6/23/20 Report - Historical Treasure Coast Images From Wabasso, Vero and St. Lucie. A Few Finds.

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

Very Round Ball-Shape Object Found Yesterday.

Here are some finds I picked up yesterday.  I don't know what the ball-shaped object might be.  It looks a lot like a cannon ball, but I'll have to do some cleaning and investigate that.

The bottles below are embossed Coca Cola and Stuart Bottling Works bottles.  Both had a lot of shells on them.  The Coke is from Washington, DC.  I think that is the first I got from there.

Embossed Coca Cola and Stuart Bottling Works Bottles.

I've been able to find some information on the Stuart Bottling Works, but don't think I ever found out what they were putting in those bottles.  I'd guess soda or mineral water.

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The Sea Mist, Wabasso Beach.

Postcard Image Submitted by JamminJack

Yesterday I mentioned using old postcards for research. JamminJack said, I used post cards for research for a long time. Years ago, I donated my collection to Historical Society. It made me feel rewarded knowing future researchers will have access to them.

Below were several used for my research for 1715 Fleet and Treasure Coast. They are accessible online through MyFlorida site. 

This photo was taken before development of Wabasso beach. Check the cars and see if you can figure out the time frame.  

The title reads...

The Sea Mist, Wabasso Beach.

Back then Vero and Wabasdo were one beach. Confuses researchers when reading older articles on wrecks found, etc. 

Do you know exactly where it was?

Penn Wood Court

Postcard Image Submitted by JamminJack

About this one, Jack said, ... Pennwood Court, now Pennwood Motel. Kip Wagner helped with the construction of the motel.

Sexton's Motel Resort.

Postcard Image Submitted by JamminJack.

...Sexton's motel/resort. He was known for taking his guests across the Indian Lagoon to areas where treasure was being found.

St. Lucie State Museum.

3rd image is the building that later became Seal Museum at Pepper Park. This was built after treasure was being found in the Ft. Pierce area. I remember going in this museum.

Thanks to Jack for those images and descriptions. 

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From DJ...

Your June 22 blog reminded my of a search I could not complete. I found this reference to a casino (highlighted for you) and have been unable to locate the site of the old Casino. The only other reference was an advertisement I found once. I would imagine it would be directly across the Indian River as the barrier island was was only accessible by boat at that time. But thats a large area and many uncertain facts remain. Lots of development since them and most artifacts would likely be covered up by now or in the Indian River under sand and silt, anyway good to think about.

DJ also sent the following image of a great research tool.

Thanks DJ.

Can anyone tell us where the Fort Pierce casino was? I only have a vague recollection that I once knew about it.

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The low tide was nice and low yesterday.  The surf is still small.

Tropical depress Four is off the New England coast.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

2/20/20 Report - Sam's Town Casino Token Find. Upcoming Sedwick Auction. Bigger Surf Coming.

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

Sam's Town Casino Token.

I've found a number of casino chips or tokens in the past.  Some were in great condition, seeming to be recent drops.  One was in a plastic case and like new.  That one was found in the swash on an ocean beach.

Here is another.  It is from a land site and is beat up.  It is a favorite of mine even thought it shows a lot of wear.  I tend to like things that show wear.

Obverse of Sam's Town Casino Token.

I haven't done the research on this one yet, and haven't even tested it to see if it is silver.  I want to have an XRF analysis rather than an acid test because I don't feel like doing a rubbing on it even if it is already beat up.

Just a short section of the edge reeding remains, which clearly shows the heavy use before it was lost.

Whats Left of Edge Reeding on Sam's Town Token.

It weighs .75 oz.

See https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2012/05/52212-report-found-casino-chips.html for more casino chip finds.

Thanks.

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If you want to consign items to the upcoming auction, there are only two weeks remaining for you to do that.

Among the lots that will be sold are the following:

       The Nueva Granada Collection of Colombian Rarities Part I

       An extensive date collection of the finest and rarest Lima 8 escudos recovered from the 1715 Fleet

       Ingots and artifacts from the Spanish Fleets of 1622 (Atocha and Santa Margarita) and 1715

       Large variety of important Spanish colonial cobs and Latin American coins

This year's Spring Treasure Auction will be held at an historic art-based venue: the Germaine Marvel Building at the Maitland Art Center, just minutes from Orlando, FL.

