11/30/19 Report - The Trouble With Treasure: Two Viking Hoards. Beautiful Sand. Higher Surf.

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

Source: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/11/29/viking-treasure/

The trouble with treasure is not the treasure - it is the people.  When huge finds are made, things often get tricky.  Everybody wants a piece of the pie, or in some cases, the whole pie.

I told you a day or two ago about George Powell and Layton Davies, a couple detectorists who failed to report a Viking Hoard they found.

… The total value of the viking treasure hoard Powell and Davies discovered is estimated to be in the neighborhood of three million pounds. Had the two men simply declared it as they should have, they could have received as much as half of that value as a reward. Now, as a result of their greed, they won’t see a penny, and will be facing years in prison.

Others who conspired with the detectorists to sell the items will also be facing serious penalities.

Here is the link for all of the details.

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/11/29/viking-treasure/

Thanks to SuperRick for that link.

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Part of Viking Hoard Known as the Galloway Hoard.

Source: See TheVintageNews.com link below.

… In 2014, a hoard of Viking treasure was discovered in a churchyard in Galloway, Scotland. It had lain in the ground for over one thousand years until unearthed by Derek McLennan, from Ayrshire, with his metal detector. At the time McLennan promised to share the proceeds from the sale of the items, about two million pounds, with the church but has since reportedly gone back on his word.

The Reverend David Bartholomew, a friend who is a pastor of the church, the church elders, and the trustees of the Church of Scotland have not been able to reach McLennan causing them to finally file suit against the detectorist. Reverend Bartholomew was with McLennan when the treasure was found and has expressed surprise that his friend would disregard his given word. According to the Daily Mail, the Reverend commented, “Derek was my friend and it is sad that it has come to this.”...

Here is the link for the details of that one.

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/09/20/viking-treasure-hoard/

I wonder if anyone finds Matthew 6:19-21 relevant.

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
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Sand Enlarged Three Hundred Times.

Source: See GeologyIn.com link below.

You know that stuff you walk on at the beach?  It might not be as boring as you think.  In fact it can be very attractive if you look at it close enough.

Exactly what it looks like depends upon where your are, but if you magnify it three hundred times, you might see that it is composed of some very attractive bits of multicolored unique and irregularly shaped and possibly bright bits of many different things including rock, coral, shell, animal parts and even sea glass.  Above is one example you'll find at Geologyin.com (link below).

Here is a link where you can see more photos showing a variety of types of sand.

http://www.geologyin.com/2018/01/this-is-how-sand-looks-magnified-up-to.html

The particular nature of the sand at a location will determine how it packs or washes away.

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The high tides are not as high as they were the past few days.

The surf is supposed to be up to three to five feet today.

Source: MagicdSeaWeed.com

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/5/19 Report - Valuable Gold Pendant Beach Find. Gold Coins Found. More On The Copper Bracelet. Trained Marine Animal.

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

Two Sides of Gold Pendant Found on Beach.

Photo by Mag

This is a curious one for me.  I received an email from Mag, who said her son found this pendant "under a rock on the beach in San Diego."  Mag says it was taken to a jeweler who said it was 39 grams of "pure" gold, and the jeweler offered $2000.  That would be very close to the value of the gold content.  Another guy reportedly offered 120K.  I don't know why that would be, but as I was writing this I noticed something.  There appears to be a mark under the ankh.  I can't make it out in the photo, but could it be a Tiffany Art Deco piece or perhaps a work by a famous artist?  It does appear to be a quality piece.

Great find!  And thanks for sharing.

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I got an email from John E. who said, ......a guy that works for me told me he and his wife were looking for shells on Cumberland Island (Georgia/Florida border) after a hard blow back in 2007-2008....lots of great shells , but found 3 gold coins ( irregular shape according to him) under some shells and a "game warden " walked over and told him...."those are the property of the state of Georgia" I will have to take them, and he gave the coins to him. Can this be true?

I mentioned relevant issues and how it could definitely be true.

I know that Cumberland Island is a very historic place, and it could well have been found on state lands or a designated historic or archaeological site.  Also I mentioned the mean high tide line.

Whether the warden's actions were justified or not, it would have been nice if the finder got a photo of the coins and got the name of the warden for possible follow-up.

It is good to have a camera with you.  It can help document situations and help you demonstrate when you are in the right.

