10/8/14 Report - Sedwick Coins Treasure Auction 16 Now Online. The Santa Maria. Where Columbus Left Spain. First Human Site In U.S.

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

The 16th Sedwick Coins Treasure Auction is now online for viewing and bidding.   Floor bidding will be on November 6.  Lot viewing and guest speakers will be at the Doubletree Hotel in Lake Buena Vista in Orlando on November 5.

Just looking through the catalog is both interesting and educational.

The notice says, In this auction we present some of the most amazing numismatic treasures we have ever seen, befitting our second Live Floor sale in Orlando, Florida, and solidifying the event as an annual “must see” occasion for treasure buffs and serious numismatists alike, who will also surely enjoy our latest addition of educational talks by experts in the field during on­site lot viewing Wednesday, November 5. Our auctions continue to grow and improve; the pre-auction estimate for this one speaks volumes: $1.94 million in just 1124 lots! Quality and rarity speak for themselves.

As usual we start off with a barrage of gold cobs, including many 1715-Fleet specimens in all denominations from Mexico, Lima and Bogotá. Since the year 2015 marks the 300th anniversary of the 1715-Fleet disaster, we trust that interest in these gold cobs will be at an all-time high.

The World Gold Coins section is dominated by dozens of bust-type 8 escudos from the mints of Bogotá, Popayán, Lima, Potosí and Santiago, all emanating from a new hoard of ca. 1820 found in the Andes region of South America. A standout piece is the finest-known Brazil (Rio) 3200 reis of 1727 (lot 101).

In the ingots section we present a sizable collection of natural gold nuggets from the Dominican Republic, plus a beautifully marked silver bar (lot 212) from the Atocha (1622). The Shipwreck Silver Coins section following that contains the usual spectrum of coins from dozens of different wrecks.

The silver-cobs sections are where the biggest trophies begin. We are particularly honored to present the Mexican 8 reales of Charles-Joanna (assayer Rincón, struck 1538), one of three examples known of the first 8 reales of the New World (lot 404). Also from Mexico is the ultra-rare 8 reales Royal of Louis I, 1725D (lot 450). In Lima cobs we present a collection of 17 “Star of Lima” coins from the unauthorized issue of 1659-60. The Potosí Cobs section offers many dated shield-type minors, as well as the finest known Rincón ¼ real (lot 597). A smattering of Royals completes the picture, along with many cobs from Guatemala and Spain and the rare mints of Panama and Colombia.

Colombia is the feature in World Silver Coins, where we offer a top-quality Bogotá pillar 8 reales 1770VJ (lot 752) and a Bogotá pillar 1 real 1760JV (lot 753), both from the same hoard (with an outline of the hoard’s known history) and a pair of very rare bust 8 reales from the Popayán mint. There is also a very rare Popayán 1 peso of 1863 (lot 786). From the Mexican War of Independence we offer a unique denomination set of Durango 8-4-2-1-1/2 reales (lot 876).

Following World Silver Coins is an expanded Medals section that features a very important selection of military decorations from battles in Ecuador and Peru during Bolívar’s fight for Independence in South America. We have also expanded our Paper Money section this time, offering significant selections from Brazil, Colombia, Cuba and Mexico.

The Artifacts sections present some fabulous treasures, like a gold and red-coral rosary from the 1715 Fleet (lot 1038), a Dutch bronze cannon from the 1733 Fleet (lot 1043), a gold reliquary locket from the 1733 Fleet (lot 1044) and a long gold “money” chain from a new 1740s wreck off Haiti (lot 1056).





I really like artifacts and it seems like there is a larger variety of artifacts in this auction.  Those with the highest starting bids are the coral rosary and reliquary locket.

The artifact section ends up with an iron meteorite.

Here is the link for the viewing lots.

http://auction.sedwickcoins.com/auctionlist.aspx



Some thought that the wreck of the Santa Maria had been found off Haiti.  Others disagree.

http://phys.org/news/2014-09-haiti-columbus-ship.html#inlRlv


It is thought, however that the site where Columbus departed from Spain has been identified.

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2355320&CategoryId=12395


A site thought to be the first human habitation within the United States has been identified in Oregon.

http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-ancient-oregon-caves/2472274.html


Other than the surf getting a little higher, don't expect much in the way of changes on our Treasure Coast beaches for at least a few days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

5/13/14 Report - Reasons to Explore Zinc Penny Dip, Santa Maria Found, Bell of the Santa Maria, Space Race Archaeology

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



Pile of Recently Dug Corroded Coins.
 

Some think the wreck of Columbus' sunken flagship, the Santa Maria, has been found just north of  Haiti.  Permission is being sought to conduct an extensive archaeological survey.

Here is the link for more of that story.

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/santa-maria-found-wreck-may-be-columbus-sunken-flagship-n103766


The bell of the Santa Maria, if that is indeed what it is, has been the subject of a battle between Portugal and Spain going back to 2003/2004.   The bell was supposedly being returned to Spain from the New World when the ship carrying the bell sank in Portuguese waters.

Spain claimed that the bell was stolen from them when it was recovered by a diver, and the bell was returned to Spain in 2004.  I haven't seen anything more recent on that. 

It seems there are questions not only about who should own the bell but also if it is indeed the bell of the Santa Maria.  That might be why there appears to have been no resolution to the issue, at least not that I can find.

Here is a link from 2004.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5257041#.U3GQGSDD8VQ

The story of the bell is old news but I never found out what finally happened to it or if it was proven to be the bell from the Santa Maria.



Archaeologists are surveying the deteriorating structures of the early days of the Space Race at Cape Canaveral.

http://archaeology.org/news/2101-140512-cape-canaveral-space



Above is a pile of coins recently recovered from the water.  It isn't hard to tell that they were exposed to salt water.  

That is the kind of thing you'll often find between a sand bar and the beach when the dip still contains too much loose sand and shells.  Most better targets will be deeper in a location like that.

You'll also notice some green encrusted coins in that pile, and a little junk flag pendant in the middle.

The pennies are not worth the effort, but they can provide important information.  These pennies were not recent drops but had accumulated and been sifted and sorted.  These pennies told me that there was a good bit of activity in that general area and as a result things were lost nearby in good numbers.  That is good information.  The question is then, how much deeper or in which direction would you need to go to get out of the pennies and into concentrations of better items.

Besides the information they provide about other possible targets, another reason to not ignore concentrations of finds like this, is that there can be better items in with the pennies.

Dips that contain loosely packed sand and shells and zinc pennies often also contain things like watches.  This one did - two in fact.

Most importantly, this concentration of pennies told me that better targets were probably nearby and, most likely, in good concentrations.  The better items would be deeper and perhaps off to one side or another.  If I was able to use a blower in that area to remove the loose sand, I'm certain a good number of better items would have been found.  As it was, I couldn't move the necessary amount of sand and am waiting for Mother Nature to do the job.  It might happen or it might not.  It depends upon which direction the sand moves.  In any case, I know there is one very promising spot if and when the window finally opens.

Junk Flag Charm.

I'll clean up the watches and get a photo of them.  Both seem to be in good working order.

The pennies went through a quick tumbling to remove some of the crust and corrosion.

I'm actually more interested in what is under all of the remaining sand.

Anyone recognize the flag right off?


On the Treasure Coast today we are near a full moon and the tides are more significant again.  The wind, however, is pretty directly out of the East, and the surf is up a little, to around three or four feet.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net