Even if you do not plan to buy or sell anything, the Sedwick auctions provide an excellent opportunity to view fine coins and artifacts in person.

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A winter storm has moved into parts of the south and will be affecting the Treasure Coast before long.

The surf predictions have been holding pretty steady the past few days.  Seven to ten feet is predicted.  Here is the latest.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/7/19 Report - History and Photographs. Help Us Help You: Check-List. Few Finds. Surf Increase.

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

Circa 1915 Photograph.

The photo above is from about 1915.  The woman with the hat and white feather is Ma Barker.  Just kidding.  Actually the little girl is my grandmother, and the other two women are her mother and aunt.

So what does that have to do with metal detecting.  Well, for one thing, it was my grandmother that got a metal detector and took me metal detecting for the first time.  I don't remember exactly when that was but it must have more than fifty years ago.  That is one thing.

The metal detector, I think, was maybe a Radio Shack.  It would pick up big iron things, like horse shoes, but I don't think it would detect a coin, as I recall.  We went out to a home where she once lived as a child.  It was mostly gone, but the chimney remained.

It didn't catch on with me at the time, probably because of the inability to detect coins.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have had a great time with it even if I could only find iron, and I probably would have gotten a better metal detector before long.

It seems my grandmother's family had a lot of photos taken back then when it was a much bigger deal.  And she kept the photos, as did my mother, so I have a lot of photos, with a some going back to my great great grandparents.  I think it was my grandmother that put names on the back, so I know who most of them are, but the internet and genealogical research has filled in some gaps.

Here is something that was unexpected.

Back of the Same Photo.

Besides the names that are printed on the back of the photo, there is also the name and address of the photo studio, which in this case, was in a casino.  Even though I have a lot of historic information on the city, I had never heard of a casino being in that city.  That was new information for me.

My main point is that you can get good clues from photos.  Sometimes from the front, and even sometimes from the back.

I feel very lucky that my grandmother labeled so many old photos and kept the photos and other old things, and my mother kept them too.

You might consider making prints of some of the photos on your digital devices and safely store them for future generations.  Don't forget to label them.

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I took a little walk last night to do a little eye-balling.  I found more than expected.  I didn't have time to inspect them last night but gave them a quick rinse this morning.

Four New Bottle Finds.

Included are a Mr. Pibb bottle.  See http://www.pibbthug.com/history/.  I think it will look good when I get the moss and barnacles off.

An embossed Dr. Pepper bottle.  Mr. Pibb was created by Coca Cola to compete with Dr. Pepper.

A Titusville Coca Cola bottle.  A few cracks.

And a unidentified blown bottle with bubbles in the glass.  The only reason I picked it up was because of the bubbles in the glass.  There are no other markings on it.

I found more than expected, but nothing as good as I hoped.

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I and many of the readers of this blog enjoy looking at finds and like to identify finds and determine their age, but sometimes critical information is missing.  Here are some things that can be helpful.

Include measurements.  Sometimes a object for size comparison in the photo will do.  Notice for example, the dime included with the photo of the spoon in yesterday's photo.  Sometimes more than one measurement can be helpful.  Weight can also be telling.

More than one view of the object can also be helpful.  Often there is important identifying information on the back of an object.  That is very true for buttons.  The shank and back marks often tell the story.  You might not think something is important, but some small thing might be exactly what someone else needs to make a positive ID.  More views are better than less.

Consider the lighting.  Before taking the photo, check the angle of the lighting to see it brings out the details.

Tell what the item is made of or looks like it is made of.  You might not know for sure, but give your best guess.  

Where the object was found or what other objects were found with it can help too.  Sometimes you won't want to tell where the object was found, but give what information you can.

Things that might seem obvious to you when you are holding an item in your hand might not be evident at all to someone who is trying to work from a two dimensional photo.

You don't have to do all of these things, but you don't want to leave out some clue that might be exactly what someone else is looking for.

Here is a quick check-list (PMOC).

1. Photo(s).
2. Measurements.
3. Observations of Object.
4. Circumstances of find.

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I enlarged the photo of the earring-like object bearing trident and water symbols that was shown yesterday.

