5/29/20 Report - Valuable Imitation Cobs Versus Modern Fakes or Copies. Beach Conditions On The Treasure Coast.

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

John Brooks Early Friday Morning.

We are into summer conditions now and the beaches are sandy.  Hurricane season begins Monday.

Walton Rocks Friday Morning.

This time of years there are other things to deal with in addition to the sandy beaches, especially if you go out in the morning after rain.  You might want to think of the insects.  

This morning I wasn't bothered by the noseeums or sand flies or whatever you call them, but at some locations the mosquitos were very heavy.  Insect repellant might be a good idea.

Walton Rocks Friday Morning.

There was a little chop and both the beach and shallow water was sandy.

Frederick Douglass Friday Morning.

Frederick Douglass Friday Morning.

As you can see, these beaches didn't look very good.

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One thing I noticed in Sedwick's treasure auction yesterday was a number of  "imitation" cobs.

You can use a lot of different words in addition to imitation, such as fake, counterfeit, or copy,  and you might think of all of them as being worthless, but that is not necessarily the case.

There were several good examples that sold for good prices.

For example, there was a Cartagena copper imitation 2-reales that sold for $6,545, including the buyer's premium.  Here it is.

I don't know what you'd think of it if you dug it up, but I suspect that you could think it is junk.  It really doesn't look very good.  

Here is another "imitation."  It looks very strange.   You might suspect right away that it is a fake, but it sold for over a thousand dollars.

Below is another imitation.  If you've seen many 1715 cobs, I think this one would immediately strike you as strange and probably fake.  But it is old, like the other two above, and was dated to the early 1800s.

And below is one more "imitation."

It looks strange too, but perhaps not as strange as some of the others.  It also dates to the early 1800s.

I've done posts on fakes, copies and counterfeits before.  There are different kinds.  Some are not meant to deceive.  They might be souvenirs.

Modern fakes should be stamped "COPY" but they are not always properly marked.  Sometimes they are marked but the mark can be removed or hidden.  I had one that was marked, but it wasn't easy to find the mark.

Here is one marked "COPY" I dug up down at Jensen Beach a few years ago.  It is a modern fake that isn't worth anything.

Fake Cob Marked "COPY."

Many fakes are often made of the wrong metal, as is the one above.  Fake escudos are often plated.

There were a lot of interesting curiosities in that particular session of the auction.   I never buy treasure coins or artifacts, but study the auctions.  You'll see more good examples in the Sedwick auctions than you'll likely see anywhere else, including museums.

One thing I say time and time again, is don't be too hasty.  It can take a quite a while to figure out the real story of a find.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/3/20 Report - Tajaderos: Mexico Hoe or Axe Money Cache Returned. New Years Finds. Roman Coin Repro.

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

Source: See MexicoNewsDaily link below.

The United States returned a collection of over 3,500 pre-Hispanic copper coins to Mexican authorities in a ceremony in Miami on Monday.

The coins were used in what are now Michoacán and Guerrero between the years 1200 and 1500, according to Jessica Cascante, spokesperson for the Mexican Consulate in Miami.

A U.S. collector acquired them in Texas at a numismatic fair in the 1960s, she said, but at that time neither Mexico nor the United States was part of a UNESCO convention that guarantees the return of such heritage artifacts to their countries of origin...

Cascante did not divulge the name of the collector who obtained the coins in the 1960s, but said that he did so before it constituted a crime and turned them in voluntarily...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/us-returns-3500-copper-coins/


They call these coins, and they were used like coins, but it seems they evolved from tools that were bartered to being used as coins with a fixed value.  Columbus, on his fourth voyage, encountered native traders carrying a large stack of these, and Cortes described the natives using trajaderos in the 1520s.

One source values the "hoe money" or "axe money" at 8,000 cacao seeds.  Another source describes the four of the tajadero as being worth on reale.  The items are unmarked and seem to vary in weight and size.

The shape varies with the location and what you see at the top of this post looks like it might have been from West Mexico.

