3/18/15 Report - Surface Hunting Old Bottles To Locate Old Detecting Sites. Accu-Sound Pinpointer.

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

Miscellaneous Bottles Found While Surface Hunting On The Treasure Coast Yesterday.

Besides doing good library research, another way to find good detecting sites is to simply go out and scout around.  One of the first signs of an old site will normally be broken pieces of class or pottery on top of the ground.

A lot of people dig for bottles, but they can also be found on the surface on beaches or along waterways.  I found my first old bottles after Hurricane Andrew when I was hunting silver coins with a detector and noticed old bottles floating in the surf.  I started picking up the bottles, and that was the beginning of my bottle collecting.

Below is the type of area where these bottles were found.  Their were many more modern bottles, broken bottles, pieces of glass and other junk.  The few older bottles were partly buried, except for the small ones.

Areas Where Bottles Were Found.

At this particular location I've found mid-19th century bottles and a surprise horse tooth fossil.

If you find a cluster of old bottles, it might be a good sign of a nearby old detecting site.

None of these bottles are very interesting, and they aren't worth much, but if you are in an area like that something more valuable might also be found.   It is worth looking.  You never know what you might find.

Generally there will be so much junk in an area like this that it won't be worth detecting.  You might however detect the original site that is the source of the bottles.

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A bottle of wine from a blockade runner that sank in 1864 was opened and drank.   The verdict - yuk!

Here is the link to that video.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/video/Uncorked-Wine-From-1864-Shipwreck/414769219890/Comcast/Today_in_Video/?cid=hero_sf_TIV

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An Inexpensive Pin Pointer.

I got this pinpointer free with the purchase of a metal detector.  It is one of the less expensive pinpointers.  It is also not very effective.

I tested it with the four objects shown above and you nearly have to touch the object to get a signal.  It could be of some help I guess.  But if you really want a pinpointer, you probably want something more effective.  I never use a pinpointer myself, and my experience with this one did nothing to convince me that I should.

A pinpointer is not as much help if you beach detect.  You can sift sand fairly quickly.  If you hunt in muddy soil or clay, a pinpointer might be of more use.

I personally pinpoint rather well with my metal detector, being able to determine a lot about the location, size, shape and depth of the object from the detector.  There are also other helpful tricks that you can use instead of a pinpointer.  I've talked about some of those in the past.

Some detectors provide easier pinpointing than others.

I actually made a video showing the use and effectiveness of this particular pinpointer but haven't managed to get it uploaded to the blog yet.

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Sotheby is auctioning a large selection of valuable travel and discovery books including some on the Indians of North America and various voyages and wrecks.  If you are looking for good lead information or just like to read history, this auction will give you a good start.  You don't have to buy the books, but when you see one you like, you can do an internet search for digital books, cheaper replications, or other material you might find by the same author.

Here is a link to the auction lots.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2015/exploration-discovery-library-franklin-brooke-hitching-l15411.html

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There is little hope for improved beach detecting conditions on the Treasure Coast in the near future.  The surf is smooth today.  Tomorrow (Thursday) we're supposed to get something up to about five feet, but the wind will be southerly.  That's too bad.  Maybe we'll get a little stirring.

Happy hunting anyhow,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

 

3/17/15 Report - An Eighteenth Century Camp Site. Seeing Faint Marks On Rusty Implements. Ancient Coins Discovered.

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

Axe Heads Found At A Florida Site
 

A few days ago I gave you a link to a Florida Archives web site.  One interesting article I found through that site provided a new method of reading invisible marks on rusted iron implements.

That article and the picture shown here was  found in the Journal of the Florida Anthropoligical Society, volume 26, Dec. 1973, no. 4.

The article title is An Early Eighteenth Century Work Camp.  The archaeological site yielded a number of artifacts, mostly from the period of British occupation.  You might find it very interesting.

I can't find the direct link to the PDF file right now but you can use the link I gave in my 3/15/15 post and then do a keyword search.  I might find some time to do that for you myself a little later.

Anyhow here is the method for reading marks on rusted iron.

First some of the rust was removed.  Then they did the following.

From the marks they were able to determine who likely made the axe.

That is a new method that I plan to try some time in the future.