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Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Looks like we'll get a little bump in the surf around Thursday.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/28/14 Report - Evalatuting Beaches From Common Items, Gaming Chip, Crown Caps, Shipwreck & Gold Coins

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

1988 One Dollar Silver Stardust
Hotel and Casino Chip Beach Find

 Kovels Komments says,

Chips are worth cash at the casino, but some are worth more as collectibles. Each casino has its own unique chips. Collectors of gambling tokens specialize in chips used by particular casinos, or look for chips of a particular denomination. The more legendary the casino, the more valuable the chip, especially if the casino has closed. In the 1950s and ’60s, most chips were made from “clay” that was really a ceramic composite. The printed graphic on the center of a chip is called an “inlay.” It includes the chip’s value, the casino’s name and sometimes an image or logo that can also increase a chip’s value. The Casino Chips & Gaming Tokens Collectors Club (CCGTCC.co) holds an annual convention every year in Las Vegas.

Here is the source link.  http://www.kovels.com/latest-news/five-things-you-never-thought-to-collect.html?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.kovels.com%2flatest-news%2ffive-things-you-never-thought-to-collect.html&utm_campaign=Kovels+Komments%3a+Five+Things+You+Never+Thought+to+Collect

The Stardust Hotel and Casino was demolished in 2007, but the chip seems to sell for only a few dollars.

Another type of collectible mentioned in the above Kovels article is crown bottle caps.  They say...

The first crown cork-lined bottle cap was patented in 1892. Most wanted today are cork-lined caps and caps from small breweries or brands that were not made in large quantities. Common bottle caps sell for 25 cents, while rare caps sell for hundreds of dollars. Collectors belong to the Crowncap Collectors Society International (BottleCapClub.org). American Breweriana Association has a beer brand Crown Cap Exchange where collectors donate caps and get some.

Of course caps found on salt water beaches are usually in very poor condition, but you can use them and other items diagnostically to help you evaluate a beach.  Notice that the first crown cork-lined caps were patented in 1892.  You can often get an idea of how old a beach dug cap is from its condition and style or graphics if any remain.  Mostly only new caps will show graphics.

Here is a crown cap in unused rather than dug condition.







Many common items can provide clues to help diagnose a beach.  You've found a few of those if you use a pulse detector.   Do you know when bobby pins became popular?

I'll tell you below.

How about all-aluminum soft drink cans?

The first soft drinks to be sold in all-aluminium cans were R.C. Cola and Diet-Rite Cola, both made by the Royal Crown Cola company, in 1964.

The ring type pull tabs came first and then somebody got the idea of making the pull tabs that are supposed to remain attached to the can.  You and I know that they often don't.

Those little rectangular tabs came out about 1980.

So you can use pull tabs to evaluate a beach.  If you are detecting a back beach where the water hasn't been and you are finding ring tabs along with the newer stay tabs, the area probably hasn't been detected very well since back before 1980.  

I use simple things like that a lot.  Generally, I'd rather detect a beach where there are ring tabs.  If junk like that remains after such a long time, most likely other things remain as well.

About the bobby pins, they became popular in the 1920s.

How about paper clips?  They may be older than you think.  The gem paper clip was introduced as far back as 1892.

Another tip from Kovels.  The U.S. government passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. It regulated so-called cures and remedies and the claims made for these products in ads and on packaging. Proof of a claim's accuracy was required. So it can be assumed that an American bottle with the word "cure" or "remedy" embossed on the side was probably made before 1906.

Those are some things you can use to evaluate a beach.  I generally like to be in the oldest sand I can find unless I'm hunting modern jewelry, and even then there are times I prefer to get down into old sand if the area was popular over the years.

The junk you dig can tell you a lot about what went on at a beach in the past as well as how well it has been detected.




A Ponte Vedra wreck has been identified after being uncovered.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/ponte-vedra-schooner-wreck-identified/25174104


29 Byzantine gold coins like the one below were discovered in Luxor.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/97597/Heritage/Ancient-Egypt/Byzantineera-gold-coins-found-in-Luxor.aspx

Source: See link immediately above.

The wind on the Treasure Coast is now out of the southeast and is fairly strong. 

The surf is around four feet, but will be decreasing the next couple of days.

The tides are pretty big right now.

