10/18/19 Report - Valuable Coins. Shipwreck Database. Wreck of Le Chameau. Browsing Auctions.

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

1893 Morgan Dollar With Estimate of Over $70,000

Source: coinweek.com (See link below.)

As you know, I've been following the current Sedwick Auction, which features a number of 1715 Fleet coins, but there are other auctions that might you might find both interesting and informative.

Legend Rare Coins will soon be offering an extraordinary array of coins in its upcoming Regency Exclusively Legend Auction, slated for October 24. The event, to be hosted at Harrah’s in New Orleans, promises to be an extravagant affair as Legend Rare Coins auctions typically are and buyers are already gearing up for intense bidding action, with the sale’s 184 lots posted online for pre-bidding.

The auction offers a gorgeous selection of proof and mint state type coins, principally selections of high-end Barber coinage, Morgan dollars, popular pre-1933 gold coinage, and other classic pieces from the late 19th and early 20th centuries...

The auction features many rare and valuable coins including the 1893-CC Morgan $1 PCGS MS65 shown above that carries a presale auction estimate of $75,000 to $85,000.

Want to know what makes a coin so valuable?  Take a look at the examples in this auction. 

Here is the link.

https://coinweek.com/auctions-news/five-highlights-from-the-legend-rare-coins-regency-exclusively-legend-auction/

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Auction catalogs provide a lot of information.  That is why I like to look through them.  As much as I like looking through auction catalogs, I've never bought anything at an auction.  I just can't get excited about paying more than anyone else is willing to pay for an item.  I know there are times when people don't recognize the value of an item and you might be able to get a bargain, but I'd much prefer to find items rather than buy them.  I don't like spending money or buying things, especially if the particular item or a suitable substitute might be found.   It is no wonder then that I like metal detecting.

While looking through the current Sedwick auction listings, I noticed a coin from the wreck of Le Chameau.

On August 27th, 1725, in a storm off Cape Breton, while trying to make the mouth of Louisbourg harbour, Le Chameau was swept in upon the rocky shore...

For years afterwards, legends of the treasure lingered: glimpses of silver and gold in crevices and tales of lobster fisherman pulling up a few handfuls of coins. The treasure, however, was not
located at the time.

In 1961, a discovery of cannons scattered on the sea bottom alerted Alex Storm, a diver working part-time on a fishing trawler from Louisbourg. Braving the dangerous tides and freezing waters
at Kelpy Cove, Storm carefully mapped the wreckage of the Chameau to locate the treasure compartment. Storm's discovery triggered a rising interest in the wealth of shipwrecks off Nova Scotia's waters and brought legislation to protect them...

Here is the link for more about that.

http://www.courseworld.com/wrecks/chameau.html

The Le Chameau is just a few miles north of …. you guessed it …  Oak Island.  It is just one of the many wrecks around Nova Scotia.  Below is a clipping that among other things shows a map of shipwrecks around Nova Scotia.

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It seems that if you spent a while searching it would be surprising if you never picked up something related to a wreck around there.

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Predicted Path of Tropical Storm 16.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

It looks like the Panhandle is going to get hit by Tropical Storm 16.

The Treasure Coast is on the wrong side of it and won't be affected much.

We won't have much surf for a few days.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

1/25/19 Report - Surprising Modern Clad Coins Without Mint Errors Worth Good Money. What You Should Know About Full Bands Designation.

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

Reverse of 2018 Dime.

Did you know that a modern clad Roosevelt dime can be worth tens or even hundreds of dollars even if it doesn't have some rare mint error?  I didn't.

I was looking through the latest issue of Coin and Currency Market Review and noticed some pretty good prices listed for modern clad coins, including Roosevelt dimes.  That is something I don't think most detectorist know about.  They simply throw their clad finds in their pocket and spend them without looking for coins that could be valuable.

Some coins are minted with errors, such as the double die error coins.  Error coins can be worth a premium - sometimes a large premium, but there are modern clad coins that can be valuable even without any rare errors.

A coin die will be used to stamp many coins.  Dies wear as they are used.  That means that the first coins struck with a new die will tend to show a clearer image.  Coins struck later will be less clear.

Here is an image of a dime showing the results of a lot of die deterioration.

Dime Showing Die Deterioration.

That is not corrosion, damage or wear from circulation.