Even if you won't be using this method, I still think you'll find plenty of interesting reading in the article.

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The past few days I've experienced a lot of what people call coincidences.  Some people say there is no such thing.  Maybe they are right.  I don't know.  I can easily imagine that there is a purpose behind everything and that everything is ordered in one way or another.

Anyhow, I have reels of old 8mm family film made decades ago.  I didn't have a projector to view the movies and intended to buy one.  I kept putting it off, not wanting to spend the money, not knowing for sure exactly what I needed or how trustworthy the used units selling on the internet might be.  I had something I needed to do and kept putting it off, but last Saturday decided to go do it.  On the way, I spotted a yard sale, and although I almost never go to yard sales, made a U turn and went back.  One of the first things I saw was an old movie projector.  I asked how much the lady wanted and she said ten dollars.  She said it worked, but I could see a missing piece.  I decided to take a gamble on it for the small price of ten dollars.   It worked. 

So I have been looking at old family films.  There are pictures of mountains, waterfalls, tourist attractions, and all of the types of things that people want to capture in photos.  But I discovered one thing.  The thing I love to see is the people.   Most of the other stuff just doesn't seem that interesting.  I like seeing my parents, grandparents, my friends and relatives, and even me.   Many of those people are no longer alive, and the others are now some fifty years older.

The point of this is that it is the people that matter.  We want to go, do and have, but when it comes down to it, it is all about the people.  

PS: Old films can be used to find old detecting sites too.

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There was a rumor of ancient coins stored in a collection somewhere at the University of Buffalo.  Finally one faculty member decided to try to find them.   Eventually he did.  There were 40 silver Greek coins, three gold Greek coins and a dozen Roman coins that had remained hidden in the archives for decades.  The coins dated from the first century A. D. and back.

Here is that link.

http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2015/03/020.html

How many other coins and artifacts remain forgotten in a university or museum?   A lot I'm sure.

Yesterday I reported from a source that said that something like 84% of the 366 billion U. S. coins in circulation are actually in storage or hoarded.   That doesn't sound right to me, but if it is anything near close, that means that something like 209 billion are stored away somewhere.  I find that hard to believe, but even if it is way off, there are undoubtedly tons of them.  Many will be forgotten, like those ancient coins.

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On the Treasure Coast today we have a two-foot surf.  The wind will be from the West for at least a while.

There will be a negative low tide too.

Have courage, and be kind.  (Some of you will know where that comes from.)
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/16/15 Report - U. S. Mint Tests Coins Made Of Alternate Materials. Nonsense Pattern Coins. How To Build A Coin Counter & Identifier.

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

Table From U. S. Mint Study Showing Some Of The Metals Tested.
See link below.

The U. S. mint has been conducting studies to decide if U. S. coins could be made more cost-effectively.  After spending money on studies, they concluded that no change should be made now but that more studies should be conducted.

Most studies conclude that there should be more studies.  Why shut down the milk cow?

One of the big obstacles to changing our U. S. coins is the vending business, which would have to change all of their machines if the coins are changed.

Vending machines use both mechanical and electromagnetic methods for identifying coins.

Below is a link giving the results of one of the U. S. mint studies.  Despite the recommendation for no immediate change, it is interesting.  See the above table.

If coins were changed it would also mean that your discrimination settings would be off.  Some metals might make discriminating much more difficult. One metal that was tested but not shown in this table is aluminum.  Also steel and iron.

Here is one link to read about that.

http://www.coinnews.net/2014/12/15/us-mint-not-recommending-new-coin-compositions/

Here is a link to another report on one of the mint's studies.  This one discusses production costs of various alternatives and shows the results of some of their corrosion testing.

Nonsense patterns were used on test coins.  The test coins were made using the standard die striking process.  I wonder if any of the test coins got out of the mint.  One type featured Martha Washington.

I actually found catalog values for a 1759 Martha Washington test coin, which was actually made recently.  I was surprised that they have catalog values since they weren't supposed to leave the mint.  The values weren't extraordinarily high either for something that I would think should be very rare.

Here is a link showing one Martha Washington test coin and some test results.

http://news.coinupdate.com/us-mint-reports-findings-of-alternative-coin-materials-research-1765/

The total number of coins in circulation in the US is estimated as follows.