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One more person provided some thoughts on the copper bracelet found by Terry S.   Laura Strolia sent me an article which included the following sentence.  ... it is not uncommon for Aztec artist to create generalized deity figures that are based on the likeness of a particular deity and imbued with her characteristics, while not directly representing that deity....  

Attempting to briefly summarize the email and article that Laura sent me, I think it would be fair to say that the copper bracelet might show a stylized deity consistent with an Aztec, Mexican or South American cultural influence.

Here is the link to the article Laura sent.

https://howardnowes.com/gallery/detail.cfm?itemnum=12934

Laura also mentioned to me the popularity of copper arts and crafts jewelry from the 1960s and 1970s.  I've found quite a bit of that.

Thanks Laura.

I did my first post on this topic too soon.  I should have waited a few days.

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Very often my first response to an email or question isn't my best response.  For example, in the case of the gold pendant shown above, I responded to the email before noticing the faint sign of a  mark below the ankh, and I didn't think of the possibility of the item being an antique like those that were popular during Art Deco period.  I also didn't initially think of the possibility of it being made by a famous artist or company such as Tiffany.  I very often regret answering quickly and have to add to or edit my response.  That happened at least three different times this week.

Mag originally contacted me after seeing the gold Cleopatra pendant find that I posted by in 2013.  I had actually forgotten about that.

Yesterday's post on bottles sent me back through a tour of my old bottle posts.  That tour reminded me of a lot of other old finds that I forgot.  I also was reminded of my original intentions for my Bottle Barn site, which I haven't added to in a long time.

Some of the short paragraphs I post take me a long time to write.  One famous author - I forget who now - apologized to someone for writing such a long letter, and explained it was because he didn't have enough time.  It can take a lot of time to boil things down to a clear concise statement.  It is sometimes much quicker and easier to ramble on.

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I just took my first look at the recently concluded Sedwick auction and noticed that many lots went for two, three or more times the upper auction estimate.

The nice Santiago Chile quarter reales did very well, as did the blue and white Ming dynasty china.  Those are just two categories that stuck out to me on my first look.

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Perhaps you saw the reports of the Beluga Whale wearing a harness that turned up around Norway.  The news sources seem to be calling it a Russian spy.

Here is that link.

https://apnews.com/8515d3a6ea4a48dda70583a616beca05

Animals, including marine animals such as dolphins, have been trained for military functions.  I wonder what a trained sea otter could do?  I think he might be pretty good at diving for coins or whatever you trained him to look for.  Just a fun thought.

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It looks like in a few days we might get one day of three to five-foot surf.  Otherwise the surf will be more like two or three foot.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/11/18 Report - Florida Rep Responds To Beach Access Issue. Figural Bottle. Traveling Bottles.

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

Figural Cologne Bottle
Photo submitted by Scott B.

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Joe P. received a response from the Florida representative that he contacted concerning the beach access issue.  As I've said, I'm not going to play attorney and try to explain House Bill 631 or what I think it will or will not do.  There is much confusion about the bill.

Part of the confusion and problem comes from the fact that the bill, like most legislation, isn't easy for the average person to read and understand, and the articles that have appeared in the media are not totally accurate or clear.  In fact I'm sure the articles are responsible for a large part of the concern and confusion.  I'll give you an example of that later.

Here is the note Joe received from his representative.

Joe,

Thank you for your email. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents on the issues of importance to them.

I want to share with you a news story from Jacksonville that was posted last week. I believe it does an excellent job explaining what the bill actually does and does not do. Should you have any questions after reviewing it, please feel free to send them to me. 

https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/leaders-clarify-how-new-law-will-affect-your-access-to-florida-beaches

Best,
Bill Hager

I hope you will read the entire article, but here is a brief excerpt from that article.

But after backlash online from people who are worried it will give owners the right to kick people off public beaches, local leaders are trying to set the record straight.

State Rep. Cord Byrd, whose district includes Duval and Nassau County coasts, told News4Jax on Thursday that it's complicated, but to simplify it, those who own property on the beach generally own the land up to the sand dunes, which are protected by the state and are off-limits.

Byrd said the wet sand in between the water and the dunes is public property, and beachgoers have a right to access it. He said the new law doesn't change that...

The public is speaking up and making it clear that they are concerned and do not want beach access to be restricted.

The article is helpful in tone, but leaves much to be desired.  I do not believe they really mean "wet sand."  I would guess that what they really mean by that is the beach up to the mean high tide line.  However, if the "wet sand" or "beach up to the mean high tide line" is all the public will have access to, that would indeed be a BIG reduction in the amount of beach that the public will have access to.