Notice the lines radiating out from the center and how the letters are spread out.  That is the result of an old worn die.

The dime has a very rough surface.  Other than some error coins, coin collectors prefer coins with a surface that is near perfect - unlike this one.

You probably know something about coin grading, so I won't get into that.

What I noticed is that in the most recent Coin and Currency Market Review, for Roosevelt dimes they have an additional category beside the regular coin grading categories.  That category is Full Bands.  

As you know, Roosevelt dimes show a torch on the reverse.  The torch has two pairs of horizontal bands.  One at the top and another towards the bottom (See top photo.).  Full Bands means that each band in both pairs is completely clear and separate.

Roosevelt dimes showing "full bands" are more highly valued.  For example, a Full Bands 1992-D dime in MS66 condition is listed as being worth $21.  Some recent dimes without errors or anything special like that, if they are in excellent condition are worth much more.  Condition is extremely important.

A regular circulation issue modern coin in exceptional condition can be worth a good amount - even hundreds of dollars.  A 1993-D Full Bands dime in MS66 condition is listed as being worth $416, for example.

See https://www.pcgs.com/News/Mercury-Dimes-With-Full-Bands for additional explanation.

Another similar designation is Full Torch.  That designation considers the vertical bands as well as the horizontal bands.

There is a good article in the March 19, 2018 issue of Coin World entitled In Search of Full Torches.  If you want to learn more about his topic, that would be a good start.

The article describes why there are very few Full Torch examples for certain years due to hubs and dies becoming worn.  Since they are rare, they are also valuable.

Some guys do quite well getting rolls of coins at the bank and picking out the more valuable coins.  Of course, you have to be able to recognize the coins that are more valuable.

You won't find tons of valuable modern coins in your detector finds.  Most coin finds are not in great condition, but you can find an occasional nice example that is worth a premium.  If you find coins with your metal detector, you might as well learn something about how to identify those that might be valuable.

If you detect in the water, you will find fewer coins in good condition, but if you detect on land you can find more coins in nice condition, and a few in excellent condition.  I've found a few that grade very well.

In recent years I've learned to take a good look at modern coins as well as old coins.  Modern coins can be valuable too.  Too bad I didn't learn that years ago.  Maybe this blog will help you avoid some of the mistakes I've made.

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I had a dream last night that I was at the beach but my metal detector batteries were dead.  Seems like it was my subconscious mind reminding me to recharge my batteries.  I haven't done that for quite a while.

I've been meaning to talk about search patterns, but didn't get it done yet.

Another cool front moved through, but it didn't create much surf.  We are still having some decent tides.

It looks like we will be getting north winds for a few days, but nothing higher than a three to five foot surf.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Let me know if you find out anymore about the Inca funerary mask find that I reported yesterday.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/9/19 Report - Million Dollar Penny From Lunch Money. Reflecting on Metal Detecting and Error Coins.

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

1943 Penny Thought Worth $1.7 Million.

Source: MSN.com link (See below).

This 1943 penny found in a boy's lunch money is going up for auction and thought to be worth $1.7 million dollars.  

As you know, to help the war effort pennies were made of zinc coated steel in 1943, but a small number (probably 20 or less) were mistakenly made of copper.  Those are among the most famous and valuable coin errors of all.

Here is the link for the story on this penny.  Thanks to Dean R. for the link.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/viral/holy-grail-rare-penny-might-be-worth-dollar17m-after-it-was-found-in-boys-lunch-money/vi-BBRYXAL?ocid=spartandhp

That is one reason I always pick up pennies and do not discriminate pennies..  They can be valuable too if you know what to look for.

Unfortunately I did not learn much about coin collecting and error coins until fairly recently.  I received a book as a Christmas present - Strike It Rich With Pocket Change: Error Coins Bring Big Money by Ken Potter and dr. Brian Allen.  The Potter and Allen book only covers modern US coins up to recent years, so you might need to occasionally consult other sources.  There are older error coins and new errors being discovered all the time.
  
Not only can you scan your finds for valuable coins, but you can also find valuable coins in your pocket change.   I now enjoy doing both.

Don't think you will find a lot error coins all the time.  The majority of coins do not have any extra value - especially those in poor condition - but you will find some, and there is always the possibility of something big like the penny shown above.  Condition is an important factor, even if the error is rare.