I'd expect some more clad and modern finds but not much in the way of older things.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/19/14 Report - Treasure Coast Gold Find, Nairobi Gaming Chip, & Personal Under Water Drones

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

14K Gold Bracelet Found On Treasure Coast
Find and Photo by Charlie S.

Conditions haven't been great for finding old things on the beach so far in 2014.  November of 2013 was the last really good period.  Nonetheless, there are always things to be found.

Here is a nice find by Charlie S, and here is what he said.

I have been reading your blog for a few years now, really enjoy it.  I thought you may enjoy this treasure coast gold find from last week.

This is a 14kp (solid 14 Karat Gold) bracelet that was taken just above the surf line on the incoming tide.  Unfortunately the incoming water made it a tough recovery and it ended up quite mangled, (or may have already been so, no way to know).  This bracelet weighed out at 14.7 grams, which calculated out to $374 in pure gold at spot.

Thanks for sharing Charlie and congratulations on the great find!

Not too long ago I did a few posts on tokens and casino chips.  Here is a gaming chip that was found on the beach from the Nairobi Casino in Kenya. 

One of the interesting things about Florida and resort areas in general is the finds that come from all over the country and world.

This gaming chip has a silver center and was evidently a recent drop in very nice condition.

The face value of the chip is 10 shillings.




The news is talking about under water drones.  That sounds new and gets attention, but it looks to me like what they are talking about is nothing much different than the ROVs that we are familiar with.  I guess there are some new things about them, but the big difference is in using the word drone.

The Navy is getting into underwater drones in a big way now.  The Pentagon is doubling the amount they are spending on drones that will take over a lot of the work previously done by men.

One company is making underwater drones that individuals can purchase for under $1000.   They have a video camera and come in a kit form.

Looks like fun, but doesn't look very heavy duty to me.  I don't think it would be much good in shallow water where you have currents or a semi-rough surf.

Take a look at the video.

http://news.sciencemag.org/signal-noise/2014/03/underwater-drones-could-help-weather-forecasting

I would think a good submersible video camera that could be attached to a pole, cable or whatever would do just as well.  Of course once you see an object you have to have a way to grab onto it, but I think that can be accomplished simply and inexpensively by other means.

I'm not thinking of going down a mile anyhow.  That makes things much easier.


The richest man in the world believes in God.  That is what one article says.  They are talking about Bill Gates.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/bill-gates-reveals-family-goes-to-catholic-church-it-makes-sense-to-believe-in-god-116166/

I think Putin is actually richer than Bill Gates.

On the Treasure Coast the surf is supposed to be up a little tomorrow to something around 3 to 5 feet.  That isn't very much but if there was going to be a strong North wind and a good angle to the waves, it might accomplish a little.  As it is, the angles don't look all that good.

The predictions do provide a hint of a bigger surf in the near future.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/11/14 Report - Dug Silver Casino Chip and 1920s Florida Beach Casinos

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

Silver Ten Dollar Luxor Casino Chip Water Find.

I say that you can find almost anything on a beach or in the water.  One type of object that I have found on more than one occasion that actually has some value includes casino tokens or chips.  I've only found a few, but the few that I have found were surprisingly in very nice condition though not very old.  One was found at the edge of the water but in a plastic case.  When I dug it up it was still like new.

Here it is, still in its plastic case.

The plastic case undoubtedly affected where it was found.  The plastic case lightened the object and provided an air pocket.

Like a watch, which might also have air pockets if it is still intact, that means it will be found with lighter objects than otherwise would be the case.

In the 1920s there were many casinos on or near the Florida beaches.  Being a resort destination, though, you'll find casino chips from around the country and around the world on our Florida beaches.

You might be lucky enough to find a Florida casino chip from back in the 1920s.  As I said, there were a number of casinos to be found around the state.  I've detected in the water in front of a few of them.  Maybe you have too without even knowing it.

Old Miami Beach Casino From the 1920s.
Source: http://www.windmillworld.com/world/miamicasino.htm

Here is a picture of Windmill World.  It had a casino and was located near the South end of Miami beach.

Or maybe you've detected near the casino near the end of Hollywood Beach Blvd.

Below are a couple more pictures of Florida casinos.





