4/27/26 Report - 1715 Fleet Mexico Eight Escudo. Pirate Piece of Eight. Lima Eight Reales.

 

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Lot 17 in the Current Sedwick Auction.

Even though the auction hasn't gone live yet and won't until May 6, this 8-escudo already has a bid of $30,000, which is the low end of the auction estimate.

I decided to pick out a few of the auction lots that are among the stars of the auction, based upon early bidding and look at some of the factors that make these lots so valuable.  

Here is the lot description for this lot.

MEXICO, Mexico City, gold cob 8 escudos, 1714 J, NGC MS 64 (1715 Fleet Shipwreck Label). S-M30; Cal-2212; KM-57.3; Fr-6. 26.99 grams. Excellent full cross-and-tressure and shield with 100% full oMJ and denomination VIII, also bold 17 and traces of 14 of date plus king's ordinal V in legend, typical edge-beveling on reverse (as made), choice grade, currently tied with six others for second finest in the NGC census behind a single MS 65. From the 1715 Fleet.

Looking at the coin itself, it is NGC graded, has a high grade (second highest known), has a nearly full date and other information such as the mint and assayer initial and has the 1715 Fleet salvage tag. Those are things to look for when estimating the value of a treasure coin.

Below is another example. This one is silver, but it isn't only the coin. It already has a bid of $17,000, which is in the middle of the auction estimate. And again, it is still very early.

Lot 391 of the current Sedwick Auction.

BOLIVIA, Potosí, cob 8 reales, 1702 Y, housed in original frame with certificate, very rare provenance. S-P43a; KM-31; Cal-1536. 21¾" x 13½" (frame). Fairly clear date and pillars-and-waves (other side not on view) with light toning and no visible corrosion, elegantly framed with its original certificate and postcard showing an engraving of the ship as from a presentation to investors in 1987 that proposed to turn the Whydah museum into a Florida theme park. One of the more important numismatic aspects of the famous Whydah finds is the fact that a relatively large amount of cobs from Lima and Potosí were recovered, perhaps explaining the relative paucity of those coins found from the 1715 Fleet in our time—in other words, the majority of those coins were taken off the Fleet wrecks by pirates and ended up with Bellamy on the Whydah! As with all the coins selected for these displays, the original certificate mistakenly calls the mint "Mexico"; we have left the display intact, however, as a relic of the investment scheme that indirectly brought otherwise unobtainable Whydah coins to market in recent years. Framed with original Maritime / Betts & Bernstein certificate 30411 signed by Barry Clifford. Recovered from: Whydah, sunk in 1717 off Cape Cod, Massachusetts.This

This one is dated - always an important factor, but there is a lot that goes with the coin itself.  This one has a nice display in addition to the tag to document its history.  It was sold in previous auctions and was part of a very famous pirate ship and is attractively and extensively documented.  There is much more than the coin that determines the value here.  Of course the larger and generally more complete eight denominations do better than the smaller denominations.

Lot 643 of the Current Sedwick Auction.

PERU, Lima, cob 8 reales, 1660 V, extremely rare, ex-Ugaz, ex-Sellschopp. Sedwick-III.8.1; S-L5; KM-18.2; Cal-1250. 27.44 grams. While there is much discussion about the evolution and transportation of the 1659 issues (presentation pieces and regular issues), there is no debate that the coins struck in 1660 are the rarest of them all, for minting is known to have ceased in March of that year. This specimen is particularly desirable, as it shows a full PLVS / •*• / VLTRA between well-centered pillars, most of L-8-V to left and right, complete date •660• at bottom-center above full waves, the crown at top also nearly full but partially flat, bold but slightly off-center full cross on the other side, lightly toned VF, with excellent pedigree to boot. Pedigreed to the Jorge Ugaz Collection and the Sellschopp Collection (Swiss Bank Corp. auction of September 1988, also to the Baldwin's auction of September 2010 (lot 3960).

This one has a bid of $7000, which is just below the auction estimate.  Still, that is a very good early bid that will likely go much higher before the auction is over.

This one is a very rare date.  It is also an appealing coin based upon appearance.  Nice star in the middle, distinct waves, and a three-digit date, which is a full date for this type.  On top of that, it comes from a famous collection and has appeared in previous auctions.

---

The above were found at the beginning of the auction (sessions 1 and 2)   There must be a couple thousand lots in this auction.  Really a lot of different things.  Since there are many days to go many lots, including many coins, have no bids yet.  

