1/15/19 Report - WW I Wreck Exposed. Genuine $3 Million Coin. FUN Convention and Counterfeits. Great Research Sites.

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

Remains of WW I Sub Exposed.

Source: See BBC link below.

Shifting sand off Wissant, near Calais, is exposing the remains of the UC-61 which was stranded there in July 1917...

It is now becoming a tourist attraction again, although the local mayor warns it may only be a fleeting visit...

"The wreck is visible briefly every two to three years, depending on the tides and the wind that leads to sand movements, but a good gust of wind and the wreck will disappear again," said Mayor of Wissant Bernard Bracq...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46846988

Thanks to Douglas for that link.

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Here is an excerpt from an article that talks a bit about the recently concluded FUN convention in Orlando, counterfeits and the recent history of numismatics.

Nowadays, the Internet has reorganized how we collect...

I held fake clad quarters in my hand at the FUN show thanks to Beth Deisher and the Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force of the Professional Numismatists Guild.

They have the correct electronic signature to fool vending machines.

Most collectors would have no trouble seeing that they are fake.

These coins are not intended to be offered as collectibles.

Collectors might not even look at a clad quarter in their hand if they don’t think the Chinese would bother to fake our circulating coins.

They need to think again. We all do...

Here is that link.

https://www.numismaticnews.net/buzz/fun-gives-great-start-to-2019-coin-business

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… An 1885 Proof Trade Dollar certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) realized an astonishing $3,960,000 at auction, one of the highest prices ever paid for a coin. This coin led a group of NGC-certified rarities that achieved extraordinary results in the Heritage Auctions Platinum Night sale, held January 10, 2019, at the FUN Show in Orlando, Florida...

The price realized by the Eliasberg specimen is the second-highest at auction for an NGC-certified coin, surpassed only by a 1787 Brasher Doubloon. Graded NGC MS 63, that coin was sold by Heritage Auctions for $4,582,500 in January 2014....

And the link.

https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/7099/heritage-fun-realized-january-2019/

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Today I want to bring attention to some of the great reference links in my Treasure Site Reference Link List.  There are some really good links there that I'm sure you will find useful.  I find my self usng to them often.

On top of the list you will find the 18th Century Material Culture Resource Center link.  Great site.
http://materialculture18t.wixsite.com/18thcmcrc

After that you will find a very extensive database of Spanish coinage.  It is one of the most extensive and useful reference sites that I've seen.
http://www.fuenterrebollo.com/faqs-numismatica/menu2.html

Then there is the token database. Again very useful and extensive.
http://tokencatalog.com/

And the Society for Historical Archaeology antique bottle web site.
https://sha.org/bottle/makersmarks.htm

Also the Spanish Colonial Military Artifacts site.
http://www.artifacts.org/default.htm

These and some of the others in the list are some of the best artifact reference sites.   Take a look.  They are there on the first page of my blog for your easy access.

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We really haven't had much good beach hunting weather this Fall or Winter yet.  There have been a lot of fronts come through, but only lasting one day or so, and producing not much more than one foot cuts.

We are going to have some higher surf for a couple of days, but only three to five feet.

Here are the MagicSeaWeed surf predictions.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/7/18 Report - Two Mounted Gold Coin Finds. Some Notes On The Handling, Care, and Grading of Coins.

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

Twenty Dollar Double Eagle Found by Sebastian Steve

Who Had It Mounted.

Yesterday I posted part of an email message I received from Sebastian Steve.  Today I'll post more of the same message along with some photos Steve sent.  The double eagle shown above was originally posted back a while ago hanging on an antique champagne bottle.  I snipped it from that photo.

Here is the rest of what Steve had to say.


I found a nice picture today that I was looking for.  This pic was of the big gold, the 1860’s $20 Double Eagle (Shown above.) that  I recovered from a deep,  Lakes Passenger Steamer back in the late 1970s. 

I used to wear it on special occasion....but with the chain and bezel, the weight was over 3 ounces!  The wife said...”Far too heavy for me, but I’ll wear one of those English Sovereign’s (similar in size and weight to our $5 gold piece).

And so I mounted an 1832 Sovereign for her.  How fitting her request.  As this Sovereign was my very first gold coin I ever recovered!   I recall the day I recovered this coin, although almost half a century ago... like it were yesterday!  Because this coin showed wear, it was suitable for me to make a decision to use this particular coin mounted in jewelry.  It’s a decision that must be made with care.  More later on this...

And my wife still wears that first Sovereign even today for special occasions.  (:

1832 English Sovereign

Find and photos by Sebastian Steve.

Same 1832 English Sovereign.