One-Cent: 240 billion 5-Cent: 29 billion Dime: 44 billion Quarter Dollar: 43 billion Half Dollar: 0.3 billion (from Method # 1 above) Dollar: 9 billion.  Total: 366 billion .


They speculated that of the estimated 366 billion coins in circulation 84% are being hoarded or in some type of storage.  They based their estimates upon data collected by other countries.  

I don't know exactly how  "hoarded" is defined.  I've never seen estimates of the number lost or destroyed by corrosion or whatever.  I bet that number is bigger than they think.  It has to be huge, and detectorists should be thanked for returning many lost coins to circulation.

Here are a number of recommendations offered by the mint.

• Maintain coin dimensions (thickness and diameter) for all future coins regardless of materials of composition since the conversion coins for coin processing equipment would be too large to justify any changes.
• Maintain the current materials of construction for the cent. After accounting for metal and production cost, copper plated steel one-cent coins would offer no cost savings compared to the current composition of copper-plated zinc. Aluminum alloys were fond to jam or destroy coin acceptance or coin handing equipment, removing this composition from consideration.
• Further develop copper based alloys for the composition of the nickel. Although these alloys would not bring costs to parity with face value, they would produce material cost savings. The alloys considered have a yellow cast color or golden hue color. The US Mint would achieve an annual cost savings of up to $16.7 million based on March 2012 metals pricing and 2011 production rates. There would be conversion costs for private sector coin acceptance equipment ranging from an estimated $11.3 million to $56.4 million depending on the alloy selected.
• Consider copper based alloys for use in the dime, quarter dollar, and half dollar coins. The US Mint would achieve an annual cost savings of approximately $2.2 million annually for the quarter dollar and $3.9 million annually for the dime based on March 2012 metal pricing and 2011 production rates. There would be conversion costs for private sector coin acceptance equipment estimated at $9.20 million for the quarter and $6.92 million for the dime. It was noted that one of the copper alloys had a slight yellow cast, which might cause confusion between the quarter and $1 coin.
• Maintain the current composition for the $1 coin, as none of the alternative material costs showed an improvement in cost.
• Continue long range research of surface engineering of zinc or steel for one-cent coin as a useful technology to reduce costs associated with copper plating. The report mentions the example of inexpensive paints or colored particles on bare zinc covered with a wear resistant coating.
• Continue research and development on stainless steel as a potential alternative for lower denomination coins. Also continue development of stainless steel alloys clad to copper alloy for higher denomination coinage to mimic the current electromagnetic signature of the dime, quarter, and half dollar.

My guess is that before we see many changes in our coins they'll go out of use.  I'd say digital.  Something like BitCoin.   There are now vending machines that will let you pay via smartphone.

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I thought you might find the following interesting.  Here is a diagram for a coin identifier and counter such as would be used in one of those coins-for-cash machines you see.

Basic Schematic For Coin Identifier and Counter.
Source: Following link.

The following article explains the diagram and shows you how to build your own coin counter and identifier.

http://www.best-microcontroller-projects.com/coin-detector-and-counter.html

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On the Treasure Coast we'll have a calm surf.  The wind will be changing.  Tomorrow it will becoming from the south.  The low tide is around 11:30 today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/15/15 Report - Florida Research Resources. The 1795 Rebellion. Things To Watch For.

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


Old Florida Tourist Brochure

I found a good research resource the other day.  It is the State University of Florida library archives.  They have a lot of old miscellaneous stuff.

One example is this brochure which appears to me to be from the twenties or thirties. 

Below is one page out of the brochure which states, Caches of pirate gold are still found occasionally on Amelia Island, where buccaneers of old careened their ships and held their revels.

This is a tourist thing, yet there is probably some truth in it, and might be worth a little further research.

Here is the link if you want to read the brochure.  It is pdf and takes a little time to load.

http://digitool.fcla.edu/R/KSLA4HA2YKM8VSJKLU12BFQSC8PR811K71KQFLBY9F1MQ92H18-01054?func=search

You can also find other kinds of things in the archives, including detailed academic papers.  One that you might find interesting is a history thesis for the Univeristy of North Florida by Cormac O'Riordan, The 1795 Rebellion in East Florida.

