suspected cheese on Tuesday along with some of the other items salvaged during the two-week diving project in July – including 14 gold coins and a diamond ring...

Here is the link.

https://www.thelocal.se/20160727/old-stinky-cheese-found-on-swedish-17th-century-ship

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Yesterday I posted the following button for ID.

Mitch King identified it as a modern blazer button.  That is what I get for dumping a bunch of buttons together and not doing the research or labeling them.  Actually I couldn't have planned it better, because it goes along perfectly with what I wanted to discuss today.

Yesterday I talked about putting the puzzle together.  I was talking about the evidence that remains on a site that when put together gives a nice picture of what happened at a ;particular time and place in history.  My example was a land site where there were was still a lot of evidence of that time in history.

The beach is different.  Instead of finding many pieces of the puzzle in context, on a beach it is more like you took puzzle random pieces from a lot of different puzzles, threw them altogether, and churned them continually for years.  You might occasionally get a few things that go together, but things from different times, and even different places, can be mixed in.  In the dunes, things are as randomly mixed, and in the deeper water things aren't as completely mixed.  And if you get down to deeper layers of sand, things haven't been disturbed as much, but if you are talking about that area near the water line where there is almost continual movement, old things can show up once in a while, but things from more recent times can show up as well.  You can't tell much about the age of the item from its context, because the context has not been preserved in that great mixing bowl.  You can find things that differ in age from millions old to things that were lost just yesterday in the same place.  Furthermore, the items can move north or south on the beach, not just up and down or in and out.  They can also come from farther out in the water or down from the dunes.

When you are getting multiple items, sometimes you can actually trace them to try to determine where they are coming from.  I've found, for example, lead shot on the beach and also on slabs falling down the dune face.  That convinced me that at least some of them were coming from the dunes.  Other times you might be able to trace them down into the water, but it is often not easy to figure out where they came from, especially when they come from that very dynamic zone where sand and other things move almost continually.

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Here are some old dug buttons without much identifying information other than the back marks, yet there are some clues.

Near 3/4 Inch Domed Button That Reads PLATED.

Below is a flat button that reads STANDARD COLOUR RICH.  I can't make out the other marks.

Reads: STANDARD COLOUR RICH

I assume that one is British because of the spelling of color.


And below is a coat button.  I assume that because of the large, over one inch, size.

Flat Coat Button.

I was going to post the front and backs of each of these and some other buttons, but when I started to do it I realized I had some of the photos labeled wrong.  Maybe I'll straighten out that some other time.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov

As you can see, Barry has move north.  The other system that was in the Atlantic has disappeared.

Watch for more of those though.  Once it starts there are usually several systems coming off of Africa.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/6/15 Report - 16th and 17th Century New World Shipbuilding. Sampling and Detecting Strategies.

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

Some Artifacts At The Conservation Lab.

You have to make decisions.  Hopefully they are good strategic decisions based upon information.

One decision is which detector to use.  I'm not talking about which detector to buy, although that will determine what you have available to use.

As you probably know I talk about detectors as being something like gulf clubs.  Sometimes one will be the best choice and sometimes another will be the best choice.

Yesterday I was digging a lot of deep holes. It was tiring, but I had a reason for doing that.  I thought there might be some shipwreck spikes to be found, and  I wanted to know if there might be shipwreck material in the deeper layers of sand.

As it turned out I didn't find any spikes.  I did find some iron rods and things, but nothing definitive.

If I just wanted to quickly skim the coins I would have put away my driver and pulled out my putter. Of course sometimes coins are deeper, but most often when coins come out of erosion, they are not very deep.  In fact, they are most often in the first inch or two.

By digging big deep holes I got a good look at the deeper layers.  Under about a foot of sand there was a layer of modern junk along one stretch.  It got covered maybe back some years ago.

I often do some sampling and then make decisions based upon what I learn.  In some cases it takes longer to get a good sample than other times.  Once you get a good sample, you can then change strategies.

