4/6/15 Report - Spanish Colonial Higa. Red Cent Indian Head Pennies. $100,000 Hot Wheel Toy.

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

Carved Jet Higa
Source: Current Sedwick Coins Auction Catalog.

This carved jet higa is lot 1545 in the current Sedwick Coins auction.  Jet is black wood.  It is broken and incomplete.

Higas (sometimes figas) are common Spanish colonical artifacts and have been found on wrecks of the 1715 Fleet.

Higas are charms or talismans meant to ward off evil.

They are made of various materials, including jet, ivory, and various other materials.

Below is a higa that was found by using a metal detector on a Treasure Coast beach.

That one appears to be made of ivory and has a silver cap and loop.

One that looks nearly identical is listed with a photo in the the Mel Fisher artifact database.

Higa Dug On Treasure Coast Beach

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Not worth a red cent!  You might have heard that expression.  Maybe not so much anymore, but I've heard that expression many times in the past.  I always thought it meant "not worth much of anything," but red cents can actually be worth something.

What is a red cent?  If you've dug a lot of coins you've probably dug some pennies that look red.  I have.  I've seen red wheat pennies as well as memorials.

I've read that the color is determined by different copper oxides.

I once believed that any patina on a coin was bad.  That isn't necessarily so.  Some patinas actually add value. 

A rainbow toned silver US coin can be worth 10 or 20 times more than a similar untoned coin. 

By toning I'm referring to the natural aging process, not encrustation or corrosion. 

Back to red cents.

Indian head cents are popular collectibles.  The following article from numismaticnews.net says, “There’s a big jump in value for red Indian Head cents. The 1890 is scarce in a high grade with red color. That’s an underappreciated rarity."

Here is a link if you want to read more about the value of Indian Heads and red cents.

http://www.numismaticnews.net/article/good-to-see-red-with-indian-head-cents

The next time you dig up a  red cent in nice condition, check it out.  It might be worth more than you think.

You might also want to go back and look at the nicer pennies and other coins that you've stored away,  and look for those with especially nice patinas.

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Source of photo: Comcast link below.

Is this Hot Wheels VW Beach Bomb Rear Loader really worth $100,000?

Use the following link to find out. 

If you've been metal detecting very long and dig things besides coins you've probably dug a few Hot Wheels.  Of course it isn't likely that you'll find one this valuable, but you can find one worth a few bucks.  It can be fun to research the toys you do dig to see what they might be worth. 

It is always good to know what kinds of things might have some value.  Sometimes you might be surprised.

http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/watch/Pawn-Stars/7196250346352115112/421517891940/Hot-Wheel-of-Fortune/videos?skipTo=58&cmpid=FCST_hero_tv_pawnstars

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On the Treasure Coast the higher surf that was predicted turned out to be only up to around four feet.  Not only is that disappointing, but the wind is South/Southeast.  That won't help much.

Not much hope in the predictions for this week either.

Hope you had an great Easter,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/5/14 Report - Bertha Now Close To NC. Tungsten Ring? Antique Jewelry Maker's Marks. Hot Wheels & Action Figures.

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

Funny Things Found on the Beach At Different Times.

You can't always find an unusual item of historic significance like the gold pyx that was recently found by the crew of the Booty.  In fact, some days it is hard to find much of anything.  But no matter what big treasure you are trying to find, there is always something little that you can find along the way. 

Why in the world would I post a picture of these silly toys?  I'll tell you, but first I'll answer an email from Hans.

Hans J. wrote and said, I don't believe that unknown ring would be Titanium- Ti is very light like aluminum and I don't believe they make rings from them. I think you may have meant Tungsten- a common replacement for gold.

Also, I don't see a 'like' button on posts. Maybe you have to be logged in?

I'm sure he is right about the ring that I showed.  It is very heavy.  I noticed how heavy it was as soon as I picked it up.   Much too heavy to be titanium.  I should have thought of that before typing.