I have one book that lists around 800 different valuable Lincoln cent errors from 1909 up to recent years.  That is only pennies, so you can figure how many types of error coins exist.

That book is Lincoln Cent Error Coin Guide 2019, by Stan McDonald.  The Potter and Allen book is a much better book if you want to identify error coins.  The McDonald book only lists them.  It has very few pictures and is not much help in identifying error coins - only listing them.

Valuable error coins include die errors, such as doubled dies, repunched mint marks, off-center strikes, struck on wrong planchet, struck on wrong metal (such as the one above), die cracks, lamination errors, clipped planchets, strike-throughs and more.

Wheat Penny Showing Strike-through

In the short time I've been looking for error coins I've found some interesting die cracks and strike-throughs.  I haven't found any good doubled dies yet, or any certain repunched mint marks.

The coincommunity.com web site is very helpful when you aren't sure about a coin.  The community will provide their helpful comments and opinions on your coins.  There are also web sites that will verify and classify error error coin discoveries.

When you begin searching for error coins, it might be frustrating.  It can be difficult to tell the difference between damaged coins and coins with real mint errors.  And as you would expect, valuable examples are not real common, yet they can be found.

The strike-through shown above was created by something being on the coin planchet when the coin was struck.  It could easily be mistaken for a simple scratch, but it is not.

Damaged Coin - Not Error Coin

This penny might look like an error coin, but it is only a coin damaged by acid.  That is the opinion of people more expert than I.

I do recommend giving it a try.  The Potter and Allen book can be a good starting place.  It has a lot of pictures and tells you what to look for.

Like anything else, you have to go through a period of learning to become knowledgeable.  That is why good books and web sites are very helpful.  It is another one of those things that you can never learn everything about.  It is a continuing learning process.

I've said this before, but one of the problems with coins that are found by metal detectors is that a lot of them are in poor condition and coin collectors generally only like coins in fine condition.  Even error coins must be in great condition to bring the highest prices.

Learning about error coins and coin varieties can make coin-shooting more interesting and profitable even when it is not easy to find older silver and gold coins.

Another thing you will need is some good magnification.   There are a variety of tools you might use for that.  Maybe I'll do another post on that some day.

Of all the regrets that I have about metal detecting, the vast majority were caused by simply not knowing enough a the time.  I wish I had known more about coin collecting back when I was really digging a lot of coins.  When I started metal detecting I was targeting coins.  Later I started targeting gold, but was still digging tons of coins.  I wish I had known what to look for when all of those coins passed through my hands.

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We haven't been getting much surf lately.  Friday it might be up to four feet, but that is all.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/7/18 Report - Two Mounted Gold Coin Finds. Some Notes On The Handling, Care, and Grading of Coins.

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

Twenty Dollar Double Eagle Found by Sebastian Steve

Who Had It Mounted.

Yesterday I posted part of an email message I received from Sebastian Steve.  Today I'll post more of the same message along with some photos Steve sent.  The double eagle shown above was originally posted back a while ago hanging on an antique champagne bottle.  I snipped it from that photo.

Here is the rest of what Steve had to say.


I found a nice picture today that I was looking for.  This pic was of the big gold, the 1860’s $20 Double Eagle (Shown above.) that  I recovered from a deep,  Lakes Passenger Steamer back in the late 1970s. 

I used to wear it on special occasion....but with the chain and bezel, the weight was over 3 ounces!  The wife said...”Far too heavy for me, but I’ll wear one of those English Sovereign’s (similar in size and weight to our $5 gold piece).

And so I mounted an 1832 Sovereign for her.  How fitting her request.  As this Sovereign was my very first gold coin I ever recovered!   I recall the day I recovered this coin, although almost half a century ago... like it were yesterday!  Because this coin showed wear, it was suitable for me to make a decision to use this particular coin mounted in jewelry.  It’s a decision that must be made with care.  More later on this...

And my wife still wears that first Sovereign even today for special occasions.  (:

1832 English Sovereign

Find and photos by Sebastian Steve.

Same 1832 English Sovereign.

