7/17/19 Report - Salvage Boats At Work. Difficulties of Determining Age of Dug Items. History of Swastika.

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

Salvage Boat Near Treasure Shores Beach Yesterday.

I received the above photo and following message from Gaylen C.

Attached is a photo (sorry didn't have camera, just phone) of the "C-7" just a little south of Treasure Shores beach park. Another larger boat was working just to the north. Looked like they were just scanning the bottom on the boat's console. In 2 hours they never dropped the prop blaster, and neither of the 2 on board ever went in the water. They did relocate once just about 50 yds more to the south. The northern boat appeared to have 2 divers down at one time... 

Thanks Gaylen.

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I've been thinking how the age of items can be determined.  It can be very tricky.  I always remember the case when archaeologists thought they found an old pipe in a slave quarters, and it turned out to be a Cracker Jack prize.  (There was a time when the prize in the box was much nicer than in recent years.) But if trained professionals make that kind of mistake in a scientific dig, that tells you how cautious you have to be.

There are basically two kinds of mistakes I am concerned with when it comes to that kind of thing.  You can think that it is old or significant when it is not, or you can think that it is not old or not significant and it really is.  Of the two, I rather make the first type of mistake.  If you think it might be significant, you will probably keep it and take care of it until you find out that you were mistaken.  On the other hand, if you think an item is junk when it is not, you might lose it, let it get broken or throw it away, and then discover your mistake when it is too late to undo the damage.

When you know that you don't know, you should probably keep the item and research it until you  know what it is and what you should do with it, that isn't nearly as bad as thinking the item is junk and not learning about it until after the damage is done.  Somebody recently gave the advice, "If in doubt, don't throw it out."  That is good advice.

The first time I found musket balls, I thought they must be old because they were musket balls.  That was my conclusion, but I'm now convinced I was wrong.  

I found the musket balls on Key Biscayne, probably not more than fifty yards from the old lighthouse.  You probably know that the Seminoles attacked the lighthouse in 1836.  So in addition to the musket balls more often being associated with the past, the specific history of the area also provided support for the possibility of old musket balls being found in the area.

(Here is link you can use to read about the 1836 Seminole attack on the lighthouse.

http://www.floridahistorynetwork.com/july-23-1836---cape-florida-lighthouse-attacked-by-seminoles.html)

After a while, but I don't know for sure how long it was, I decided those musket balls were not old at all. By that time I had found more musket balls and had become familiar with the typical patina of weathered musket balls. The musket balls I found on Key Biscayne didn't look the same as those other musket balls.  They didn't have the same oxidized patina.

That is an example of one kind of error.  I thought that the items were old when they were not.  It wasn't a disastrous mistake because I kept the items until I learned more about them and realized that they weren't old.

One thing to remember is things that were made many decades or centuries ago are still often made today.  People still make musket balls and use them.  Maybe you've seen battle reenactments where newly created musket balls were used.  You can buy the molds and make your own today.  In fact you can buy reproduction parts to put together your own complete working musket.  Take a look at the Dixie Gun Works catalog, for example.  You can get almost anything to go along with the musket too, including hand forged knife blades or period costumes.

Take a look at the Mel Fisher store and you'll see reproductions of old shipwreck recovered items.  Some are even made of salvaged silver or gold.  I think I've found at least one of those.

And then there are items that were made very similarly for centuries.  The Claddagh ring is one example.  A Claddagh ring from the 17th century can look almost exactly like one made today.  A simple gold band or gold cross made centuries ago might look like very much like those made today. In cases like that there are other things that might help you tell the difference.  I hope to get into that more in the near future.

I've made both kinds of error.  There were finds that I didn't recognize as significant, old, or interesting, and as a result, they were not taken care of properly.  It isn't good when you realize that you didn't properly value or appreciate an item until after it has been damaged or lost.  Again, it is best to treat all unknown items as if they were significant until you find out otherwise.  It is a process.

I plan to make an informal checklist of things that should can be or should be considered to determine if an item is old or not.  As I said, that is very tricky business, and some factors might be pointing one direction while other considerations are suggesting another conclusion.  Hopefully the exercise of thinking it through will be worthwhile.  I think it will. 

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The Swastika Across Times and Cultures.


There are symbols or designs that are near universal across cultures and time periods. When you see a swastika, you might think of World War II or Nazis, but the swastika, like numerous other designs and symbols, has a long history and was used by many different cultures.

