11/4/19 Report - Some Moving Sand. Gold Nuggets and Silver Bars. Ais Indians Along Treasure Coast.

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

Frederick Douglass Beach Sunday Evening.

I took a look at the beaches Sunday evening and found some cuts at John Brooks and Frederick Douglass beaches.  Those cuts weren't there Friday.  The cuts were not as strong as those I found on Oct. 26.

It was a little after high tide on Sunday evening when I took these photos.

Frederick Douglass Beach Sunday Evening.

In front of the cuts the beach was typically still mushy.

John Brooks Beach Sunday Eventing.

At least some sand was being removed at these beaches, although I don't expect it to continue much.

John Brooks Beach Sunday Evening.

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Yesterday I showed a couple especially nice lots that recently sold in the current Sedwick auction.  They were cobs from the 1715 Fleet.  Today I'll mention a couple more lots that I found particularly interesting.

Gold Nuggests From Rio Mar that Recently Sold at Auction.

Source: Secwick Coins Treasure Auction No. 26 Online Catalog.

One is the small group of gold nuggets shown above that were found at Rio Mar.  That lot sold for $1300 plus buyers premium.   Below is the lot description.

Lot of seven small gold nuggets, 1.12 grams total, ex-1715 Fleet. Each up to 1/4". Very few natural gold nuggets were found on the 1715 Fleet, so it seems odd that the Fisher marketers did not separate this lot into seven individual artifacts, but fortunately these pieces have retained their original plastic artifact tag and certificate. A few of the nuggets (mostly flat) are tiny, but some are substantial, and most likely they were being carried as "tax free" wealth by a passenger. From the 1715 Fleet ("Rio Mar" site), with original Cobb Coin Co. (Mel Fisher) plastic tag and photo-certificate #CC86-025.

It wasn't too many years ago that I found three nuggets at John Brooks beach.  

At one point salvagers attempted to dredge fine gold flakes at Rio Mar, but weren't very successful and gave up on it.

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Lot 208 was sold for $48,500 plus the buyers premium.  Lot 208 is the Atocha silver bar of over 92 pounds shown below.

Here is the lot description.

Large silver Atocha bar #779 from Potosi, 92 lb 3.84 oz troy, Class Factor 1.0, with markings of mine / date Po1621, manifest IIIIULI (4051), and fineness IIUCCCLXXX (2380/2400) followed by cartouche of assayer Mexia, shipper / owner's marks (Arriola) and tax stamps, from the Atocha (1622), with original stock certificates. 13-1/2" x 5" x 3-1/2". A rather large example with choice full markings, especially the manifest number and the silvermaster's "V" in one corner, plus full date 1621 and nearly full tax stamp in addition to the fineness and assayer, with typical double-scoop assayer's "bite" in center, but perhaps best of all is the elegant diamond-topped AR monogram with what looks like a magic wand (all of which apparently refers to shipper / owner Arriola) near the left side, quite a showpiece for the advanced Atocha-bar collector. From the Atocha (1622), with original Fisher photo-certificate #85A-S779 and investor folder containing three Treasure Salvors, Inc. stock certificates from 1986 (525, 1500 and 1517 shares).

Heavy silver bars from wrecks like the Atocha typically bring high prices at auction.

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Here is some good reading: The Location of the Paramount Town of the Ais Indians, as presented in the The Florida Anthropoligist, Sept. - Dec. 2010 issue.

If you like Florida history, I think you will enjoy this well-researched article of over thirty pages packed with maps and references.

Here is the link.  https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00027829/00210/7x

Thanks to DJ for that link.

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It is still breezy today, but the tides are smaller and the surf is getting smaller too.  I don't know what might have happened to the beaches overnight, but yesterday there was some positive movement.

It looks like next week we have a chance for some higher surf again.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/11/19 Report - 1715 Fleet Gold Nuggets. Anthropology Blog Comments on Treasure TV Show. Nokta/Macro PulseDive.

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

The above gold nugget was found in 2014 on a cut John Brooks beach.  I  found it with two other smaller nuggets in the same general area on a day when no other targets were found.

Gold Nugget From 1715 Fleet Beach.

Quartz matrix is still attached. You can see that in the photo.

I originally posted that photo in 2014.

Here is the link.

https://treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com/2014/03/31714-report-shipwreck-gold-nuggets.html

The May 2019 Sedwick Coins auction offers a lot of seven small nuggets (See below.) that were found at Rio Mar. The lot description says that nuggets from the 1715 Fleet are rare and were probably being carried by passengers.

1715 Fleet Gold Nuggets From Rio Mar.

Source: SedwickCoins Auction Catalog.

Here is the Sedwick lot description.

Lot of seven small gold nuggets, 1.12 grams total, ex-1715 Fleet. Each up to 1/4". Very few natural gold nuggets were found on the 1715 Fleet, so it seems odd that the Fisher marketers did not separate this lot into seven individual artifacts, but fortunately these pieces have retained their original plastic artifact tag and certificate. A few of the nuggets (mostly flat) are tiny, but some are substantial, and most likely they were being carried as "tax free" wealth by a passenger. From the 1715 Fleet ("Rio Mar" site), with original Cobb Coin Co. (Mel Fisher) plastic tag and photo-certificate #CC86-025.

