7/26/15 Report - Unusual Find. October 29 Sedwick Coins Treasure Auction. Testing and Sampling. Spanish Galleon Book.

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

Unusual Tag Find
Photos by Warren D.

Warren D. found this tag.  Fortunately he has a relative that was able to translate it for him.  Here is what he said.

I found this on the beach this morning. The writing looked Russian to me. I sent pictures to my niece who studied Russian linquistics and history at Duke University. She said the tag looks like it is from a Warrior Dash/Cross Fit style outdoor obstacle-course race held in Russia that is sponsored by the Russian Ministry of Defense and veteran's support organizations. They are associated with the military (military-style obstacles in the race, a little similar to "Support Our Troops" events here) which is probably why it was designed to look like a dog tag. The first picture with the design at the top, lists 2 of the sponsors, Absolut Bank and the non-state pension fund "Blagasastayania".

The second picture, with the large bold face type, says the name of the race "Race of Heroes". It looks like whoever finishes a race gets one of these dog tags and this particular one is from spring-summer last year. The race if you're curious: http//www.gtorace.com/

I told her it's great to have a translator in the family.Found in Cocoa Beach.

Warren D.


Very interesting find Warren.  That is one thing that keeps it interesting.  You can find almost anything on a Florida beach, even things that come from half way around the world.  Congratulations!

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From Sedwick Coins:

Our third live floor auction (Treasure, World and U.S. Coin Auction #18) will take place on October 29, 2015 at the DoubleTree Suites Hotel at Lake Buena Vista, just minutes from Walt Disney World. We invite you to attend and take part in the outstanding opportunities this event offers, whether as a consignor or a bidder:

• Educational presentations the day before the auction by numismatic experts from around the world.• Networking with other collectors and dealers at our famous Argentine gaucho-style dinner the night before the auction.

• Lot viewing for all lots the day before and during the live auction right next to the auction room in the hotel.

• Live bidding in our state-of-the-art auction room with Shaunda Fry, our world-renowned auctioneer...

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People know a lot less than they think they know.  I'm not just talking about other people.  I'm including myself.

It is easy to think that you know something.  It is also very seductive.  And once you think you know something, the tendency is to support and defend it even if it takes all kinds of mental gymnastics.  And the more you do that, the more hardened and resistant the perceived knowledge becomes.

It occurs to me that ignorance makes "knowing" easy.  You don't have to deal with all the facts and contradictions that way.

I dare say some people are more prone to this than others.  The defense is skepticism, especially about what you think you know, is objectivity and a willingness to test  your knowledge and change your mind.

You probably won't learn much if you rigidly resist the possibility that you might be wrong and refuse to change your mind.

I know I've changed my mind about some pretty basic things concerning metal detecting.  There was a time when I thought treasure coins washed out of the beach but not up onto the beach.  I had a lot of experience that supported that belief, but that experience was limited, and I was completely wrong.  That is what more recent observations have proven.  Now it seems that I was stupid to have ever believed that they do not wash up.

Just because you are wrong about something doesn't mean that your mistaken beliefs are completely useless.  They can be correct for some situations, and can actually be quite useful in some situations, though not as useful as more complete knowledge.

What I'm getting around to today is the need to continue to test your thinking and continue to learn.  I test things that I think I know.  Sometimes it appears to be a waste of time.  That's OK.  I don't spend a lot of time on testing things I'm fairly confident about.  I spend more time testing things that I'm not so confident about.

What makes my method different from most that you read about is the amount of analysis.  In the field I do a good bit of sampling and analysis.  I'll quickly check here and there to see if my first thoughts are supported on not.  If one place looks like a good place to detect, I'll check it out.  I'll have certain ideas about what I expect, and I'll look for signs that prove my expectations either right or wrong.  Depending upon what I find, I might then quickly move to another beach or area to test or sample it.

Sampling is very important to me and I do a lot of it.  Sometimes it is just a quick sample and other times a more extensive sample, depending upon a variety of factors.

I  guess I've been surprised too many times in the past to take everything for granted.  And that isn't all bad.  When you are surprised, that means your expectations didn't match your observations, and that is a grand invitation to learn something new.