Similar tools seemed to evolve in proto-money in different parts of the world including, for example, China.

Here is a good resource for more information about "hoe money."

http://www.moneta-coins.com/library/Hoe%20Money%20of%20the%20Americas%20-%20Martin.pdf

I'd be glad to hear of anyone who can point to any examples being found on shipwrecks.

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Ring and Coins Found by Joe D. On New Years Day.

Photo by Joe D.

Here is how Joe described his hunt.

  

I went out this morning (Jan. 1) before sunrise again! I was determined to start the New Year right! Since the inlet beach is now ruined, i went South a little to have a look! First beach was a total bust, and just a few pop tops after an hour and a half, and multiple passes! The pop tops where all in the shell line! I finally gave in and moved to another beach up the road!

      A few swings in i got a little redemption with a small ring, missing the stone! I think it may be pewter; and not silver, due to the way it looked after cleaning! There are no markings, and it hard to say how old! 

      I only found several newer coins, pop tops, and lead fishing lures after that, and it was time to call it quits!    But good enough for the New Year!

Ring Found by Joe D.

It has a heart on each side of the setting, and it looks like the stone was heart-shaped.

Thanks for sharing Joe.

---

Susan B. was researching Sharon's Roman looking coin and found the following nice site.

Here is what Susan said.  Reverse:  The coin (if it is real) is from Dacia. (See the word “Dacii” just beneath the line near the bottom.). Although it is somewhat the worse for wear, I found on Google Images a Reverse that is close to Sharon's coin.

Here is the link Susan provided.

 https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=ipad_bm&biw=1112&bih=762&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ACYBGNRPUzZRD86HoQEtRuuBZbSmSeMPhg%3A1577903026642&sa=1&ei=suMMXt7YJoiUtAbA16vQAw&q=dacian+coins&oq=dacian+co&gs_l=img.1.0.0j0i8i30l2j0i24j0i10i24j0i24.53474.63808..74404...0.0..0.130.993.13j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i8i7i30j0i7i30j0i67.TMK8yAefG90#imgrc=6Z0Ki7q_P3tn0M:

Thanks for the research Susan.   Everybody benefits from the research.

Just a little later I received a the following email from Sharon.

I took my coin to a coin dealer to be checked out. Unfortunately, it’s a fake electroplated Denarius Roman Coin. He said if it was real, it would be worth $50. So I guess I’m back to hunting, but for a gold coin this time.

Thanks for your help.

Sharon

Thanks for letting us know the outcome Sharon.

--- I hope someone can help Iowa Steve with the marks on his ring (See yesterday's post.). Let me know if you can identify the language or anything. The Treasure Coast surf is still small and the tides pretty flat. We will have some higher surf before long though.

Source; MagicSeaWeed.com

Happy hunting, TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/27/19 Report - Seven to Eleven Foot Surf Predicted. Notes On Identifying Fake Coins: One Example. An Inexpensive Handy Scale.

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

Surf and Wind Predictions.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

It has been quite a while since we had an eleven foot surf, but the current prediction is for a seven to eleven foot surf.

That is definitely enough to improve beach hunting conditions if other factors are favorable.  It looks like the wind will be from the north later today and into tomorrow.

Dale J. subscribes to a hurricane weather service and received this forecast for Wednesday.

Wind direction will be North-Northeast to Northeast at 20-35 knots starting on Wednesday afternoon and continuing through Wednesday night and Thursday.  Winds on Friday look to shift to a more East-Northeast direction and gradually diminish to 10-20 knots.

Thanks Dale.

---

Dan B. sent me a link to the CoinCommunity forum, which had photos of what appeared to me to be the same mounted coin that I showed in this blog a couple days ago.  While I never feel comfortable making judgements about finds from photos alone, the photos that were posted on the other site seemed a little better than the ones I had, and those other photos seemed to show what I thought could be evidence that the coin was made in a mold, which, if true, means that it is probably a reproduction.