Although the Sovereign is almost pure gold (22 Karat), and contains 0.23 ounces of pure gold (just shy of a quarter ounce) gold coins -always- needed a hardening agent added such as copper.  Otherwise the wear in normal circulation would be quite excessive and unacceptable.  The English Sovereign was actually used extensively in this country... early on.  Our U.S. coinage was somewhat untrusted when a new issue, and was in short supply.  Now the Sovereign was a known, respected coin that often came over with the settlers.  And a practical size for regular transactions of somewhat size.  After all...$5 of gold in the 1850s...era...still brought home the bacon. 

And there was in fact counterfeiting going on even in the 1860s already.  I had one particular U.S. $1 One Dollar gold piece... (try to pick up one of these with big dry suit mitts!) that just seemed far darker than the others. 

Sure enough at NGC grading, when chatting in the office of the President of N.G.C., in Sarasota... he hauls out my -Counterfeit- $1 gold piece!  Interestingly... as a preeminent grading firm, that was his “cup of tea” to show history and how they could tell the coin was not real.  (Without the darkness from not being real gold, it looked pretty good to my untrained eyes).  And we worked out a deal with some other business, so that my $1 Counterfeit would remain in N.G.C., permanent collection!  I was thrilled to hear I made history in a small way. 

Allow me to comment on coins and coin grading.  Everyone thinks they have a sure fire way to get a coin re-graded and up its grading a point.  As I mentioned...1 point on a valuable coin can be $10,000.  But EVERY COIN has its own set of markings.  The slightest rub, the tiniest scratch, and firms like NGC...use microscopes on each and every coin of value that they grade. 

Coins and their particular identity become very obvious and recorded forever...with microscopic pictures taken while under the lens...that are archived forever.  So if your buddy told you to “crack it out of the case” and re-submit it...you’re just wasting your time and money.  AND you might just get yourself a bad reputation. 

The serious coin world is very small and everyone knows each other.  And that is actually very good for you.  For with today’s grading system...no shark will ever skin you with an over-rated, over graded coin, sold  “in his opinion.” at a grade far in excess of its actual grade.  If you’re buying for investment...insist on buying ONLY ENCAPSULATED GRADED COINS, GRADED BY ONLY N.G.C. or P.C.G.S.  Sure there are a few other reputable firms...but why take the chance?  Only to have your spouse or other loved one years later have trouble getting top dollar for your coins!  Why risk it?  Back to the deep we go...

When I first saw the $20 Double Eagle outline laying on some boards on the lake bottom next to the wreck...I had no idea what it was!  In the swirling mud, I attempted to pick up this very large coin with difficulty... thinking “something was holding it...like it was glued down?” 

I said to myself...this must be some type of State Fair or Inaugural Token?  So big and heavy...what else could it be?  It was somewhat dirty but still had that unmistakable look of gold.  Not until I reached my first decompression stop coming up at 20 feet, did I get to peek into my bag and realize what I had!  Even that one coin sagged the big diver’s bag down in the corner!  Thank God there were no rips or holes in the bag!!!  Something like that could absolutely ruin your day!!!  (;

And there it was...the coin of legend...the famous often read about, but rarely ever seen or held...the U.S. $20 Double Eagle.  1 ounce of gold.  Very close in size to the silver dollar.  Rarely even used in everyday trade as seen all too often in the old Westerns.  The $20 Double Eagle, Civil War era...would have bought you a down payment on a good house!  So in reality...these coins were mainly used for international trade between bankers.

These $20 Double Eagle coins was produced in response to the immense gold finds coming out of California.  The result of the initial rich finds were the beginning of The California Gold Rush.  So much so...that in 1854...the U.S. built a branch mint in San Francisco, to convert the miners gold into coins.  By the end of that year...the San Francisco Mint had produced $4,084,207 in gold coinage!  What an exciting time to be alive!???

And yes...gold does bring a smile to your face, but all the other shipwreck artifacts if studied and shared, bring more joy and history come to life... than any one gold coin.

Thanks once again Steve!

Someone sent me an email and asked why the mercury dime from the Sedwick auction that I posted a few days ago brought such a high price when a mercury dime with the same date/mint was listed on eBay for much less.  What Steve had to say is relevant.

Of course condition is extremely important.  A coin in excellent condition can bring a thousand times more than the same date/mint in poor condition.  In fact a valuable coin in very poor condition can be worthless.  As Steve points out, a single scratch can reduce the value tremendously.

An encapsulated graded coin will bring a higher price.  Buyers feel confident knowing what they are getting.