In the last session there is always a variety of kinds of things.  There are a bunch of graded Morgans, a 1715 emerald, lead shot and canon balls, nuggets, tokens, Oriental porcelain, etc.

These auctions provide a good opportunity to learn about the various kinds of treasure and how to identify coins and things.  It is nice to be able to identify something you dig up when you see it.  You won't find internet sites or books with more examples of items, and they will not have the thorough detailed descriptions that you find in the auctions.  You won't find a better educational tool anywhere.

---

Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

A little rougher than I expected, but nothing real exciting there.

Still a lot of big pipes and heavy equipment on some of the beaches, which will produce some of those big iron flakes you'll find.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

4/26/26 Report - How Old Did You Say? Settlements, Bottles and Products. Nice Beach Day.

Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Oops—a 30-year-old archaeological error just changed the timeline of human migration...

“[Our] results fail to support the [previous] hypothesis that the lower portion of
[Monte Verde II] date to the Late Pleistocene,” he and his team said in a study recently published in the journal Science. “Instead, evidence from multiple sections show that the uppermost terrace at Monte Verde accumulated during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene.”

According to the researchers, several critical observations had been missed. For one, Monte Verde II is actually above an older layer known as Lepué Tephra, which is comprised of rock fragments that were ejected by an erupting volcano. And that lower (and, therefore, presumably older) layer is only 11,000 years old—nowhere close to the original 14,500-year-old estimate for Monte Verde occupation. For another, the original investigation of the site never accounted for the erosion that further separates older and younger strata in the region...

Here is the link for more about that.

Oops—a 30-year-old archaeological error just changed the timeline of human migration

Just yesterday I was talking about "rewriting history."  It is, and should be, a constant process.

But I've often been skeptical of dating techniques, whether it is radiocarbon dating or some other technique.  So often it just seems wrong. 

This story has a good lesson for detectorists too.  Old layers are not always below newer layers.  The oldest layers can be on top at times.  Human activity or nature can change things.  Renourishment sand can be from sources that are very old and then get dumped on top.  Then it can get eroded.  It is a dynamic process.  Beaches are dynamic systems.  There are the tides, storms and various other processes.  And there is the sorting process that separates things by density and other characteristics.

---

Here is a older bottle for a product that is still used today.

Brown Embossed Lysol Bottle.

You probably know what Lysol is, but you might not know how long it has been around or what it was used for in the past.

As you can tell by the look of the bottle, it has been around a while.

This bottle has Lysol in script repeated four times around the shoulder of the bottle.

The first-ever Lysol antiseptic disinfectant was made in 1889 by Gustav Raupenstrauch. It was created in order to end the cholera epidemic in Germany, where it was causing huge destruction. Next time, the product was advertised by Lehn & Fink in 1918 during the Spanish flu pandemic, it was advertised as an effective product for fighting the influenza virus.

After that it was used for more controversial applications.  It was advertised as a feminie hygien product.  And it wsa used by some as a contraceptive.  Of course, it isn't used that way anymore.  In fact, it seems hard to believe it ever was used that way.

Finally, Lysol was introduced to hospitals and drug stores in 1930, and around 1962 the company began manufacturing the Lysol disinfectant spray.

The bottle shown above was a Treasure Coast find.  The one shown below seems to be a little older than that. 

Here is a link for more of the history.

What Was Lysol Originally Used for? History of Lysol - 1920 to 2021

When you find something with a name that is still in use, it is natural to think of it as a modern product even though it could have been invented long ago and used for a many years or even a century or more.

The same thing goes for products like 3 in 1 oil.  Below are three different 3 in 1 Oil bottles.  The one on the right is the only screw top.

Three 3 in 1 Oil Bottles.

3 in 1 Oil is still used but was marketed as early as 1894.  

See TreasureGuide's Bottle Barn: Embossed 3 - In - One or Three - In - One Oil Company Bottle.

---

Enjoying Fort Pierce South Beach Sunday,.

You can see where the beachgoers are.  They are mostly on the beach, but there is a little shallow water activity.

Nothing bigger than three or four feet predicted for next week.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

4/25/26 Report - 1554 Spanish Treasure Wrecks: The People, Ships and Treasures. Shipwrecks that Changed History.

 

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Treasure, People, Ships and Dreams was created ty the Texas Antiquities Committee.  It is all about the  1554 wrecks, including the history, salvage, artifacts but also providing many stories of individuals some that you've probably never heard of before.  I'll give you some excerpts below to give you the idea, but you might want to read the entire thing.