Enlargement Of The Photo Shown On The Coin Community Web Site.

The photo appears to show suspicious raised areas.  If I am seeing what I think I am, I would think that the coin was made with a mold rather than struck.  Pictures can be tricky - especially the lighting and reflections.

You can't get true depth perception from a two-dimensional photo, and you obviously can't hold the coin to get a feel for it or inspect it at different angles.

Mounted coins present additional complications.  The mounting hides the edges, for example.  A mounting can also hide other markings, such as a "COPY" mark.  And you can not weigh the coin.

Reproduction coins are often made for jewelry and some are made from shipwreck recovered silver and sold mounted.  

Maybe a numismatic expert such as Ernie R. will be kind enough to confirm or disconfirm my suspicions. 

___

On a related subject, I purchased a nice little scale at Harbor Freight for under $10 that is supposed to measure accurately to the tenth of a gram.  It can weigh in grams, oz., troy oz, dwt., and more.  It has features that I haven't yet explored.

It is useful for weighing coins, nuggets and other small  items.  If you think a coin is on the wrong planchet or made of the wrong type of metal, weigh it.

Handy Little Scale.

The scale has a nice compact cover and you can easily slip it into a shirt pocket. I've already found it very handy.

One way to tell if a coin is made of one metal or another is to weigh it.  If you want to test that, weigh a zinc penny and a copper penny.  The zinc penny will weigh less.

You can easily find online the proper weight for various coins, although there will be small acceptable tolerances.

___

I'm eager to see how the surf shapes up the next couple of days and what happens to the beaches.  It is always interesting.

Cooler air is already starting to arrive on the Treasure Coast.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

  

1/20/2019 Report - Vero Coin Show Photos. Dug Reproduction Reale Example. Valuable Bottle Find. Bigger Surf Coming.

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

One Display At the Vero Coin Show

I visited the coin show in Vero and saw a lot of familiar faces and talked to a lot of nice people, both beach-detectorists and coin collectors. 

Above is one of the display cases.  As you can see there were coins, but there were also artifacts.

They raffled some very nice items.

Below are some of the items that were on display and for sale.  

Gold Belt Piece From the Maravillas.

Navigational Instrument and Some Coins.

The show was put on by the Treasure Coast Coin Club that meets one Wednesday per month at IRRSC in Fort Pierce.

There was no admission fee, and there were hard-copy out-of-date numismatic magazines free for the taking.

  

---

A couple days ago I gave an excellent web site that tells how to identify fakes.  I mentioned that they are often of the wrong metal and have plating that may be pealing.  Here is an example of that.

Fake Eight-Reale

This is an exceptionally chunky fake.  It is made of copper or some copper alloy and was plated.  You can also see that the plating is wearing off.

If I correctly recall, I dug this one down around Jensen Beach some years ago.

The other side of the same fake is encrusted.

Sane Fake Eight-Reale Showing "COPY"

Fake or reproduction coins are supposed to have the word "COPY" on them, and they often do, but sometimes it is not easy to see.  In this case, the word is large and right in the middle of the coin.  The "COPY" is very obvious in this picture, but when you dig up a fake, it can be covered with sand, encrustation, or corroded so that you may not see it.  This one shows up well now, but I didn't see it when I was at the beach and it was still wet and had sand on it.  

Sometimes the "COPY" mark is intentionally small and not at all easy to see.  Sometimes it has been removed by nature and sometimes by man.

Pealing plating on an artifact does not necessarily mean the item is a fake.  Medallions and other artifacts that were plated can lose some of all of the original plating.

---

Bottle Finds by One of This Blog's Readers.

Included are a nice straight-side Coca Cola bottle from Lakeland that is valued at a few hundred dollars despite a lip chip.

The middle bottle is a very nice Hood's Sarsaparilla bottle from the late 1800s.

Remember, when beach conditions aren't great, there is always some place else to hunt and other things to find.  I'll show you more of those in the near future.