The third or last sentence in the excerpt above, I think would be more accurate if the word "wet" was omitted, so it would read, ..the sand in between the water and the dunes is public property, and beachgoers have a right to access it.  It appears to me that the reporting has caused a lot of the confusion and turmoil.

Without telling you what I think the law will or won't do, or guess any more about what the article was trying to say, I'll just say that the public is making itself heard and at least some of the law makers have taken notice.  And regardless of what the law will or won't do, it is good for citizens to let their representatives know their concerns.  Joe's representative certainly responded more politely than some of the other representatives that I've heard about.

This isn't the kind of thing I like to write about.  In fact I don't like to write about it, however I think it is necessary because of the importance of the issue and the confusion and concern surrounding it.

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Scott B. sent me the photo of his friend's cologne bottle at the top of the post.  It still has a label on it, so he knows exactly what it is.

The locomotive bottle I found was only half the size of the cologne bottle, but could also be a scent bottle if it isn't a candy bottle.   The small size would make me think perfume rather than cologne, and I have a found a lot of small perfume bottles in the area, but the locomotive would seem to me to be more likely for a male than female.

Thanks for the email and photo Scott.

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Here is an email I received from one reader concerning bottles and bottling plants.

I've enjoyed the mention of bottling companies in your blog over the past few days.  It is a rich history-and a personal one for me.

My great-grandfather started a Coca Cola bottling company in Kissimmee in 1909 or so.  Three generations operated the plant until it was sold to Orlando in 1970.  It is a little hard to fathom now, but the bottles were recycled and refilled at the local plant until they wore out.  My father has told me many stories about the process, since he worked at every station as a teenager!

This is something I find extremely interesting.  It is easy to imagine Coca Cola bottles traversing the country in much the same way as a coin.  My dad tells me that more than half the bottles were from another location at any given time-many from out-of-state-unless they were filling a bunch of recently delivered new Kissimmee bottles.  The bottles traveled in cars or by other means until they were recycled at the local bottler for 2 cents.  They were then cleaned, refilled with Coca Cola, sold and the travels started again.  This is why it is not unusual to find a bottle far from where it originated.

Fascinating!

Russ P.

Thanks much Russ.  I had no idea how many local versus out-of-area bottles would be processed at a plant.  Glad to have that information.

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Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

As you can see the surf will increase a bit tomorrow.  Nothing real exciting, but it could be enough to move some sand in some areas.

The tides aren't big now.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/5/18 Report - Who To Contact Concerning Florida Beach Access Issue. Beaches This Morning.

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

Here is what Turtle Trail looked like just before noon today (Thursday).

And below are two views of Pepper Park.

 Snow birds and beach goers at Pepper Park near noon this morning.

As you can see, there was no erosion to be seen at that time.

The surf is supposed to increase tomorrow up to 3 - 5 feet.

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The following is an email I received concerning the issue of Florida allowing beachfront landowners to restrict access to their property.  See the special 4/3 post on that topic in this blog to see various media articles on the topic.

As I said, I will not personally comment on the wording or interpretation of the legislation, but I will share comments and opinions from other readers.  Below is one email I received from
Sherry Y with Florida representatives to contact.

Hi TG,

I've shared this on FB and thought you might be interested.  These are the Florida State House Reps who voted for this thing:

​And this is the Senate list:

Here is the note I sent my Rep:

​ Mr Altman,
I noticed that you recently voted to restrict public access to our Florida beaches.  I view this as a first step to making all the beaches in Florida the private property of wealthy landowners and hotels.  Please be advised that I will remember your vote when you are up for re-election.  I have also published a list of the voting records of all Florida legislators on Facebook and other social media so that other voters can voice their opinions on this matter.
Regards,
Sherry Young

Ms Debbie Mayfield doesn't publish her email (I wonder why) so I'll have to call her office.

Feel free to share any of this you think might be useful. The only way we'll get their attention is to threaten to take their jobs away.

Thanks!

Sherry Young



The salvage community should be concerned as well.  If landowners extend control of their land seaward, there will be more suits against salvage companies, especially if they choose to work close in.  There has already been action by beach front owners against salvage efforts in front of their property.

Below is another email from Sherry.




Here is the handy website for people to find their Reps:

https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx

I wonder how many of them were paid off by the big hotel owners?

Many of the politicians and their friends and backers own beach front residences and properties.