Sometimes there is simply an eye-appeal factor.  Some coins just look better.  They might have an especially nice patina, for example.

And there are a lot of counterfeits and poorly, if not inaccurately, described items on eBay.

I've dabbled in coin collecting lately, and have mentioned how difficult it is to find a coin on a beach that will delight a purist collector of U. S. coins.  Most coin collectors are very picky and prefer coins in as close to mint condition as possible.  They wear gloves when handling their coins.  They view them under magnification.  That means every bit of corrosion and every scratch is taken into account.  The majority of coins that I've found on salt water beaches are ruined as far as collectors are concerned.  I have found a few that would be graded as uncirculated, but those are very rare.  I even found one that was in a plastic case that protected it from the salt water.

Thankfully Spanish colonial reales seem to be regarded differently.  While it is the general rule that you should not clean valuable coins, silver cobs are routinely cleaned using electrolysis or acid.  Of course if you manage to find a rare mint-state reale that has never been circulated or spent years on a salt water beach, handle it with kid gloves, but most have already led a tough life and a little handling or proper cleaning won't hurt them.  In fact, you will often have to clean them to simply find out what you have.

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On the Treasure Coast we are still having some nice high tides, however the surf is still running around two or three feet.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/6/18 Report - 1854 Gold Sovereign. Coin Care and Grading. Fantastic Nested Weight Set From 1715 Fleet.

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

Two Sides of Same 1854 Gold Sovereign.

Photos submitted by Sebastian Steve.

I got this got a message from Sebastian Steve some weeks ago.  He talked about a few different coins.  I'm just posting part of that message below.

… But let’s take a look now at a “real life” situation... the pics of the “loose” English Sovereign, 1854 (Shown above.).  A little different now...isn’t it?  At least the obverse (front).  Heavily soiled from laying loose for over a century in two feet deep of rotting, mostly organic detritus.  You had better have your “eagle eye” out that day... when the dark side of the Sovereign slides by in the murky darkness! 

But what an amazing contrast to the reverse!  Both sides of this “loose” (not mounted) coin are -untouched-.  No cleaning was done, the amazing difference in the two sides was simply “Mother Nature”... nor would you want to EVER clean a valuable, old shipwreck coin!  For that matter any original, untouched coin!  You will instantly ruin its collector’s value...and any grading firm such as NGC, will label it as “CLEANED.”  99% of serious investment coin collectors will not buy a cleaned coin...ever. 

One swipe of your dirt covered fingers can cost you literally thousands of dollars on coins like the Double Eagles.  I even went to the point of changing out my bag to a small wrist worn pouch.  Why?  Because the coin no longer had to free-fall through two feet of open water in the bag and collide with other finds.  Anal?  Not really...not with uber soft gold at stake.

Now if you have a coin that already shows substantial wear when you find it...and you clearly want to mount the piece as jewelry...then it’s your call.  But don’t expect to -ever take it out later- to sell as a collectors coin.  It just won’t fly! 

Now...the coin when sent in to a grading firm... (or through your local coin dealer) will have on its label “CLEANED & X-JEWELRY.”  That’s right...BOTH MARKS OF DEATH!  Right in bold type on the front of the encapsulation.  You might as well save the grading fee.  Really. 

This is why it always absolutely “kills me” to see on UTube, a video of a detectorist rubbing his soiled, just dug coin on his rough jeans, to ascertain the date!!!  Worse yet...sometimes you can actually HEAR the rubbing!  Don’t do it!  PLEASE....  Wait until you get home and carefully soak the coin in plain ole soapy water.  What if it’s a KEY DATE?  Or in MINT condition under the hard dirt.  You just never know what you have till it’s gone.  I rest my case.

Thanks Steve!  Great coin and good reminder concerning caring for coins.

I always cringe when they advertise uncirculated coins on TV and then show them being dumped from bags on the table.  Good way to reduce the value quickly!

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Complete Nested Weight Set Found During the 2016 Salvage Season. 

Photo submitted by Captain Jonah Martinez

I posted this photo and talked about the weight set in my 11/11/16 post, but wanted to add some relevant information that I just found in Carla Phillip's book Six Galleons for the King of Spain.