---

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

We're having a west wind.  As you can see from the MagicSeaweed chart, on the Treasure Coast we're going to have an increase surf on Tuesday and Wednesday.  There is a chance of better detecting conditions, but I'm not expecting too much.  It will be worth checking out.

The tides now are big.  Tonight I think a lunar eclipse will begin after 9:30 or so.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comast.net

1/17/19 Report - Beach Conditions. Finds. Authenticating. Submerged Prehistoric Forest.

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

Juno Beach Wednesday Morning.

Photo by Joe D.

Juno Beach Wednesday Morning

Photo by Joe D.

Joe D. sent these photos from Juno along with the following brief email message.

Here's  a couple pics of Juno this morning! And a few hours at an inland site yesterday! Man my legs are sore today!!

And here are his finds.

Finds Made by Joe D. Yesterday.

Thanks for the great beach and find photos Joe!  Looks like you had a fun day.

The Juno beaches look very much like those I saw on South Hutchinson Island yesterday.

---

Here is an item Jason T. found in the water.

Find and photo by Jason T.

Jason said and expert told him this was a 300 AD Greek coin.  There is the possibility that is a reproduction used for jewelry though, and Jason agreed that was a possibility.

Jason said don't throw an item away until you know what it is.  I totally agree with that.  You'll learn a lot by investigating mystery items.

One thing a couple coin collectors pointed out to me on this one is that the hole appears to be drilled rather than punched.  If the hole was made in ancient times, it would have been punched rather than drilled.

I'd definitely keep researching the item.  Good find, one way or the other.  The research will teach you a lot.

Thanks Jason!

---

Source: See BBC link below.

Archaeologists have found evidence of early human activity at a submerged prehistoric forest in the Western Isles.

Lionacleit in Benbecula is one of more than 20 recorded sites of ancient woodland that once grew in the islands.

The remains included an early butchery site and stone tools used for preparing food.

Archaeologists have described the discoveries at Lionacleit as "extra special".

They found the remains of the area where animals had been butchered for food during studies of the site last year... 

Here is the link.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-46890793

I'd love to be able to browse an area like that.

---

The Treasure Coast surf will be decreasing for the next few days.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

8/30/18 Report - Pillars and Waves Example. Native American Fort. 400-Year-Old Clan Artifact. System Coming Off Africa.

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

Reproduction Eight Reale After Cleaning.

Other Side of the Same Coin.

Not long ago I posted what appears to be a reproduction escudo with the plating corroded off.  I thought I might have one just like it, so went looking for that one.  I didn't find it, but located the one shown above, which I dug up some years ago.  If I correctly recall, it was found near Jensen Beach.

Anyhow, I cleaned off much of the encrustation.  It was heavily encrusted when found.  It is fairly heavy - 22.2 grams.  Not too far off the real thing.

As you can see the Pillars and Waves side still has some plating on it, but some has come off, revealing the copper underneath.

The other side is still encrusted, and the cross can barely be seen.

This one is particularly chunky and although it gave some excitement as it came out of the sand, it really isn't very realistic when you see it cleaned.

Even where the plating is still intact, it looks strange.  When new, it would still have been an obvious fake.

The Pillars and Waves side doesn't look like a genuine silver cob at all.  A genuine old silver coin that has spent time in salt water will be grey to black.

---

... Not only did experts recently find the remains of the 17th century fort, they discovered some artifacts including arrow and spear tips that date back an estimated 3,000 years, indicating Native Americans were active at the site for generations. No evidence of human remains has been found...
He said it appears the Norwalk Indians, a tribe that historians know little about, had a fort at the site from about 1615 to 1640 and used it to trade goods with early Dutch settlers. The site is on a small sliver of land next to railroad tracks that carry Amtrak and Metro-North commuter trains. A 19th century history of Norwalk mentions an old Native American fort, and a road near the site is still named Fort Point Street.