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A couple cargo ships went down in the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin.  It appears that lives might have been lost as well as the ships and cargo.  Don't forget that hurricanes cause a lot of problems.

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Below is a link to an interesting article on ship manufacture in the New World.

New Spain provided great lumber, but the iron had to be brought from Spain.  The large trees of South America actually allowed larger beams to be constructed from one tree rather than assembled as would be the case if the same ship was constructed in Europe.

Spanish Ships and Shipbuilding in the Atlantic Colonies, Sexteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, by Chuck Meide, Dec. 2002.

http://www.academia.edu/3258279/A_Plague_of_Ships_Spanish_Ships_and_Shipbuilding_in_the_Atlantic_Colonies_Sixteenth_and_Seventeenth_Centuries

When you go to this site it looks like you have to register to download it, but you can read it online without doing all of that.

Here are just a couple interesting excerpts.

That will give you some idea of the type of information you might find in this work.

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There was a shark bite at Pepper Park yesterday.  It was on the foot and in shallow water.  They closed the park, but it is probably open again.

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Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

1/21/15 Report - Wreck of The Griffin. Low Profile Metal Detecting. Image and Shovels and Holes.

Written by the Treasure Guide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Since the weather has improved in the keys, the Magruder and Dare are returning to the wreck site of the Margarita.

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In the past I posted some articles about the wreck of the Griffin, which sunk in the 17th Century.

I found an exceptionally good article about that wreck.

The image to the left is a woodcut image from that article.

Below is the link.



http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/mysterious_shipwreck_found_in/40871618

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About thirty years ago I was doing contract work at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola.  I did a lot of work there and when I traveled to the area I took my metal detector and used it for leisure after work rather than sitting in a hotel.

I did a lot of work with some of the people there and they knew about my hobby.  One day one of the civilian employees at the Air Rework Facility told me about a site where an old hotel from the thirties and forties had burned down and been removed.  They asked if I wanted to detect the site, which was close to their home.  He told me where the site was and I agreed to go out to the site and meet him there.  When I arrived I looked around at what looked like a WW II battlefield.   Huge holes and piles of dirt were everywhere.  It was obvious that someone had already detected there.  The only other option was that someone dug about a hundred fox holes.

The fellow later told me what I had guessed- that he had detected the site but didn't find anything of value.  He wanted to see how I would detect the site.

I quickly found some old coins and tax tokens, a sterling silver plate, a vintage gold plated lapel pin, etc., etc.  You couldn't tell that I had been there.  I didn't use a shovel.  I didn't even use a scoop.  As I often do, I used a screwdriver, which when properly used can pop a coin out of the ground without damaging the coin or leaving an obvious scar on the ground.

A few days ago I talked about being a minimalist.  I don't take more equipment than I need and I don't take bigger equipment than I need.  I don't like fooling with a lot of extra equipment, but more importantly, I like to maintain a low profile.



Military Metal Detecting.

Take a look at this picture.  What would you think if those two fine fellows showed up on your front yard?  You might be concerned.  You might think of possible dangers.

The fact is that people draw conclusions from what they see.  If you show up at a front door with a bunch of drunk buddies carrying Rambo knives, picks, axes and shovels, you might not get permission to hunt a manicured lawn.

Last year the St. Lucie County Parks declared that they had nothing against metal detecting but that digging, plugging or probing was not permitted.

Many parks, as well as many private land owners, do not want people digging holes.  Carrying a shovel suggests (not unreasonably) that you are going to dig.  It is as simple as that.

One reason I do not like to carry a lot of extra equipment, especially equipment that might be obvious or might concern someone, is that it attracts the wrong kind of attention.

There are times when you might need a shovel.  There might be times when you need an excavator, but they are few and far between.  And if you use a shovel on park lands, county, state or federal, don't be surprised if you find trouble.

Image is important, probably too important, but that is the way it is.

I'm not one to judge a person by appearances.  Real scoundrels are usually smart enough to present a good appearance.  Some of the biggest bums dress in fine suits, however, right or wrong, people will draw conclusions based upon what they see.  If they see a big Rambo knife, they'll react.  If they see a big shovel, they might think you are going to dig big holes.