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Here is a non-fiction book that you can read parts of online.  It is Spanish Galleon 1530-1690 by Angus Konstam, 2004.  Take a look.

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Expect at least a few more days of very small surf on the Treasure Coast.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/7/14 Report - Hidden Historic Florida Area, Dog License Tag Collectibles and More On the Ten Million Dollar Gold Coin Cache

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

Source of photo: Link below.

Do you know this place?  It isn't on the Treasure Coast and it isn't known by the many, yet it is in Florida and a nice quiet place to visit.

It is a park, and there is no fee.  Perfect for a day trip or a little outing away from the big city crowds.

There are a number of out-of-the-way places from Florida's past that you can visit.


Here is a link for more about this place.

http://www.floridasprings.org/visit/map/suwannee-springs/


People collect almost everything it seems, but did you know there are people who are avid collectors of dog tags.  I'm not talking about military dog tags.   Sometimes a good term to use is animal license tags.

You might be surprised how long dog license tags have been used.

Dog License Tag Found While Beach Detecting

Dog licenses and the practice of taxing tags have a long and international history. Dog licenses were documented in Utrecht, Holland, as early as 1446, and there is evidence that dogs were taxed in Germany by 1598. One of the oldest known surviving dog licenses dates from 1775 and is from Rostock, Germany. The oldest known American dog license tag is an 1853 Corporation of Fredericksburg (Virginia) medallion.

The source of the above is text 

 http://thebark.com/content/collecting-antique-dog-tags

It is a very nice little web site that will get you started.

I can certainly see how dog tags would make nice collectibles.  They come in different shapes, are made of different metals and may present a lot of information such as location and year.

This dog tag is nothing special, just an example of a find.   I haven't found many dog tags while detecting because I mostly detect beaches.

Of course, where you detect will determine what you find.  You will occasionally get a few surprises though.


One of the bigger treasure stories of recent days is the story of the ten million dollar gold coin cache that was uncovered in California.

The following linked article says that many people wrote saying that the cache was theirs.  That will happen when something of value is found.  You always have people who are willing to claim anything of value whether they have any right to it or not.

I've warned you all about that before.  Take steps to make sure that any claimants are the real owners.

The cache find also gave rise to many theories.  One is that the cache was linked to Jesse James, which turns out to be doubtful.

Here is the link to that article.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/05/california-10m-gold-coin-cache-rush-of-theories



On the Treasure Coast today the surf is supposed to be a touch higher, up to around five feet.  The wind is from the west though.   The increased surf isn't predicted to last long.  Don't expect any major changes in detecting conditions.


I'll get back to my series on beach dynamics sometime before long.

Don't forget the club hunt this weekend.





Enjoy the wonderful weather.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/1/14 Report - USN Bracelet, Florida History and Seminole Wars Resources, Official(?) Statement on Dog Tags and Other Government Property.

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

Silver Bracelet Find

Happy New Year!  A new day and a new year.  An opportunity to finish old business and begin new paths.

If you are interested in the Seminole Wars, you might want to check out this free online book that was published in 1848 and is, as far as I know, one of the better and most detailed.  It contains 622 jam-packed searchable pages.  Written by John Sprague, the title is Origin, Progress and Conclusion of the Florida War.   Excellent resource.

Here is the link.

https://openlibrary.org/books/OL13505140M/The_origin_progress_and_conclusion_of_the_Florida_war



I posted a couple of items yesterday, including a dog tag found by Dan B.  In researching the dog tag to find the owner, Dan B. located some other information that I assume is probably true.

You can check out that source, by using the following link.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090712220148AACDQoH

To sum it up, it says that the official policy on lost dogtags, or any other U.S. Military property, is that it remains military property and people should immediately send any such items to the Secretary of Defense, 3E880, The Pentagon, Washington D.C. 20301.

I wonder how practical that is.  Would they not be quickly buried in a pile of authentic as well as misidentified, properly sold or transferred property and fake items?

They claim that there are "many" fraudulent people attempting to make contact with military families to get publicity or rewards.  I suppose there are some, and people should always be aware of possible scams, but don't you think this is exaggerated and over reaching?

Go to the source and read it for yourself.  I am only summarizing part of it.