The most expensive household items on board were probably the copper cauldrons weighing 40-45 pounds each and used for cooking or for melting tar for repairs.  The copper, imported and priced by weight, showed an increase of nearly sixfold on the north coast between 1540 and 1628, from 1.2 to 7 reales per pound.  The price had risen to 9 reales in 1639.  Far less expensive but equally important were the sets of measure of wood and tin, and the scales used to dispense daily rations.  Each ship carried several sets of measures and at least one scale with counterweights, the measures costing 2 to 4 reales a set in Seville in 1626, and the scale about 50 reales.  Hatchets, funnels, brooms, plates and cups, ladles and other utensils, jugs and jars, and a long list of other items completed the household equipment.  As extensive as the list appears, it was really the bare minimum need for shipboard life, a spartan version of normal life on land.

I always like to find out how much things cost when they were used.  It helps give you an idea of the worth of the reales or escudos back when they were lost.

Knowing about the variety of items on board also might be useful when trying to figure out what a find might be.

I just got some new photos of the cups from Jonah after he cleaned them up and repined and dolled the locking mechanism. 

Those are amazing.

Thanks Jonah.

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This post took me a lot of time.  It shouldn't have, but I had trouble getting the coin illustration the way I wanted it and then I lost what I already typed on the nested weights and had to do that all again.  Now the computer seems to want to be contrary so I'm going to give up and wrap it up.

The high tides are nice and high on the Treasure Coast.  Unfortunately the hot southeast winds are back and the surf is only about two or three feet.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/30/18 Report - One Find. Database of Ancient Finds. How To Identify Valuable Modern Coins.

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

1899 Barber Dime
Found on the Treasure Coast

Silver 19th century coins are often heavily worn like the one shown above.  It seems they were kept in circulation a long time.  As you might guess from its appearance, although it is a Treasure Coast find, it was not found on the beach.  

In this condition it might be worth around four dollars.  If it was in much better condition, it might be worth over a hundred dollars.  That doesn't seem like much when you consider how long it was lost and the difficulty of finding one in the field.  

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Here is an interesting British metal detecting club web site including a database of interesting ancient finds.  There are many individual finds along with some hoards.

http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/H/hoardandtreasure.htm

I think someone sent me this link back a while ago.  Sorry I forget who now.

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I found a very good pdf document about how to identify valuable coins.  You can find them in pocket change or in your goodie box.

Here is the introduction just to give you an idea what it is about.

Almost everyone has a box, can, jar, or piggy bank full of spare change. Who knows what treasures might be found in this change? And how do you tell the difference between ordinary change and a collectible coin? Is it possible to find something worth more than face value? Yes, it is! Even better, you might be able to make some money from your pocket change.

Numismatics is the study and collection of various forms of money throughout history. It is an intriguing and rewarding hobby. Numismatists can do well given the opportunity by examining many different coins to notice differences — including comparisons among coins with the same denomination. There are subtle variations — even among coins with the same year and mintmark — and recognizing these distinctions can pay off handsomely.

A numismatist becomes skilled through years of study, but eventually the effort becomes worthwhile and it’s possible to find real treasures in your change. New collectors may become discouraged if they don’t make exciting finds right away, but patience has proven to be a valuable trait toward becoming a successful collector. Many treasure hunters say it’s not about having the treasures, it’s about finding them – the thrill of the hunt.

The guidelines provided here are intended to assist the beginning collector.

Here is the link if you want to read the rest of the 26 page document.
https://www.money.org/uploads/treasures/TreasuresPDF.pdf

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The mind is amazing thing.  There are rare occasions when you can recall the smallest details from the most distant times.  As crazy as they might seem, dreams seem to play an important roll in taking you places in thought and feeling that you don't normally go in normal waking consciousness.  I often awake and see things differently or feel differently about things after reflecting on my dreams.  Sometimes I'm motivated by dreams, like when I wake up from a dream of finding a lot of treasure of one type or another.

Last night I dreamed I was at grandmas house, where I spent my first five years before my dad and mom built their own house.  It has been a long time since I was there and grandpa and grandma are long gone.  Grandpa and grandma were there, of course.  I hadn't seen them in quite a while.  A couple of their friends that usually visited on holidays were also there and sitting on lawn chairs in the back yard, as they often did.

It wasn't one of those real crazy dreams - just a nice visit with the past and some of the people I miss the most.  It was a little strange - but not very, as dreams are judged.  More than anything, it brought back memories.   It is surprising how much detail is stored away deep down in your brain somewhere.  You normally just can't recall a lot of what is there.