… For the Hindus and Buddhists in India and other Asian countries, the swastika was an important symbol for many thousands of years and, to this day, the symbol can still be seen in abundance - on temples, buses, taxis, and on the cover of books. It was also used in Ancient Greece and Rome, and can be found in the remains of the ancient city of Troy, which existed 4,000 years ago. The ancient Druids and the Celts also used the symbol, reflected in many artifacts that have been discovered. It was used by Nordic tribes, and even early Christians used the Swastika as one of their symbols, including the Teutonic Knights, a German medieval military order, which became a purely religious Catholic Order...

The word ‘swastika’ is a Sanskrit word (‘svasktika’) meaning ‘It is’, ‘Well Being’, ‘Good Existence, and ‘Good Luck’. However, it is also known by different names in different countries - like ‘Wan’ in China, ‘Manji’ in Japan, ‘Fylfot’ in England, ‘Hakenkreuz’ in Germany and ‘Tetraskelion’ or ‘Tetragammadion’ in Greece...

Here is the link for more about the swastika.
https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/symbol-swastika-and-its-12000-year-old-history-001312

The swastika provides one example of how tempting it can be to jump to conclusions and ignore many other possibilities.  Of course, other factors should be considered.

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Very little increase in the surf is predicted for the next week or so, and there is no new significant storm activity right now.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/11/18 Report - Everglades Treasures and Treasure Coast Burial Site: Ole Timer Talk.

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

John Brooks Beach Saturday Afternoon.

It is a beautiful weekend. I don't think I ever saw more people on the beaches around Fort Pierce.  The Fort Pierce beach parking lots were jammed.  There should be some new modern items out there after all of the beach traffic.

What a beautiful joyful Sunday morning!

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Yesterday I posted some of Southern Digger's email to me.  Today I'll post more of the same email.  It tells about a large collection of silver coins obtained from Florida Everglades sites.  Here is what he said.

: ... That collection filled about fifty 8 X 12 inch Riker cases. The viewing was so private that I was not allowed to note the address or location and I was never given the names of the collection owner. That did not bother me. Just to view and study it was a vast education which helped me in later years on seeking sites in the deep woods of the everglades--that is, on privately owned land. 

I know the collection I saw came from lands now under state and Federal laws and are off-limits. Moreso, I have heard that people who ignored these boundaries were arrested; severely fined; and, sometimes imprisoned for trespassing and digging these sites. I won't go into detail how the collection was obtained, but it involved the Caloosa Indians, Mendenez's Gold, and later European contact which evidence showed was on wild and hidden places of tribal ceremony -- I might add, on land which had not enforced government restrictions at the time it was discovered. 

In fact, when young and hunting in the glades it was not uncommon to enter a hammock from five to twenty miles from the nearest dirt access road and find a cabin and a few occupants living free off the land. Maintaining food from gardens and hunting; and, water from makeshift cisterns. The Federalization of the Big Cypress and other parts of the everglades ended this by the late-1960's.

The collection included finds that dated from early European contact--including rare glass beads which were identified to date back to Portugal from the fourteenth century; it contained gold beads up to 3/4" long and 1/4" or thereabouts diameter. Some silver coinage was hammered into breastplates with stick-figure artwork of deer being chased by stick figure Florida Indians pursuing the game. On some of these, you can still make out the stretched/hammered outline of the original coin enought that you could determine what type of coin was used to make it. I recall being bold enough to ask if I could photograph at least part of the collection, but of course, was refused. 

This treasure was not obtained from one site--but rather from several sites and much hard work and much time camping in the glades away from the comforts of society. Referring back to the coins--I saw they were of Spanish. English and American origin--the latest dating to the 1830's indicating Seminole and Spanish Indian influence and use of sites which date back to pre-Mendez era and of course, prehistoric. Most likely, some of these items were obtained from beached shipwrecks and shipwreck survivors. Many of the coins were in part defaced. Scratch marks in the head of Liberty or the King, which indicate hatchet marks; and scratches on the throat indicating the obvious.

Southern Digger also emphasized that there is a lot that was not reported and much of what is published is often twisted.

On the question of 1715 Fleet burials, which I've mentioned a few times recently, Southern Digger said,  At the Disney site on the Treasure Coast--before the structures were built--was a raised dune near and just north of the old beach access. When that was scraped back by construction, an archaeologist representing Disney stated to me that they found a grave which was believed to be a shipwreck victim as they recovered a ring with it. Also, they found an anchor in the dunes. Of course, I did not know the source and just regarded it as here-say. Perhaps research of published State records can prove such finds were actually recovered.

Southern Digger has long been involved in South Florida archaeology.  Thanks for sharing S. D.