The "like" button that I referred to might not actually be a "like" button.  What I was talking about is the g+1 button that can be found at the bottom of each post.  I'm not sure if that is properly called a like button or not - evidently not.  I just noticed one day that some people were using it, and I found the feedback helpful.  Despite all of my posts, I haven't taken the time to learn anything about social media or promotions.  I just post.   Someday I'll have to learn to take this web stuff seriously.

Thanks Hans.


I was expecting another video of recent finds from a Spanish galleon, but didn't get it yet.  Maybe soon.


On the earring that I showed yesterday, I found that it was stamped with a very small "IBB CN."  Very small, but could be seen with my Celestron digital microscope.

I looked that up and found that IBB is a company that distributes high-end fashion jewelry and watch brands, including; Guess, Nautica, Marc Ecko and Gc.   It is a Canadian company, so that probably explains the CN.

In the process of researching the earring I also found (actually I need to credit the wife) a great web site on jewelry and particularly antique jewelry maker's marks.  Here it is.

http://www.langantiques.com/university/index.php/Category:Jewelry_Maker's_Marks

I'll probably add that web site to my reference links list.  I've found a number of good reference sites to add to the list lately.



As I've said before, I like a lot of different kinds of things.  I like bottles, fossils, gold nuggets, rings, artifacts, and the list goes on.  I even like old sinkers and fishing lures. Economic value isn't the only thing that interests me.

I like recycling things.  I like picking up something that has been lost and is lost and returning it to usefulness.  I don't like waste.   I hate to see useful things go to waste, no matter how big or small.

You know all of those little cars and toy that you find on the beach?  They might be toys but some of them can be worth something. 

1970s - 1990s items, especially toys, are collected by a lot of people who like to recapture their childhood.  As unexplainable as it might seem to some of you, items that are a few decades old can be more valuable than items that are centuries old.  It just depends on what you like.

Kovels Komments said,  Hot Wheels are hot. A 1973 pink toy Ferrari sold on eBay for $3,009, a record price for a Hot Wheels toy sold on eBay. It sold with its blister wrap. Antique Trader lists four other Hot Wheels worth more than $2,000 today: a mint-in-the-box 1969 blue Redline Oldsmobile 442, a yellow Redline Cipsa Mexican Sand Witch, an ice blue Redline Oldsmobile 442, and a dark purple Mustang Boss Hoss car with a black roof.

Of course the most valuable ones would be mint in box, but there are a lot of Hot Wheels collectors and if you find one of the more sought after models in decent condition, it might be worth something even if it is not in great shape.   Here are just a few that I dug up.  

 



A few detectorists collect Hot Wheels and other similar cars.  It is one more way to enjoy your day, especially when you aren't busy digging gold coins.

The little car above is in much better condition than the picture shows.  It has metal flake paint. 

Hot Wheels cars can be easily researched.  Check the bottom for markings.  It will show the year.

Of course you can detect those little cars, but there are other toys that are plastic, yet you can find them, and they can be worth a few bucks too.  Action toys from the 1980s are very popular.

At the top of the post are a few of those that I've picked up on a beach.  I've sold a few.   My uncle always said, "Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."    These silly toys can often be sold for a few dollars, and that is better than many of the items you will dig.  I know a lot of people have no interest in this type of thing, but not only do I like them, they also help pay for batteries or whatever.

Masters of the universe toys (MOTU) are very popular.  The first one that I found I quickly sold for a few bucks at a comic book store.

The purple thing on the left is a Wendy's promotional item from a few decades ago.  It falls in the advertising collectibles category.

I don't know the guy on the right at all.

Here is a web site about the most popular action figures from the 80s.

http://gadgets.gunaxin.com/the-30-best-action-figures-of-the-80s/34730

NHC Image of Bertha.

On the Treasure Coast today the wind is still out of the west and the surf is running around one to two feet.

Bertha is up by North Carolina and is decreasing in strength.




People who dislike how thy are treated usually treat others very poorly.  That is part of the reason they aren't treated better, but the bigger reason is that they unwittingly treat themselves poorly.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net.