Although the Sovereign is almost pure gold (22 Karat), and contains 0.23 ounces of pure gold (just shy of a quarter ounce) gold coins -always- needed a hardening agent added such as copper.  Otherwise the wear in normal circulation would be quite excessive and unacceptable.  The English Sovereign was actually used extensively in this country... early on.  Our U.S. coinage was somewhat untrusted when a new issue, and was in short supply.  Now the Sovereign was a known, respected coin that often came over with the settlers.  And a practical size for regular transactions of somewhat size.  After all...$5 of gold in the 1850s...era...still brought home the bacon. 

And there was in fact counterfeiting going on even in the 1860s already.  I had one particular U.S. $1 One Dollar gold piece... (try to pick up one of these with big dry suit mitts!) that just seemed far darker than the others. 

Sure enough at NGC grading, when chatting in the office of the President of N.G.C., in Sarasota... he hauls out my -Counterfeit- $1 gold piece!  Interestingly... as a preeminent grading firm, that was his “cup of tea” to show history and how they could tell the coin was not real.  (Without the darkness from not being real gold, it looked pretty good to my untrained eyes).  And we worked out a deal with some other business, so that my $1 Counterfeit would remain in N.G.C., permanent collection!  I was thrilled to hear I made history in a small way. 

Allow me to comment on coins and coin grading.  Everyone thinks they have a sure fire way to get a coin re-graded and up its grading a point.  As I mentioned...1 point on a valuable coin can be $10,000.  But EVERY COIN has its own set of markings.  The slightest rub, the tiniest scratch, and firms like NGC...use microscopes on each and every coin of value that they grade. 

Coins and their particular identity become very obvious and recorded forever...with microscopic pictures taken while under the lens...that are archived forever.  So if your buddy told you to “crack it out of the case” and re-submit it...you’re just wasting your time and money.  AND you might just get yourself a bad reputation. 

The serious coin world is very small and everyone knows each other.  And that is actually very good for you.  For with today’s grading system...no shark will ever skin you with an over-rated, over graded coin, sold  “in his opinion.” at a grade far in excess of its actual grade.  If you’re buying for investment...insist on buying ONLY ENCAPSULATED GRADED COINS, GRADED BY ONLY N.G.C. or P.C.G.S.  Sure there are a few other reputable firms...but why take the chance?  Only to have your spouse or other loved one years later have trouble getting top dollar for your coins!  Why risk it?  Back to the deep we go...

When I first saw the $20 Double Eagle outline laying on some boards on the lake bottom next to the wreck...I had no idea what it was!  In the swirling mud, I attempted to pick up this very large coin with difficulty... thinking “something was holding it...like it was glued down?” 

I said to myself...this must be some type of State Fair or Inaugural Token?  So big and heavy...what else could it be?  It was somewhat dirty but still had that unmistakable look of gold.  Not until I reached my first decompression stop coming up at 20 feet, did I get to peek into my bag and realize what I had!  Even that one coin sagged the big diver’s bag down in the corner!  Thank God there were no rips or holes in the bag!!!  Something like that could absolutely ruin your day!!!  (;

And there it was...the coin of legend...the famous often read about, but rarely ever seen or held...the U.S. $20 Double Eagle.  1 ounce of gold.  Very close in size to the silver dollar.  Rarely even used in everyday trade as seen all too often in the old Westerns.  The $20 Double Eagle, Civil War era...would have bought you a down payment on a good house!  So in reality...these coins were mainly used for international trade between bankers.

These $20 Double Eagle coins was produced in response to the immense gold finds coming out of California.  The result of the initial rich finds were the beginning of The California Gold Rush.  So much so...that in 1854...the U.S. built a branch mint in San Francisco, to convert the miners gold into coins.  By the end of that year...the San Francisco Mint had produced $4,084,207 in gold coinage!  What an exciting time to be alive!???

And yes...gold does bring a smile to your face, but all the other shipwreck artifacts if studied and shared, bring more joy and history come to life... than any one gold coin.

Thanks once again Steve!

Someone sent me an email and asked why the mercury dime from the Sedwick auction that I posted a few days ago brought such a high price when a mercury dime with the same date/mint was listed on eBay for much less.  What Steve had to say is relevant.

Of course condition is extremely important.  A coin in excellent condition can bring a thousand times more than the same date/mint in poor condition.  In fact a valuable coin in very poor condition can be worthless.  As Steve points out, a single scratch can reduce the value tremendously.

An encapsulated graded coin will bring a higher price.  Buyers feel confident knowing what they are getting.

Sometimes there is simply an eye-appeal factor.  Some coins just look better.  They might have an especially nice patina, for example.

And there are a lot of counterfeits and poorly, if not inaccurately, described items on eBay.