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The wind increased this morning and changed direction for a while. It looks like the wind will only be from the north for a short time.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/9/17 Report - 2011 Law Concerning Ownership of Artifacts and Space Exploration Artifacts. Blog Poll Conclusions.

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

The Cape Canaveral area, being the site of so much history, including early historic sites and a treasure wreck or two, provides another class of artifacts.  I'm talking about space exploration artifacts.

Space exploration artifacts occasionally show up on the Treasure Coast, most commonly including the relatively common melted bits of titanium, which I've discussed in the past, including instructions for identifying titanium. Occasionally more interesting items show up.

The recent Cooper's Treasure TV programs suggested another type of connection between space exploration and treasure hunting.  This blog's posts concerning the questionable trustworthiness of that show received a lot of attention.

On July 20th, Sotheby's will hold their Space Exploration auction, which among a long list of artifacts, includes the flown flight plan from the Apollo 13 mission.  That flight, which encountered serious problems and could have ended very badly, was the subject of a movie.

As I've said before, you can not separate politics from treasure hunting.  In 2012 President Obama signed a law concerning the ownership of space exploration artifacts.  (I won't get into the Odyssey Marine issue again, in which the courts ruled to give tons of silver recovered by Odyssey Marine to Spain, reportedly as part of a deal to obtain a valuable painting for a U. S. citizen.)  Here is how the Sothebys site describes that law concerning ownership of space exploration artifacts and how that law relates to the flight plan.

Here is the link for more information related to the flight plan and various incidents that occurred during the mission.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/news-video/blogs/all-blogs/sotheby-s-at-large/2017/06/houston-problem-here-flown-apollo-13-flight-plan.html?cmp=email_N09759___selects_space_hero3_30-jun-2017

You might also want to browse the auction lots.  I found them interesting.

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The most recent blog poll has concluded and the results are in.

As you can see from the bar chart below, the respondents generally go more by analysis and observation than intuition. That isn't surprising considering the amount of time I spend on analysis of beach conditions and other things.  Only one of the 45 respondents said that they went almost exclusively by intuition and hunches.

On the other end of the spectrum, 4 respondents said they rely almost exclusively on analysis.

The vast majority of those that responded, appear to use some mixture of analysis and intuition.  Overall the results were definitely skewed in the direction of analysis and observation over intuition.

Here are the results expressed in a bar chart.  I reordered the categories from how they were ordered when the poll was presented, and also shortened the category labels.  The numbers in the chart are percentages.

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Sunday I watched a series of TV programs on the Dare Stones and the Lost Roanoke colony.  Pretty good series.

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I've been working on another topic for a few days, but it just won't seem to come together.

There is no tropical weather in the Atlantic or Gulf right now.  No significant changes in beach conditions are expected real soon either.  There will be a little bump in the surf around Thursday, but not much.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/20/13 Report - Gold Cobs of the 1715 Fleet, Gold Shriner Medal, Fall Sedwick Coin Auction, Florida Statement on Metal Detecting

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

1714 Mexican Gold Cob
From goldcobs.com

If the recent gold coin finds from Sebastian has you in the mood for looking at gold cobs, here is a site where you can look at a good selection and even buy some if you want.   GoldCobs.com.   Many are graded and slabbed.

Another Nice Find from Fort Pierce Detectorist Rich R.

What did the settlers eat at Jamestown?  Eight hundred pound sturgeon were on the menu, but it appears that in bad times there might also have been cannibalism.

Here is the link to that story.

http://wydaily.com/2013/07/18/archaeologists-uncover-sturgeon-bones-near-cannibal-victim/



Concerning the next Sedwick Coins auction I received an email from Frank Daniel Sedwick which said the following.

This is a reminder that we have just one month left to receive your consignment for our first LIVE public FLOOR auction, scheduled for October 30, 2013, at the DoubleTree by Hilton, the only all-suite Downtown Disney® hotel located inside the Walt Disney World Resort® in Orlando, Florida.

Now is your chance to be a part of this inaugural event and take advantage of selling your collection in a fully live venue with an elite group of bidders attending from all over the world. Lot viewing will be on site the day before the auction, and special hotel rates and complimentary food and drinks will be offered during the auction in this exclusive event at an upscale hotel in one of the world's most-visited vacation cities with easy airport access and transportation.