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The wind picked up Sunday morning, but was coming from a southerly direction.  Everything else is pretty much unchanged.  The tides will increase a little again in a few days, while the surf continues to run around two to four feet.

May you find peace within,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/12/17 Report - Seminole Silver and Some Good References.

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

Tuko-See-Mathla, Seminole Chief
Source: Sotheby's Auction Catalog
See link below.

Sotheby's June 13 book and manuscript auction offers a number of interesting lots.  One is the book,
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA, written by Thomas McKenney and James Hall, published in 1865.

The above illustration of a Seminole chief is one of many illustrations found in that book.

Here is the link for the auction listing.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/books-manuscripts-americana-n09657/lot.12.html

Notice what appears to be a variety of silver pieces being worn by the chief. They include a gorget, pendant, wrist bands, arm bands and head band.

I do not see this fellow wearing finger rings or earrings, although both of those might be expected.

Here is a good reference on the Seminoles and their personal items of adornment.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19155/19155-h/19155-h.htm#chapI_3

That link takes you to one chapter of a free Project Gutenberg ebook entitled The Seminole Indians of Florida, by Clay MacCauley, 2006.

It seems they preferred silver over gold.  I wondered where they got their silver.  Author MacCauley claims that the silver was generally made from U.S silver coins.

That ebook is worth reading.

And here is the link to the Sotheby's auction that includes the book on North American Indian tribes as well as many other interesting lots.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/books-manuscripts-americana-n09657/lot.104.html

I started wondering about all the old silver rings and things found on the Treasure Coast beaches that don't seem to be from the 1715 Fleet.  I've commented on that before.  I decided I better learn to recognize Seminole jewelry.

It isn't very easy to find pieces of genuine Seminole silver.  Most Native American jewelry that you find when you do an internet search are modern facsimilies or reproductions.  I did however find one interesting site that shows a few pieces of Seminole silver jewelry.  It is the National Museum of the American Indian Collections Site.  The fact that the items identified as Seminole on that site were all purchased from one collector does not give me a huge amount of confidence in the attributions, but it is probably trustworthy.

Below is one item on collections site listed as Miccosukee.

 Did you know the Seminoles were Nazis?  Just kidding!

Below is the description as it appears.

Culture/People: Miccosukee Seminole (Mikasuki)

Object name: Brooch

Date created: 1900-1930

Place: Florida; USA

Media/Materials: Silver

Techniques: Hammered, cutout

Click here to go to that site.

You can see other silver Seminole jewelry items on the same site.

Here is one identified as a Miccosukee finger ring.

Silver Miccosukee Finger Ring

People occasionally report Seminole Indian finds. One nice silver headdress piece was found near the site of the old Fort Pierce Fort.

Unfortunately the detectorist stuck his digger through it.  You have to be careful when digging.

It can always be helpful to be able to identify metal items that you dig. This is one class of items that might be found on the Treasure Coast.

It can also be good to go back and reevaluate old finds that you couldn't identify or that might have been wrongly identified.  That is another good reason to keep good records.

You might find more interesting information and useful books or historic documents in the Sotheby's auction listings.  Pictures from old books can be helpful.

I want to learn more about silver Seminole finds and hope to have more to post on that in the future.

This post took a direction that I was not expecting.  I'll leave it at that for today.

Beach conditions remain poor for finding old shipwreck cobs on the Treasure Coast.  That has been the case so often for so long that I haven't been posting a conditions rating lately.  With hurricane season, that might change.  Stay alert for new storms forming in the Atlantic or Gulf.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/12/15 Report - Lost Ring Found & Returned Months Later. Do Your Good Deed And Let Everyone Know.

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

Ring Found By Warren D.
Photo by Warren D.

Happy To Have Her Ring Back
Photo by Warren D.

Warren D. sent me an email telling the story of this returned ring.  Here it is.

I was metal detecting the wet sand with a Detector Pro Headhunter pulse detector at Ocean Ave, Melbourne Beach when a woman approached me and asked if I could find a lost ring. She said her family was posing for family pictures by the sand dunes a couple of blocks to the south when the ring was lost by her niece. I got a general description of the area as being where there was a lot of sea grapes as a back drop. I told her my detector was good for the wet sand but I have other detectors that can discriminate in dry sand and avoid a lot of the junk. I asked her when was it lost and she said about 4 months ago. She later told me it was last October, 8 months ago. I made 4 separate trips to detect the area with my pulse detector and a White's MX5 detector and a Minelab Sovereign. Each detector taught me something about the area and when I thought it was fairly clean I went back with my Detector Pro pulse and found it yesterday. It was in a area that I did not cover with my first 3 trips but it was close. On the fourth trip I was confident I knew where the ring "wasn't" if that makes sense.