One other thing I learned yesterday is that there are a lot of companies that advertise and make custom dog tags, evidently for unofficial purposes.  It looks like many dog tags are therefore not and never have been U.S. property.

The above linked site also provides information that might help you identify"authentic" dog tags.

It says that authentic dog tags should contain the following information in order: last name, first name, middle initial, Social Security number, blood type, and religion.

They say that because the dog tag contains so much personal information that can be misused by dishonest people, the dog tag should be sent to the feds, which, of course, assumes that people in government, as well as government contractors (eh hem) working in mail rooms or whatever, would never misuse items or information.   Are people who conduct government functions more honest than other ordinary citizens?

Thanks for sending the link Dan.  Interesting.

If you can confirm any of this, have personal experience with returning suspected U.S. property or dog tags, or just want to offer a reaction, send me an email.

By the way, Allman's book has a lot to say about the honesty and motives of big names in Florida government and history, such as Andrew Jackson.  In fact much of the book is spent revealing how often the truth has been replaced by myths about Florida and its history.

Above is a photo of a silver bracelet.  It appears to be WW II era.  I suspect the V in the middle stands for Victory and gives a clue to the date.  I haven't looked into it yet.

On the Treasure Coast the first day of 2014 was a rainy day.

It looks like we also got a decent low tide for a change.  I hope we have more of that.

Also, if you look out about a week, they are now predicting a 7 to 11 foot surf.  That is real interesting.   I'll be keeping an eye on that.

Happy New Year,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/30/13 Report - Search for Two People - Class Ring & Dog Tag Owners & Diamond Ring Found in Car

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

Photos of Finds by Dan B.

Yesterday I suggested going off-beach while waiting for beach conditions to improve.  Dan B. did that, and in the process he found a silver half and a dog tag.  He is searching for the owner of the dog tag.  Dan's finds were from two different sites.

The Franklin half is 90% silver.  In poor condition it might bring around $12 and in perfect condition, around $35.

Nice coin.

http://cointrackers.com/coins/374/1963-ben-franklin-half-dollar/


The dog tag is being researched.  If you can locate the owner, let Dan know.  Dan is researching it right now.





Michael E., as I explained the other day, has been detecting less than a year and so a lot of his finds are his first of a particular type.

Now he has found his first class ring.

If you've been reading this blog you might know of a couple of finds Michael has been able to return to the original owner.  One was a diamond ring.  That was covered by the news, and I also posted about a St. Christopher medal that Michael returned.  That post was just a couple of days ago.

Michael E.'s First Class Ring Find.

Michael E. is now searching for the owner of this class ring.

Only the initials are inscribed inside the ring.

I suspect he'll be able to return this one too.  He has been in contact with the school, but the staff is on holiday right now.

One resource, and I doubt that it is the most expeditious but it is worth mentioning, is the following web site.

http://www.classringfinder.com/Search.aspx


These days it is not difficult to contact the school itself,   Most have facebook pages or web sites.

As I've explained before, make sure you find the right person.  There are people who will attempt to claim items that do not belong to them.  Use some judgement in the process to ensure that you don't get scammed.

Hold some information back that you can use to ensure you have the right person.

I would be very surprised if this owner of this one is not found before long.

I was thinking that local reporters might run down the owner.  It would make a good local news story.

Michael made this find off-beach.  He has been hunting the soccer field that he had hunted before.

Here is what Michael said.

... same soccer fields I've been working since I mailed you about that few months back. In total so far from these fields has been 3 10k rings including the class, 2 925 rings and 2 925 chains and pendants, over $50 in clad. But that doesn't matter I am hoping to return this class ring.


A Midas service technician found a diamond engagement ring in the car he was working on.  The ring was lost for six years before being found and returned.

Here is the link to that story.

http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/24311187/diamond-ring-found-inside-the-seat-of-a-car-6-and-a-half-years-later


On the Treasure Coast we have north winds today, but the surf is only around three feet.  In a few days we'll be getting a little more surf, but probably not enough to help beach conditions much.

Low tide today will be around noon.


I've really been enjoying my new photo equipment and am learning a lot from getting better close up views of things.  

A lot of times you will discover something about a find many months or years after it was found.  Some very important discoveries have been made that way.

As I've said in the past, the find is only the beginning.  


Happy Hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net