I've dabbled in coin collecting lately, and have mentioned how difficult it is to find a coin on a beach that will delight a purist collector of U. S. coins.  Most coin collectors are very picky and prefer coins in as close to mint condition as possible.  They wear gloves when handling their coins.  They view them under magnification.  That means every bit of corrosion and every scratch is taken into account.  The majority of coins that I've found on salt water beaches are ruined as far as collectors are concerned.  I have found a few that would be graded as uncirculated, but those are very rare.  I even found one that was in a plastic case that protected it from the salt water.

Thankfully Spanish colonial reales seem to be regarded differently.  While it is the general rule that you should not clean valuable coins, silver cobs are routinely cleaned using electrolysis or acid.  Of course if you manage to find a rare mint-state reale that has never been circulated or spent years on a salt water beach, handle it with kid gloves, but most have already led a tough life and a little handling or proper cleaning won't hurt them.  In fact, you will often have to clean them to simply find out what you have.

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On the Treasure Coast we are still having some nice high tides, however the surf is still running around two or three feet.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/30/17 Report - Beach Conditions. Unexpected and Old Shipwreck Find As Told By One Blog Reader. Converting Junk Beach Finds.

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

Happy Halloween.

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I took a look at a few beaches yesterday.  Here are some photos.

John Brooks Beach Looking North Yesterday Just After Low Tide.

A lot of sand yesterday at John Brooks.  The beach had very little form and was fairy mushy.  A good bit of sand was moved around in recent days or weeks.  That is a lot of area to search.

John Brooks Beach Looking South Yesterday Just After Low Tide

The same thing to the south.

Surf  Breaking On Bar at Walton Rocks Yesterday Just After Low Tide

The surf was a little rougher than I expected.  It was really pounding the sand bar here.

For the next few days expect a one to two foot surf.

Frederick Douglas Beach A Little After Low Tide Yesterday

Frederick Douglas Beach had a little more form to it than John Brooks.  You can see a dip near the top of the photo.  Rocks and heavier things were washed up there.

There has been a dip around that area been and off for months now even though the sand has been moved a lot.

I don't know what the Vero/Sebastian beaches are like.  I suspect they are similar, but it is possible that a spot or two has opened up somewhere on the Treasure Coast.

There is a north wind and a north swell, but the surf is supposed to be only a foot or so today.  We haven't had too many north winds or swells for quite some time.   Too bad it comes with such a small surf and moderate tides.

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I receive a lot of email from guys that have done a lot.  Some have made important archaeological discoveries, made big finds and done a lot of treasure hunting and shipwreck salvage, but they are probably not the names that most people know.  They usually aren't the best self-promoters, but if you knew what they accomplished, you would be impressed.  They deserve a lot more credit than they get.  A few have written books, but they still aren't the big names that everybody knows.

Steve from Sebastian, who found the mystery coin that has the Cuban seal on it, has done a lot of treasure hunting and shipwreck salvage - much of it in the Great Lakes but also the Treasure Coast and other areas.  He has been at it for 40 years or so.  Here is one interesting experience he related to me.

... They have an expert at NGC that is a specialist on just foreign coins.  I had a cuff link in my effects when I visited with my wife.  The cuff link had a Roman image “coin like” object in it.  (The shipwreck it came from foundered in 1865.  The loss of President Lincoln was still fresh on everyone’s lips).  

He spotted this cuff link in my brief case as he introduced himself, and grabbed it and without a word, ran off to “the inner sanctum” (where -nobody- from the public goes) as I thrilled the president of NGC, with stories of the wreck, and five divers being lost over the years.  (Multiple salvage attempts) 1715 Fleet ???  (;

15 minutes went by before the foreign specialist returned.  He handed it to the president, and with an amazed smile like a young child declared...”the coin is real!”  A -200 BC- Roman Silver Denarius!  So I then had the honor of recovering the -oldest coin ever recovered...bar none...from a shipwreck on The Great Lakes!!!  (:

Thanks for sharing Steve.

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On a much less serious matter...

At the top of the page you see not a Jack-O-Lantern but a Coco-Lantern.   It is made entirely of things found at the beach, including one coconut, copper wire, small candle that I think is called a tea-candle, and aluminum can.

The hollow coconut was carved, top cut off, holes drilled for handle, aluminum can cut to line inside of coconut to reflect light and candle inserted.  So it is all made of beach finds, except I used two eyelets to attache the wires.  I could have done without them.

I like picking up things at the beach that can be transformed and used.  I don't like buying things.  I like finding them.

One day I found about 30 unused tea candles on the beach and collected them all.  They'll also come in handy at Christmas.

Here is a picture in light.  I could have taken time to carve it more artistically, but I thought it was fun.

Happy Halloween,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net