The site was found during preliminary archaeological surveys ordered as part of the state's upcoming replacement of the 122-year-old Walk Bridge, which spans the Norwalk River and swings open to allow boats to pass. The bridge has gotten stuck in the open position several times and caused massive rail service delays. Construction is set to begin next year...

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/native-american-fort-connecticut-1.20709914

---

A 400-year-old clan artifact was uncovered near ruins in Scotland.

Artifact Discovered Near Ancient Ruins.
Source: HeraldScotland.com link below.

Site Where Artifact Discvoered.
Source: HeraldScotland.com link below.

Here is the link if you want to read about that.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16601818.ancient-clan-artefact-uncovered-after-being-hidden-for-400-years/

----

It has been a very quiet summer.  There have been no storms of any effect.

There is now one developing, but it is just coming off of Africa, and it will be a while before we know what it is going to do.  If it does eventually come our way it will take several days.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

In the mean time...

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/27/18 Report - Fake or Real: How To Tell. 14-Year-Old Detectorist Makes Exciting Find. Coastal Erosion Uncovers Historic Cemetery.

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

Fake or escudo - that is the question.  Can you tell the difference?  Test yourself and improve your skill.

Fake or Escudo?

If you metal detect much, chances are you'll find a fake treasure coin sooner or later.  In fact there is a good chance you'll find several of them.  They aren't all that rare.

It's always disappointing when you look in your scoop and see that hoped for glint of gold, but then find out it isn't gold at all.  Sometimes the realization and disappointment comes quickly, but if you are new to the game, it might take a long time before you realize that you have a fake.

 If you are experienced, you'll learn identify most fakes quickly.  Others might not be so easy.

If you are looking at a photo, you are at a disadvantage.  You can't pick up the item, feel the weight or turn it over and look at it from different angles.

If you look at enough genuine coins, many fakes will just not look right at first glance.  But what are the tell-tale signs?

Many fakes will have a mold seam.  Look at the edge of the coin to see if there is a mold seam.

The details of a coin made in a mold will generally have a less "sharp" look.  The metal may not flow into fill the small details or corners.  That gives a different look than a coin struck with a die.

Weight is another tell-tale sign.  Most fake coins are lighter than they should be because they are made of a metal other than silver or gold.

If you've looked at enough sea water seasoned silver or enough gold coins, you'll be able to identify many fakes at first glance.

If you've looked at enough gold, when you look at electroplated fake gold coins, they will often look too hard or glassy.  They'll be too reflective.  Real gold is fairly soft and doesn't reflect light as much as most electroplated fakes.

A silver coin that has been on the beach or in the water for many years will show obvious signs of corrosion.  If you pick up a really old silver coin on the beach that looks like it just came out of the mint, you have reason to be suspicious.

Time and corrosion can complicate the task by removing surface detail.  Corrosion and encrustation can hide the actual surface of both fake and real coins.

Of course there are tests you can use.  I've talked before about using a magnet to test a coin.  You can also weigh the coin to see if it is the right weight.  One great thing you can do these days, is take the coin to a pawn shop or jewelry store to be tested.  They have good testing equipment these days.

By the way, the coin shown above is a fake.  It is much easier to tell that in person.  It is one of those coins sold as a souvenir.

----

A 14-year-old Danish boy doing research for a history class found the wreckage of a German World War II plane with the remains of the pilot in the cockpit.

Daniel Kristiansen and his father, Klaus, discovered what's believed to be a Messerschmitt fighter plane buried in a field on their farm near Birkelse in northern Denmark...

Here is the link if you want to read more about that.
https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/08/europe/denmark-wwii-plane-trnd/index.html

Good research can lead to good finds.

----

They can’t speak, but human remains unearthed from a Fortress of Louisbourg cemetery continue to provide clues to as to what life was like in the French outpost in the 1700s.

Threatened by sea rise and coastal erosion, the burial grounds at Rochefort Point are the focal point of an ongoing partnership between Parks Canada and a team of students led by University of New Brunswick bioarchaeologist Dr. Amy Scott...
And here is that link.

http://www.capebretonpost.com/news/local/fortress-of-louisbourg-dig-unearths-human-history-235242/

---

No storms or anything of note.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/23/17 Report - Mystery Pillar Dollar Recently Found on Florida Beach. Bigger Surf Today.