Way to go Warren!  Good deed accomplished.

That is the kind of thing that doesn't happen if metal detecting is banned.  You lose your engagement ring, Rolex watch or locket with the only picture you have of grandma - too bad.  If detecting is banned we can't find it for you.  It will have to stay in the ground with the millions on millions of pull tabs, beer cans, fishing sinkers, along with knives and other dangerous items.

There are places where detecting is already banned.  They don't seem to care about your lost items.  I'm sure this woman and many more are happy that a detectorist went to the effort and was able to find and return a cherished lost items.  

I bet that if those in control lost something, they'd make an exception and go out with a detector to find it.  That is, if it is something that belongs to them.

I've shown a few returned items in this blog.  I've found and returned a good number myself over the years, and I'm sure that the others that read this blog have too.

 Thankfully metal detecting hasn't been banned everywhere yet.  Yes, there are some places (too many) where it has been banned.  We can theoretically detect in the St. Lucie County Parks, but if the item is covered at all, we can' t get it for you.  They say digging of any type is banned.  It has to stay in the ground no matter what it is.

Warren did several things that I want to point out.  First he looked several times and used different detectors.  He said Each detector taught me something about the area and when I thought it was fairly clean I went back with my Detector Pro pulse and found it yesterday. 

In my 7/22/14 post I described a strategy that I called an intensive step search, which employs various detectors and settings for multiple searches of the same area in order to gain greater understanding while progressively cleaning out an area in steps or stages while you learn more about the site.

Warren also said, It was in a area that I did not cover with my first 3 trips but it was close. On the fourth trip I was confident I knew where the ring "wasn't" if that makes sense.

Very often people will be off when they describe where they lost an item.  That is especially true when the item is lost in the water.  They don't usually understand the currents and tides.  That can throw them way off.  If you ask them what time of day it was that will help you figure out the tides and depth of water.

And it is important to learn where things are not. That is how you will narrow down a search.

For me, it is important to know where the junk is, especially in the wet sand and shallow water.  That is a part of my analysis and helps point me to the better areas.

Thanks much for doing and reporting this good deed Warren!  People need to know how much good we do.  They generally have no idea.  The detecting hobby might depend on it.

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Yesterday the first thing I dug was a pair of reading glasses.  They were found where such things are often found - near the swash.  Watches are often found in that area too.  

A lot of people lose their glasses when they are surprised by a wave.  I've found and returned glasses to tourists that otherwise would have been in trouble without their glasses while far away from home.

Keys are another important item that we often find.  Of course, getting your keys returned can save the day.  I've found keys for both individuals and businesses.  

One time the beach concession guys at the Fountainbleau lost their keys before they got started in the morning.  They were literally out of business until the keys were found.  They offered me fifty dollars to find the keys and gladly paid that when they were found just a few minutes later.

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SW added this clarification on the issue of the Seminoles owning slaves.  ...not all blacks with the Seminoles were their slaves, the runaways from the north that went into Florida were allowed to join them. This was done for protection of both parties. The runaways were protected from recapture and the Indians protected from raids. The Seminoles were very big slave owners, they never tended their own fields. They were actually quite wealthy, They got a lot of money from Jackson at the end of the 1st war and were still getting payments from the initial treaty.

Thanks SW.  I remember reading in one of the digital books that I recently mentioned in the blog that the Seminoles wanted compensation for their slaves, but someone said that they were runaway slaves and therefore not the legal property of the Seminoles so the slaves should be returned to their previous owners.

Just something that caught my attention as I quickly browsed the book.


You can get a lot of interesting history from those old books.


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A group of undocumented immigrants came ashore on South Hutchinson Island this morning.  Some were detained, at least one initially escaped.  Here is the link.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/local-news/st-lucie-county/crime/search-on-for-at-least-15-immigrants-who-came-ashore-on-hutchinson-island-in-st-lucie-early-friday_66586608

One time when this happened in the past, they set up roadblocks on the bridges and checked everyone's trunk before allowing them to pass to the mainland.

Bill M. said, There was helicopters in the air, Coast Guard in the water and officers on land because of this early this morning on the north end of Jensen Beach near nettles island... There was between 12 and 15 people aboard that boat.

No change in beach conditions.  Boy it has been a long time!

Do your good metal detecting deed today and let people know about it.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net