Here is a little information on the value of casino chips that I found by using this link.

http://voices.yahoo.com/casino-chip-collecting-determine-value-764451.html

You might think that, as with coins, the rarest or oldest casino chips are the most valuable. This isn't always true, though. Collecting casino chips is a little like collecting sports memorabilia in that collectors are interested in the story behind what they're buying. This is usually the story of the casino the chips originated from. One of the most popular kinds of stories is about the illegal gambling houses that started up in the Midwest towards the end of prohibition. Poker chips from these establishments are known as "illegal chips." The drama and intrigue surrounding the illegal casinos catches a lot of people's imaginations, which gives greater value to the poker chips associated with them. Many collectors believe the value of illegal chips will continue to increase as more people get interested in casino chip collecting.

1920s Cocoa Beach Casino.

Here is a casino that was located at Cocoa Beach.  Naturally it isn't as large as the facility at Miami Beach, but it had bath houses and a casino.

You can read more about it by using the following link.



https://www.cityofcocoabeach.com/citylife/Photos_Historical.html

And here is a picture of the resort where the Hollywood Beach Casino was located.  

The 1926 hurricane devastated Florida and brought an end to the Florida Land Boom and pushed Florida into the Great Depression.  That closed many of the old Florida casinos and put an end to an interesting part of Florida history.

One additional note on casino chip collecting.  Unlike those that I've found while detecting, many are plastic and have no metal content.  Those that I've found were partly silver.  Unlike the one above that is all silver, others are partly plastic and partly silver.

Here is a link to another web site on casino tokens.  There are various terms to use if you want to do more research on the topic.  Casino tokens or gaming tokens or chips are two.

http://www.casino-tokens.com/


The experiment I reported on yesterday where the object stepped down a sand slope under water was a totally submerged environment.  That is important and I wanted to point that out.

It is what can happen under the right conditions in the water and shows how objects can find their way to deeper water and into holes.

Also note that the current had a effect such as air rushing over an airplane wing, but in this case was not strong enough to actually lift the object.


On the Treasure Coast the water is very calm today.  The surf is very small and the tides have flattened out.

The wind is from the West.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/22/12 Report - Found Casino Chips

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

.999 Pure Silver Luxor Casino Chip

I mentioned finding casino chips the other day.  Rick A. read that post and sent a link to a great web site for buying, selling, trading and finding prices of collectible casino chips.  I'm glad he did because I forgot that I was going to talk about casino chips.

I wouldn't say that casino chips are common beach finds because they are not, but it does happen.

Many people collect casino chips, and I can see why.  They are attractive, interesting, and can be very valuable.

Even modern casino chips have some value.  They can be used if you can get to the casino and some are made of precious metals, like the ten dollar Luxor chip shown here.

Some of the more collectible chips sell for tens of thousands of dollars.

Of course the most valuable chips are from historic casinos that no longer exist.  And many people especially like the slot machine tokens.

This chip was found near the water line in the plastic case shown here.  It was undoubtedly in the water for at least a little while but was protected by the plastic holder.

That is the type of thing that makes me wonder.  How did it get there?  Why would somebody be carrying a casino chip on a beach, and how did they lose it?

You can find all sorts of strange things on a beach, and I often wonder how they got there.

One good thing about Florida beaches is that people from all around the world visit and that means you can find things from all around the world.

Here is a chip from Nairobi Kenya.   It isn't old, but does contain nearly a half an ounce of silver.  That means that it has some value, if only melt value.  

I haven't looked up the denomination yet and don't have any idea what 10 shs is worth.  I suspect not much.

Anyhow, this is one more type of thing that is sometimes found on Florida beaches, and it can be a very interesting area of collecting.

If you want to collect casino chips, you'll probably want to specialize in some way, maybe collecting the chips from casinos of a particular state or time period.

Here is the link that Rick sent. 

http://www.casino-gaming.com/casino-chips-collectible.htm

Thanks Rick.

Florida had some historic beach casinos too.   One that you might be familiar with is now the Hollywood Beach Resort.  Back in 1926 it was a Florida hot spot.  You can still detect on that beach today.

And there were a  riverboat casinos.   That could be really interesting.

Below is a postcard for sale on eBay showing the old Hollywood Beach Casino.

There have to be some leftovers from those days around there if you can get to the right spot at the right time.

Treasure Coast Beach Detecting Conditions.

No significant change.  Seas still running about three feet.

The wind is from the south and the swells from the east.

Poor mushy conditions.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net