If salvaged 1715 Fleet nuggets are rare, my guess would be that 1715 Fleet beach nuggets are even more rare.

There was fine gold salvaged at Rio Mar too.  A portable gold dredge was used with modest success.

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Sebastian Steve was a beta tester for the newly available Nokta/Macro PulseDive.  It is said to have more sensitivity/depth.  

Steve calls it a game-changer.

You might want to look it up.

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Recently I started trying to show how a more scientific approach can be applied to treasure hunting. I'm tired of talking about the Oak Island TV show, but it provides so many great examples, and it makes it easy for me because I know that many of you have seen the show and the things I am talking about.  That saves me a ton of time trying to describe something when you've seen it for yourself.

If you think I'm hard on the Oak Island TV show, others who come from a scientific background are even more hard on them.  There is no personal animus or anything, but if you have a history as a research scientist, especially in the social sciences, their approach will smack you in the face like a rock.

I stumbled on the following post in an anthropology blog, and I hope you will read it.  Not only does it expand on much of what I have said, but it also adds to what I have said, and I don't have to take the time to do it myself.  The post helps show the mindset I am coming from as a scientist bringing a scientific perspective to metal detecting.

https://www.andywhiteanthropology.com/blog/romans-on-oak-island-no-just-another-steaming-pilum-of-baloney-evidence-by-peter-geuzen

Here are a few excerpts from the blog to get you started.

As the show keeps trying to be about something, it keeps delivering essentially nothing. Scraps of minor finds are inevitable with the amount of digging and metal detecting going on. Give any historic location in Nova Scotia the same level of effort and you wouldn’t find much of anything different. It’s all stuff from the last couple centuries, but on Oak Island there is also stuff from all the past dead end searches...

The first line of the next excerpt sarcastically makes sums up something I've said.  Taking the excerpt out of context, I thought I should point out the sarcasm.

... when swinging a metal detector turns up a pointed piece of iron, it’s best to start with a conclusion and worry about details later. Fist pumping yelps of TEMPLAR are now mandatory. The obligatory cell phone speaker call to bring over the always conveniently close by fellowship members has to happen next. The bros then high five all around and Prometheus immediately cuts to a leap of faith confirmation fantasy historical re-enactment scene, with universally condemned narration from the “Could it be?” guy. In other words they found this iron spike thing and immediately gave it a bromance declaration as a Templar crossbow bolt.

The excerpt then talks about a fake Roman pilum find.  The same type of analysis would apply equally to other finds such as the few I've mentioned in the past.

I hope you take time to read it.  You'll better understand much of what I've been talking about lately,  and where I am coming from when I comment on the show.

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This would seem to be a good morning to do some low-tide hunting.  The surf is small, but will be increasing going into the weekend when the surf will be about three or four feet again.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/17 Report - Copper Sheet and Copper Rim?

Wabasso Beach in Front of Disney.

This photo was submitted by Pete V. a couple of days ago. He also reported, "Ambersand showed no cuts and neither did an area just north of the Salvors camp."

I appreciate reports like that because, as you know, I can't be everywhere. I would have posted it sooner but like I said yesterday I was busy and neglected my email for a couple of days.

And Jon M. said, "I went to Corrigans at 3PM to Sunset on 11/13/2010. Sand from
restoration was washing out of back dune. The brown restoration sand was
covering middle and front beach."

It looks like those seven foot seas just didn't do much to most of the beaches this time. From what I did see, it looked like the waves were hitting the beaches straight on a 90 degree angle, and that just doesn't usually do it.

Photo of Part of Copper Bowl or Something.

This ornate piece of copper appears to be from maybe a rimmed bowl or large cup. It was found yesterday.

I did a little scratching around on the beach today and picked up a couple things I'll show sometime.

Clean your car keys before you put them in the car door or ignition. Sand can stick to the key and get in the locking mechanism.

I got a couple of emails about the disk I showed yesterday and I think it I got it figured out.


Piece of Copper Sheet Found Yesterday.

Notice the penny for size.


One area that I haven't mentioned much, down around the House of Refuge has been producing both shipwreck spikes and a few gold nuggets that test out in the 18 to 22k range. Be careful where you detect down there though. If you get on the protected archaeological site, you could get arrested.

Forecast and Conditions.

The wind is from the west and the seas are around four feet now. One beach, the one at John Brooks, was really building. Tons of sand piled up in the past few days.

Another beach was getting stirred up on the beach front. Shells were being exposed all along the front of the beach where the waves were pounding. And there were some piles of shells pretty far back on the beach. I'll have more to discuss about that tomorrow.

I'll downgrade my treasure beach conditions rating to a 1 (poor) for now. However there are some good places to check. One good place to check would be the low tide areas below recent cuts, especially where sand was removed because of obstructions - like rocks, jetties, etc.

It looks like the seas will increase again a little around Friday.

It will take a lot to really improve the beaches because of all the accumulated sand.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net