If you go to the archives and search "1795 rebellion" you'll find the thesis. Anyone interested in Florida history will find good information about daily life in Florida during that time period.  There are also some nice detecting leads and a great bibliography at the end for additional reading.

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Reading is one good way to get new detecting leads.  Another is to be alert while driving.  I mentioned a couple of small beaches near a causeway bridge the other day.  I'm told those two beaches are hit regularly by detectorists. 

A couple of things caught my attention as I drove by.  First was two models trying to do handstands at the water's edge while being photographed.  It looked like a professional shoot.

The activity caught my attention because that is the type of behavior that causes a lot of losses.  Some beaches attract older and more sedentary crowds that don't lose a ton of stuff.  Younger and more active crowds tend to lose more.  As a detectorist I am always alert to things like that.

Another thing I noticed right away was the situation of one of the beaches.  There were concrete blocks at the edge of the beach where the beach was steep and eroding.   Sometimes while most of the ocean beaches are not doing much, you can find other spots that are situated differently that are eroding.

Good timing can lead to good finds even when a beach is over-hunted.  If you are at the right place at the right time, it doesn't matter.  If you are there right after something is lost or if you are there right after something washes out of the bank, you have a good shot at it. 

I've seen people lose valuable items.  I've been here when it occurred. I've also seen people on their hands and knees hunting newly lost items.  You can help those people.

One fellow that I knew, would sit where he could see out over a busy beach and watch what type of activities took place at different beach locations.  He would often see someone lose and item and offer to find it for them, but he got a good idea of what type of activities took place at different locations.   When you see it done once (such as the photo shoot), it probably happens at the same location at other times. 

I used to frequently hunt a couple of beaches that you will often see in TV advertisements or other TV programs and movies.

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If you ever wondered why the sand along the Florida East Coast travels south when the Gulf Stream travels north, here it is.  Sorry I lost track of the source after I clipped it. 

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Well I think the mystery item that I've been posted has now been identified with remarkable specificity.   I'd say it is a Khukuri tie pin. 

A Khukuri knife is a curved Nepalese knife.  Here is a link.

http://www.thekhukurihouse.com/catalog/product.php?id=313037fe4d5

Thanks to Ian A. for that link.  Looks like the item might have had a chain and/or a scabbard at one time.

Ian's British coaked sheave is still one of my favorite finds and mystery items.

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Nothing exciting about Treasure Coast beach conditions.  We'll have about a two-foot surf. 

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/13/15 Report - Public Access To Florida Beaches and Waterways. Minelab GoFind Metal Detectors. Mystery Object Again.

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

New Minelab Detector

Minelab is marketing a new series of less expensive metal detectors, the GoFind 20, 40, and 60.  The design is attractive, though it reminds me quite a bit of the Garrett ATX (appearance only, functionally it is nothing like the ATX).

You pay for what you get.  The 20 is the least expensive and has the most basic features that you need to get started.  The 40 and 60 provide additional functions.

The 20 might be a good inexpensive detector for a beginner.  The 40 or 60 might also be a good inexpensive first detector.

Here is the Minelab link for more details.

http://www.minelab.com/__files/f/264637/4907-0802-1%20Brochure,%20GO-FIND_EN%20Universal%20A4%20%28for%20web%29.pdf

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Add caption

Concerning the mystery scimitar object again, David S. said,

  The photo of the backside of the sword tip shows a hook to capture the end of a hinged needle that was on the other end.

  I have seen these before on older costume jewelry pins and broaches.  The hook makes it difficult to remove the needle because the needle must be pushed to the side to clear the entry of the hook. A hinged needle is necessary to have with such a hook because it moves in a narrow plane.

  The piece could be a hatpin or a could be used on a narrow tie by piercing the fabric in the back of the tie to hold it up on the tie and then the blade would lay against the face of the tie.  It looks wide enough to work that way depending on the tie style of the day.

Looks to me like that is right. 

To the right and below is a picture of a iron drawn wire safety pin like those made in the 15th Century. 

To the left is a 19 Century drawing from a patent application.

Notice Fig. 2 on the left, particularly the part called the hatch, which is the hook.