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

Find by Daniel M.

Daniel M. found this coin.  He said that if it is real it is the first time he found anything that old on a SW Florida beach.

The date is obvious enough, but what is that mark between the two threes?

Dan tested it and found it to be silver.  He is still unsure if it is genuine.

Other Side of Same Coin.

The legend reads "REX PHILIP V D G HISPAN ET IND."

The mint mark is F for Feipe Rivas Angulo, assayer from 1730 to 1733.

It is from the Mexico mint.  You can see the mint mark (o over M) on either side of the date in the top photo.

Here is more information that Dan sent.

Thank you for the info on the items to look for. I put it on a scale and its weight is 25.4 grams and I silver tested it and it is silver as for purity I can say. Unfortunately I found what looks like a seam line in some areas of the edge. It’s not a raised seam like you see on plastic. This looks like two pieces that have been pressed together and didn’t fuse cleanly on the edge. I have included a link from the Heritage Auctions to what looks like a real one that has the same marking as the one I found. I also included pics of the edge of mine. My wife congratulated me as she told me it was a very high end souvenir. It was fun while it lasted. At least it’s a nice hunk of silver. Maybe some time I’ll get the purity tested.

Here is the picture of the edge that he sent me.

Edge of Above Pillar Dollar.

I also asked him about making the find, and he described it as follows.

Anyway I was working the dry sand area along the dune line between the public beach and a large upscale hotel. I was watching a bunch of kids digging these massive hole in the sand along the dune line. When I say massive I’m talking 4 to 5 feet deep and 5 to 6 feet in diameter at the bottom. There were three different holes and I noticed the change in sand texture and color. When they left I went and checked out the holes. The first one gave up nothing and after trying to get out of the first one I was hesitant to climb into the others. The possibilities of finding something worthy of needing climbing gear to get back out was too much to resist. So in I went. Then came a very faint hit. A couple scoops and the tone got better. 18 inches of digging and I was turning down the volume on the excal. Then came the happy sound of rattle rattle in the scoop. What I found was a very dark sand crusted item the size of a silver dollar. In the water the sand came off very easily and the black started to rub off also. Then the OMG stated. Anyway thank you again the info and your time.

I'm curious about the edge.  It isn't what I was expecting to see.  It isn't what I expected to see on a fake and not what I expected to see from the real thing.

The coin is heavily worn.  If it was a real Pillar Dollar, the edge should show a design around it.
The picture of the edge makes me think the coin is fake.

1733 would be just the second year they were making coins with the screw press technology in Mexico, so I wonder it the look of the edge might actually be due partly to a mint error.  I would think that would be highly unlikely, but perhaps possible.  What do you experts think?

I have a good bit of experience with cobs, but almost none with Pillar Dollars and would like the opinion of those of you who are more familiar with Pillar Dollars, maybe Ernie R. or another expert.

Thanks Dan.  Very interesting find, and very good photos!

---

I already received one theory on the coin from Larry.  Here it is.

Could be an old sand-cast counterfeit? That could account for the recessed seam, which can occur in sand casting, and the grainy texture and poor detail. It may have some value as a collectible counterfeit.

But if it's a counterfeit, it should have significantly less silver in it, which I think should have caused it to corrode more, if it were old. Unless it was buried deep enough early enough to have inhibited corrosion. 

Thanks much Larry.

And here is a good link Larry provided.

http://calgarycoin.com/reference/fakes/cast.htm

I considered the possibility of it being what I would call a reproduction, perhaps even made of salvaged silver by someone like the Fishers.  I don't know if that is a possibility or not.

Interesting mystery to be solved.  Congratulations and good luck.

---

Unfortunately I had other things I had to do and couldn't take a look at the beach today, so can't say how they are progressing.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net