I'm not saying that you should not use a shovel.  I'm only saying that it will often draw the wrong kind of attention, as will a number of other things.  I'm not just talking about shovels here. 

My general advice is to use the most unobtrusive methods and tools that will do the job.  Do not be like the optometrist who fell into the lens grinder and made a spectacle of himself.

The fact is that the vast majority of good targets can be retrieved without making big holes and with very little equipment.  You can always make plans to return better equipped at a better time.

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The surf on the Treasure Coast is around two or three feet.  That will stay the same or even decrease in the next few days.

We do have a negative tide.  That is one good thing.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

6/10/14 Report - Fascinating Newspaper Clipping, Alternative to Metal Detecting, How Objects Sink in Sand & 17th Century Shrine Excavated

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

Super 1918 newspaper article showing a couple of fellows who sifted for treasure on Coney Island, reportedly with enough success to buy cars and houses.

Vintage newspaper clipping submitted by Bill T.
 

I want to blow up a few of these to focus in on them.

First notice how crowded the beach is.  Of course there will be more targets on a more crowded beach.  A lot of targets are required for several things besides simply producing a large number of finds.

If you detect on a beach with a lot of targets you'll learn much faster about target distribution patterns that can be found in the wet sand or water.   On some beaches, like many found on the Treasure Coast, the typical target density is simply too small to be able to easily identify coin lines and holes a lot of the time.  It takes more than one or two targets to make a line or hole apparent.   If, on the other hand, you run into a line with tens or hundreds of targets, the distribution pattern becomes much easier to see.   Not only can you see the where the coins were deposited, but you can also see how the pennies are distributed near the borders and quarters near the middle etc.  If there are not enough targets, that will be impossible to see.  That is just one of the many advantages of learning to detect on busier beaches.

These fellows in the newspaper clipping constructed sifters out of boards and wire.  There are times when you can productively sift without detecting.  Remember, detectors are basically pinpointing devices.  When you have enough target density, it is faster to cut out the detecting.  

Maybe you have heard of the Merkitch sifter.  It is a sifter on wheels with a handle much like that of a lawn mower which you drag through the sand.  You don't dig but sift the sand by pulling or pushing the sifter.  I can tell you it is a lot of work. 

I wonder if these guys were digging for clams or something when they discovered they could find coins?

Remember, there are alternatives to detecting, but it usually takes a special situation and high target density to make all the work worthwhile.

Notice the shells in the sifter with the coins.

Also notice that they are digging right around the post in one picture.

People tend to talk about coins and things sinking, which of course they do, but on a beach that it is not done by gravity alone.

Besides gravity, think about how the sand moves.  I once showed an illustration of an experiment showing how an object steps its way down a sand bank when a current is moving up the slope.  The current removes the sand from the front of the object until enough sand is moved that the object "steps" down the slope.  The object moves in a series of small steps.  When it moves down the slope, it is stopped by sand that has not moved yet.  Then the current rushing around the object moves enough sand that the object takes the next step down the slope.

Water rushes around objects like air around an airplane wing.  That moves the lighter sand away from around the heavier object and the heavier object then descends into the vacancy where the sand was.

Objects sink in sand very much because of the movement of sand, not just the force of gravity on the object.

I showed how that works back in my 3/10/14 post. 

Watch how the currents move the sand when you are on the beach.  Watch how the sand bars move.  It is easy to see that on some of the beaches right now in the shallow water and low tide area.  You can see ripples in the sand and how the sand is flowing.

When the currents are strong enough to move sand but not strong enough to move heavier objects, the objects "sink," if you want to use that word, quickly.

Thanks for sending me the great clipping Bill.


According to the Tampa Bay Times, Rick Scott supports a private funded rail project from Miami to Cocoa that would use existing rails and would later connect to the Orlando Airport.  The paper reports opposition to the project based upon noise and harm to the standard of living on the Treasure Coast.