Both of these pictures are from a wonderful web site.  Here is the link.

http://museumofeverydaylife.org/exhibitions-collections/current-exhibitions/a-visual-history-of-the-safety-pin

I feel pretty sure now that the mystery object was a pin of some sort.    I enjoy the sometimes slow process of discovery.  At each step you learn something new as you get closer to the whole truth.

In my March 2 post, Kenneth H. gave us the great phrase "the will to discover."  I think that is a big part of it.  I don't have either the space, time or the ability to begin to do that topic justice.

The joy of discovery is a big part of the joy of life.

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The subject of accessibility came up the other day.  Some fancy hotels or resorts (and others) will discourage the public from coming onto "their" beach.   In Florida the waterways (almost all bodies of water, and certainly all navigable waterways, ocean and otherwise) are state owned.  The public therefore almost always has right of access to the water and land below the "high mean water line."  You are allowed to walk along the waterways adjacent to private property as long as you are below the high mean water line. 

It might be difficult to determine where the high mean water line is, but you can usually get a decent idea just by the look.  However, the state conducts surveys, and sometimes you can actually see survey markers.

In some places along Indian River Drive for example, the properties extend down to the lagoon.  If you walk along the intercoastal at some locations, you will be able to see a number of survey markers along the river.

The high mean water line changes over time.

Here is link to a web site giving some explanation of the significance of "high mean water line."

http://www.floridageomatics.com/publications/legal/mhwl.htm



In addition to the area below the high mean water line, just because someone doesn't want you on a beach does not mean that you have no right to be there.  A lifeguard at a private beach club once told me that I couldn't detect there.  I called the county office and learned that I had every right to be there back to the markers where the beach was renourished with public funds for public use.

 

It is good to know your rights, but I still do not recommend confrontation.  There are usually more subtle ways to go about things.  I won't put those out there.  You'll have to do some thinking.

Obey the law.  Know your rights and avoid confrontation when you can.

Matthew 10:16 says, " ...Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

 

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On the Treasure Coast we have something like a four foot surf today and more southerly winds.

 

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

3/12/15 Report - People With Metal Detectors Almost Everywhere. Beach Conditions Poor. Don't Forget Little Hidden Beaches.

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

One Treasure Coast Beach This Morning.

The beaches were poor this morning.  Sand is piled up at low tide right down to the water's edge.  I couldn't be much worse for beach detecting.  Nonetheless there were people with metal detectors everywhere.  There were lots northern cars in the parking lots and snow birds on the beaches.

If you look in the distance in the above photo, one detectorists got caught on the TreasureGuide Cam.

Detectorist At John Brooks Beach

Couple More Detectorists Out This Morning.

There was at least one detectorist at every beach that I stopped at this morning.

The weather was warm this morning.  It wasn't the kind of day I like.  I prefer windy rainy days over sunny days.  Summer is coming.

Mar A Lago.

I had a few posts on Palm Beach beaches not too long ago.  They have some nice old resorts.  Here is one shot of Mar A Lago that was built in the 1920s.  The 17 acre estate previously owned by Marjorie Post was bought by Donald Trump in 1985 and has been restored and a new ballroom added recently.  You might remember news of the conflict over the flag yous see in this photo.


Below is the new ballroom.  Yesterday there was a University of Pittsburgh Alumni gathering there.

Event in Mar A Lago Ballroom Yesterday.

It is worth knowing where the old resorts were and where the popular resorts of today are.  Events like this can bring in a lot of beach goers, and when conditions are right, some old stuff can still be found.

Some of my favorite beaches are old resort areas, others were new resorts.  One that produced a lot of really good rings was a location where some the ESPN Sports TV shows were shot.

As you go over the bridge to Mar A Lago you'll see a couple of small beaches on the intercoastal that could possibly produce both old and new finds.  Surprisingly there is free parking and easy access to those small beaches.

Not all old resorts are as apparent as this example.  Some are no longer there.  Some have been replaced by new buildings.  You should know something about the history of the beaches you hunt.

And some of those little beaches tucked into nooks and crannies can be eroding while the main beaches build.