As I entered their house, I went to turn on the light over their driveway.  There were two light switches beside the cellar door.  At first I hit the wrong switch and the cellar light came on.  That is the exact position where those two switches actually were.  I remember that now even though if you asked me before the dream, I would never have been able to remember that.

So what does that have to do with treasure hunting?   No matter what the task is, you have more knowledge than you realize.  Some of it is unconscious.  You can use that.  Some people call that intuition.  It is based upon unconscious or subconscious knowledge.  There is a difference between the two, but that isn't important now.  My point is that your dreams can provide deeply moving experiences and provide greater access to knowledge and provide insight and intuition.  And secondly, you probably know more than you think you do if you can only access it.

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Nothing new with the beach conditions.  I'll keep watching for storms or changes.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/4/18 Report - Super Quick Way to Scan Coins. Applied Lip 19th Century Bottles.

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

Using a Magnet To Quickly Separate Coins.

One convenient but often overlooked tool for the treasure hunter is the magnet.  It can be used in many ways.  One thing you can do with a magnet is quickly separate different kinds of coins.

   

Some coins will stick to a magnet - others won't.  Steel pennies will stick to a magnet.  Silver coins won't.  You can use convenient facts like that.

One man discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars a valuable magnetic coins.  Here is a bit of that story.

... in the first roll of 50 pennies Ed opened up, there were a couple with no logo. He opened another roll, and another. By the time he was done, he had turned up more than 500 no-logo coins.

And yet, the respected International Coin Certification Service – which doesn’t sell coins, just grades them – had only 290 on record until Ed’s find.

If you discover a 2006 magnetic, no P, no logo specimen in your penny jar, you might get $50 for it. But the real prize is for uncirculated coins – factory fresh, mint condition.

And on eBay, one of the uncirculated pennies recently sold for $500, uncertified. Ed’s are certified, and he’s going to sell them for $635...

Here is the link for the entire article.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/talk/paul-wilson-ed-checks-his-penny-jar-and-finds-300-000-1.1380742

There are times when a mint produces coins on the wrong type of planchet.  And there are times when a magnet can be helpful in identifying those coins.

Did you know that most many Canadian coins are magnetic.  I had a pile and wanted to find any that might be silver.  After separating the non-magnetic copper pennies, I simply used a magnet to eliminate all of the magnetic coins, which were all but two.  One was a penny that I overlooked and the other was a 1963 Canadian dime.

I recreated the process for the following video.  

https://youtu.be/dO9HNBp-GDk

When I originally did this, I started with a much larger pile.  It only took seconds to eliminate all but the silver dime and copper penny.  I had no idea if there were any silver coins in the pile, but knew this was one quick way to tell.

Don't leave the coins in a big pile.  Spread them out.  Otherwise magnetic coins under non-magnetic coins may not get picked up, and non-magnetic coins on top of magnetic coins will get picked up and stuck between the magnetic coins and the magnet.

Now for the precautions.  This is a strong magnet.  It should not be used with valuable coins that can be damaged by scratches.  You can use a less strong magnet with no sharp edges.   You can cover the magnet with a cloth.  It will still work.  But if you have uncirculated or mint coins that might be valuable, this is not the right procedure.  For miscellaneous coins that you aren't worried about, it is a much quicker method of scanning coins than going through and checking the date of each one.

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Two  Brown Applied Lip Blown Bottles From Late 1800s.

These were probably beer or ale bottles.  The bubbles in the glass show they are blown as opposed to machine made bottles, and the lips are applied.  They probably both date to around 1880 or 1890.

The bottle on the left has I. C. CO. L.  on the bottom.

I.G.CO.L indicates the Ihmsen Glass Company, Limited, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (c.1876-1900). Also listed as Ihmsen Window Glass Company. Pittsburgh directory listings show this company included the “Limited” in their name from 1876 to c.1896.

Bottle on Left Above.
Applied Lip

Bottle on Right Above
Showing Applied Lip and Bubble Near Shoulder.

More views of these bottles are available in TGBottleBarn.blogspot.com.

Happy Independence Day.

Be Safe,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/12/18 Report - How to Get More Fun and Money Out of Your Coin Finds. 1719 Battlefield Surveyed.