The deadline for consignment to this auction (Treasure, U.S. and World Coin Auction #14) is August 17. Please send your consignments now, or let us know if you would like to meet us in person either at our office in Winter Park, Florida, or at your location, as we are traveling to meet consignors throughout July and early August. Remember, we will be at the ANA's "World's Fair of Money" in Rosemont (Chicago), IL, August 12-17, 2013, where you can discuss and deliver your consignments to us in person.

Please call 407.975.3325 or email us today at office@sedwickcoins.com
 

If you're not familiar the DoubleTree.  The DoubleTree is an all-suite hotel.  It is within walking distance to Downtown Disney and has free bus service to the parks.  Downtown Disney is being changed from what you might be familiar with



As I've said before, I often receive questions about the laws concerning metal detecting in Florida.  Lately I've provided the statements of various Florida officials concerning that subject.  Here is one more.

This is a briefing on the metal detecting laws received by Jon M. from Mr. Ken Detzmer. Secretary of State for the State of Florida.

This briefing serves to answer some general questions about the hobby of metal detecting on public lands in Florida and in state waters. It serves as an overview of what is often a complicated issue.    
Generally, metal detecting is allowed on the beach between the high water mark and the toe of the dune and the hobbyist is allowed to keep what is found. There are exceptions to this general rule.  

The use of metal detectors is prohibited on all state park lands, except for coastal parks in the beach zone between the high water mark and toe of the dune.  Park managers have the authority at coastal state parks to further restrict the use of metal detectors and prohibit their use on the beach.  A hobbyist interested in metal detecting should contact the park manager for the specific rules at the park he wishes to visit.  
  
There are also city, county, and federal exceptions to the general beach rule.  National parks and military installations usually prohibit metal detecting on the beach but not always; again, the park or land manager should be contacted.  A few coastal communities prohibit metal detecting by city or county ordinance; signs are usually posted.  Also, some condominiums, restaurants, and resorts discourage or prohibit metal detecting on the beach in front of their property; local ordinance would authorize these restrictions. Metal detecting rules on public land are not easily explained except that a hobbyist interested in metal detecting should check with the land manager of the property, be it at a state park, city beach, or otherwise.  

Metal detecting in the water is easier to explain. Below the average high tide mark is state sovereign submerged bottomlands where all artifacts belong to the state, and archaeological excavation is not allowed without proper permitting from this office. In most cases permits from the Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corp of Engineers are also necessary. Digging or destruction of buried archaeological remains without the proper permitting from the Division of Historical Resources is a 3rd degree felony. Since the solitary function of a metal detector is to locate buried metallic items and then recover the buried object by digging, this activity is not allowed in the water.  


Archaeologists are concerned with the integrity of a site, and those employed by the public are charged with managing archaeological sites in public ownership. They are foremost interested in information; what is found on the beach has typically been washed in from offshore and usually will not help explain a site once separated (sometimes by miles) from its context. A shipwreck site found under a beach and newly exposed is a different matter altogether. Shipwreck artifacts like ceramic sherds that wash up on the beach, for example, only tells us that people historically used plates, which is already understood, but ceramics embedded in the context of a wreck site, as part of its total artifact assemblage, could help us understand, date, and identify that specific shipwreck.  

I want to express my appreciation to both Mr. McClarnon, whose statements I posted a couple of days ago, and Secretary Detzner for addressing our concerns and to Jon Morgan for sending me their responses.  

Notice in particular what I've stated before in this blog to the effect that artifacts on the beach have no remaining context and may have come from miles away before being found on the beach.  

As you can see there are more prohibitions expressed against digging than detecting.  Yet they dredge thousands of tons of sand and dump it on the beaches on a nearly continual basis.   Any depressions made by detectorists sifting sand in the ocean, by contrast, lasts no more than a few minutes before nature obliterates any sign of the movement.  Some fish do more.  I can't really figure that out.

I hope that all detectorists will help protect archaeological sites and report any finds that might be significant. As many have said, the situation can be confusing.  If you do not recall Mr. McClarnon's statements that I posted a couple of days ago, you might want to go back and read that.  You might find contradictions in the laws or how they are interpreted and enforced.  That is nothing new.  

Go to the extreme to do the best you can to comply with any and all laws.  Exercise good sense.  Don't make trouble for yourself or the hobby.

My recommendation is always, if there is any question and there is a life guard on duty, they will tell you if you are not allowed to detect that beach.   


On the Treasure Coast it seems we are in for a long period of 1 to 2 foot surf.  The wind will be mostly from the south.   

Low tide today will be around 12:30 PM.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net