If you ever traveled by train in Europe you know how convenient that is, and I fail to see how a passenger train would create a mere fraction of the noise of those freight trains filled with gravel.   Personally I'd like to be able to get to the Orlando Airport by rail if it was fast enough.  PBI has few direct flights anywhere anymore.  For me, one draw back of living on the Treasure Coast is the distance to a major airport.

Read it and decide for yourself.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/gov-rick-scott-supports-controversial-rail-project-on-floridas-east-coast/2183293



ST AUGUSTINE — "America's Most Sacred Acre" — the name given to the tranquil, shaded waterfront cemetery and grounds of the Nombre De Dios Mission and Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche — has been the center of activity and attention for six weeks.

...

 

All to uncover the foundation and inner walls of what experts say is the first shrine ever built in the New World to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ.

 

Here is the link for the rest of the story.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20140607/ARTICLES/140609779?p=5&tc=pg



On the Treasure Coast we still have a one to two foot surf.  Wind is mostly from the South.  The tides are the slightest bit bigger.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/3/14 Report - $50,000 1715 Fleet Escudo & History of 16th and 17th Century Spanish Florida

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




The upcoming SedwickCoins auction catalog for the upcoming auction is now online.  I took a look through the catalog and a few things stuck out. 

The escudo with the highest estimated price is the one shown here.  It has a starting price of $25,000 and a pre-auction estimate of 25,000 to $50,000, which is the high estimate of the escudos.

The auction begins on May 1, and the first session will be the gold cobs.  There are 75 lots in that session.

There are several gold cobs with pre-auction estimates of up to $30,000.   There are also a number of escudos that are estimated to go below $2000.




Here is the catalog description for this rare Lima 8 escudo.

Lima, Peru, cob 8 escudos, 1701H, Philip V, extremely rare, from the 1715 Fleet. S-L25a; KM-38.1. 26.95 grams. Almost round, evenly struck and perfectly centered, this would be an exceptional specimen for any date, let alone one that is missing in Calico and the State of Florida collection (theirs is Charles II). In fact we can trace only one other example for Philip V, an AU 55 of demonstrably inferior strike but with perhaps slightly more evidence of the coins' having been created from a modified 1700 die. The present coin is at least AU 58 but bears areas of red staining and gray coral that preclude professional encapsulation. What is more important is that the strike is nearly perfect--well centered and even--and the effect in hand is sheer beauty. From the 1715 Fleet.

The shield shows in the top row and L for the Lima mint, an 8 for the denomination, and then the assayer initial.

The second row shows the abbreviation for Plus Ultra.

The third row shows the last three digits of the date.


The source of these photos and catalog description is the following link.

http://auction.sedwickcoins.com/Lima-Peru-cob-8-escudos-1701H-Philip-V-extremely-rare-from-the-1715-Fleet_i19334312



There are very few individual half reales offered in this auction.  Most of the reales in this auction are 8 or 4 reales.   The few half reales in the auction are mostly included in lots.

There also seems to be more maravedis for sale this time.

It seemed to me there weren't as many interesting artifacts this time either.

There is plenty to see.   It seems to me that like with most collectible categories these days, the more common items are losing value while only the rare and remarkable are appreciating.


The Unwritten History of Old St. Augustine consists primarily of  letters and reports from Pedro Menendez to the King of Spain.  The letters and reports were found in the archives in Seville.  It makes very good reading and provides a number of treasure clues and detecting leads.  It concerns the events of the 16th and 17th Centuries.

Included is information about lost ships, pirates, battles, and the natives, along with daily life in and around the colony.

Here is the link.

https://archive.org/details/unwrittenhistory00broo



Some of the first home sites of old St. Louis are being investigated.  Here is the link to that.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/first-evidence-french-colonial-homes-discovered-under-poplar-street-bridge


On the Treasure Coast the tides are becoming more normal.  The surf is around three feet or so.

Who can't love this weather besides me?

The wind is out of the Southeast.   I hope that doesn't last long.  It could with summer coming up.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net