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

A find is the beginning for another hunt.  After the find comes research, which adds additional  meaning, interest and value to the find.  That is true for coins as well as artifacts - even what are apparently common coins.

There are coins in circulation today that are worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  As you would suspect, such coins are rare, but you still might be lucky enough to find a good one if you carefully check the coins you have.

If you've been detecting very long, you've probably found a lot of coins.  Even pennies can be valuable if they have a mint error.

Most of us spend our common coins without paying too much attention to them, but you might enjoy and even profit from going through them very carefully.

First though, familiarize your self with the types of coins you have and what to look for.

There are many web sites such as this one entitled Lincoln Penny Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties (  https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/lincoln-wheat-penny-768219 ).

That one is not necessarily the best.  It is just one of many that provides useful information.

I've been spending some time searching for errors lately and learned a few things that might make it easier for you.

I'd recommend categorizing your coins before you begin.  It is much easier to search one type of coin and date at a time.  You can research that type of coin at a site like the one I just mentioned and then go through those coins.  There  is just too much to remember to go through a bunch of random coins and dates.  It is much easier if you know what you are looking for and look at one type and date at a time while the known errors that you found through your research are still fresh in your mind.

Another advantage of doing one type and date at a time is that you can compare coins.  After you've seen several of a particular type and date you'll quickly notice any that appear different.  Maybe it is one digit in the date that is smaller, larger or in some other way different.

Unfortunately many of the coins found by detectorists have been buried, banged up or corroded.  That makes many coins, even with errors, less valuable.  It also makes it difficult to identify any errors.

Some mint errors are common or inconsequential, while others are valuable.  If coins are damaged, it is hard to tell if something suspicious is an error or something that happened to the coin after it went into circulation.  That can require some real detective work.

In the coins that I've been searching lately I've found a variety of surprising things.  One coin was made to look like what is called a "greaser," which is a coin that was struck through grease, resulting in an unclear image on part of the coin.  It has been determined though, that that coin, a wheat penny, actually had acid applied to it in such a way that the image was blurred.  The coin weighed two grams less than a normal wheatie, which would not have been the case if the coin was actually struck through grease.

Even something as seemingly simple as a double die error can be difficult to see and identify.  Some are small, and double die errors can easily be confused with die bounce, which is not the same thing.

As with everything, knowledge helps.  If you just want to go through a stack of coins and hope to find something odd, you'll probably miss important things.

There are some types of damage that are difficult to distinguish from true mint errors.  The easiest thing is to scan coins that are in pretty good shape to begin with and know what kinds of errors are known to exist for that type of coin.

Many valuable errors are not easy to see.  I would consider some type of magnification to be absolutely necessary.

I have a little lighted system that I use to make some of my coin photos.  It blows the coin image up several times and makes it much easier to scan for errors.

In summary, you can add to your enjoyment of common coin finds and possibly find something interesting, but you need to do a little research first.

Again, I highly recommend, starting with one small class of coins, depending upon what you have.  If you have enough coins, maybe start with steel pennies, war nickels, or certain dates of wheat pennies.  The more coins you scan, the better chance you have of finding a coin worth something, and the more you'll learn in the process.

The most valuable coins are rare, so it might take some work, but if you search enough coins, you probably will find at least some of the more common error coins and you'll learn enough to be on the alert for the more valuable coins.

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Here is an excerpt of a nice article from Scotsman.com.

...The catalyst for the 1719 Rising was the outbreak of war between Spain and Britain the year before.

The Spanish saw the benefit of resurrecting a Jacobite uprising for increasing pressure on the British government and offered the Jacobites an alliance and assistance in war, according to the inventory of Scotland’s battlefield.

Around 5,000 Spanish soldiers set off to invade Britain but the fleet was wrecked by a storm off the south coast of England and the manoeuvre abandoned.However, a smaller contingent led by Jacobite George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal Keith, of Dunnottar Castle, was on its way from the Basque country and set up camp at Eilean Donan Castle.

In May, the castle - traditional seat of Clan Mackenzie - was attacked by the Royal Navy with 39 Spanish marines taken prisoner....

Here is the link for the rest of the article.

https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/study-at-battlefield-glen-where-spanish-joined-the-jacobites-1-4753199

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We should soon start to hear from the local salvage crews about the new finds made this year.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net