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Concerning the "lead leads to gold" idea.  James F. said, Yes, I have found that to be true...if you start finding lead sinkers you will usually find a class ring or two along the same lateral line as the sinkers. Seems they are very close in density.

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Here is an off-topic story, but I thought it was just too good.

http://www.aleteia.org/en/health/article/death-explained-by-a-little-girl-with-terminal-cancer-5861940215676928

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Concerning Treasure Coast beach conditions, expect more of the same for the next few days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/11/5 Report - Defining "Archaeological Object." Mammoth Skull Caught By Fisherman. Scimitar Tie Clasp?

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

Fisherman With Woolly Mammoth Skull
Source: See aol.com link below.

The most read posts of January were the 1/2/15 and 1/3/15 reports on beach renourishment sand and items found in renourishment sand.

The most Google Plused post of January was the 1/21/15 Report - Wreck of the Giffen.  Low Profile Metal Detecting.  Image and Shovels and Holes.

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A fisherman pulled in what he thinks is a Woolly Mammoth skull.   Here is the link for the rest of that story.

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/03/09/fisherman-thinks-he-hooked-wooly-mammoth-skull/21151253/?ncid=webmail5
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Just what is an archaeological object?  It would seem that some archaeologists think that almost anything and everything is, even items that are only a few decades old.  In Florida it against the law to recover anything in state waters more than 50 years old.  If I drown you'll just have to leave me there until you call the state archaeologist. 

As you know there are a lot of people that collect and trade ancient coins.   I've said before that many items, even those thousands of years old, have no archaeological or historical value.  Just because an item might be old doesn't mean that it is rare or that it tells us anything we don't already well know.

I remember when Richard Hulbert of the Florida State Museum was at a conference in Vero and people brought in their fossil finds to be identified.  He looked at hundreds.  There was only one in the entire bunch that he had any interest in obtaining for the museum.   The vast majority were nothing new, surprising or note worthy. 

Add to that the fact that items found on a beach are out of context.  Archaeologists, such as Kathleen Deagan, also of the state museum, will tell you what I've read many times - that artifacts out of context have no archaeological value. 

That is just some background that I wanted to give.  German courts recently issued the following ruling.

“The Plaintiff rightly asserts that coins coming from Antiquity generally have no archeological value and thus are not archaeological objects, especially when they are available in large numbers and they—which the Badische Landesmuseum [State Museum] also mentions in its opinion referred to by the Main Customs Office in the hearing—can no longer be assigned to a specific place of discovery.”


The paragraph above and the following paragraphs are from an article from the following link. 

http://www.coinweek.com/ancient-coins/german-supreme-court-ruling-favorable-to-ancient-coin-collectors/

In essence, the court ruled that each case must be evaluated by Customs on its own merits, not on a general assertion that coins are, as a class, subject to export permit controls.  This evaluation should take into account “whether the same or similar objects are largely the object of trade in which archaeological institutions and collections are not involved, but rather collectors are involved who are not interested in such coins as an ‘archaeological’ interest but as a desire to collect and acquire said objects for aesthetic value or for other interests.”

The ACCG test case is at the opposite end of this issue, but the arguments are similar.  The ACCG argues that coins cannot be judged illicit simply because they lack provenance.  It is the responsibility of the Customs Agency to determine whether the specific objects being imported are illicit and that determination must be based on facts, not suppositions.  It is anticipated that the ACCG case, which has been referred for forfeiture action and will be contested when that action is served, will bring these issues to bear in a court that cannot deny jurisdiction.

Finally, it should be said that many critics of the ACCG, private collectors and the numismatic trade have the mistaken belief that the “hobby” (more of an avocation for most) is opposed to import controls because collectors want access to “black market” coins.  That is an unfortunate characterization that is entirely false, but it does resonate with some mindsets.  The ACCG has consistently, since its inception nine years ago, asked all members, dealers and government officials to follow the applicable laws wherever they live or visit.  The point of the ACCG test case is to create case law that will spell out exactly what was intended by Congress in the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act.

The link for the entire article is above.
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 Bill P. said this mystery item that I showed a few days ago could be a tie clasp.  I think he could be right about that.  That thought never crossed my mind.  Maybe the chain is missing.

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On the Treasure Coast we still have the small surf, something like three feet, and southerly winds.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net