Here is small bit of the fascinating story of Dona Catalina, one of the passengers.

Fray Juan Ferrer was an interesting character that prophesied the wrecking of the fleet and the unfortunate fate of the passengers.  He also wrote a book in secret code that only he could decipher and  wanted to provide it to the king who was evidently interested in learning more about it.

 Here is a short excerpt about Fray Ferrer.

Then of course there were the first attempts to salvage the wrecks by the Spanish and then centuries later by modern treasure hunters.

Some of the ships survived to make a later voyage.

The report also helps put values in perspective.

There is more to that, but I doubt that it is ever really meaningful to consider past values "in today's coin."  At least not when talking centuries instead of a few years.  It wouldn't matter how many millions of dollars you had a century or two ago, you still couldn't go shopping at Costco or buy any of a million things that are readily available today to the common person, and that is not to mention things like cell phones or the internet and AI.  

If you want to read more of the document about the 1554 fleet, here is the link.

Treasure_People_Ships_and_Dreams.pdf

You might find the artifacts interesting.

---

How often do you hear of findings that rewrite history.  It seems I hear or read it often - way too often.  I guess it is a way to grab attention, but the claim of rewriting history is always empty hype whether it is an internet title or TV show claim.  You hear the phrase so much it has become not only virually meaningless but a sign of either ignorance or dishonesty.

Nonetheless here is an article using the phrase in the title.  

13 Shipwrecks That Completely Rewrote Maritime History - The Voyaging

If they completely rewrote history, that suggests to me that all of history was wrong up to that point.  If so, what does that suggest about the new story?  Maybe it will soon be rewritten too.

Here is a title that seems much more reasonable to me.

18 Shipwrecks That Changed the Course of World History – Country Adventures

---

9 AM Views from Wabasso Beach Cam (Indian River County FL.)

These Wabasso views are what you will see all around the Treasure Coast this morning.  The beaches have built up again and beach goers are out enjoying the beautiful weather.

Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

The tides are moderate now and the surf is small.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

4/24/26 Report - Ancient Carved Stone Found in Yard. First Winter Park Coin Show. 17th Century Cross in Renourishment Sand(?)

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Carved Stone Found Buried in Yard.
Source: See link below.

A New Orleans couple stumbled onto something far older than their house while clearing an overgrown backyard: a Latin-inscribed marble slab that turned out to be a 1,900-year-old Roman funerary marker. The discovery set off a chain of events involving a Tulane University classicist, the FBI, and a family connection stretching back to World War II. It raised sharp questions about how ancient artifacts end up in American gardens and who has the right to keep them.

The homeowners were doing routine yard work when they noticed the weathered stone half-buried in vegetation. Carved into its surface was a Latin inscription that clearly did not belong in a Louisiana backyard. They contacted scholars at Tulane University, where classicist Susann Lusnia examined the find and, according to an Associated Press account, identified the slab as a Roman funerary marker... The inscription commemorated a man named Sextus Congenius Verus, whom Lusnia determined was a first-century Roman sailor and soldier...

Lusnia’s identification did not rest on the inscription alone. She matched the New Orleans slab to a fragment already documented in an early‑20th‑century Latin source, a scholarly catalog of Roman inscriptions that had recorded the text decades before the Second World War. That match gave the find an unusual degree of academic certainty: the stone was not a replica or a curiosity shop knockoff but a genuine artifact that had been recorded, lost, and then rediscovered far from its origin... 

The answer traces back to the Second World War and a U.S. soldier named Charles Paddock Jr. According to reporting that pieced together the artifact’s chain of custody...

Here is the link.

Mysterious backyard stone in US revealed as hidden archaeological treasure

It is always fun to think about how things got to where they are found, especially when they are found where they would not be expected to be found.  It happens all the time.  I have finds that I wonder about how they got there.  You usually will never figure it out, but as I said just yesterday, old things are carried around all the time and sometimes lost where you'd least expect to find them.

I think of some of the modern bullion coins I've found on beaches and other out of the way places.  You can only wonder how they got there.  In one case somebody suggested they were used in drug transactions.  I guess that is a possibility.

How you decide who has a right to keep certain items, like the one discussed in the article, is another matter.  Who is the rightful owner.  I don't doubt that someone will claim it.  Maybe a government or government agency or someone else in the chain of possession.  It is sometimes hard to determine and can result in court battles.  We've seen enough of those.  

---

From Sedwick and Associates...

Come and see Auction 39 lots in person at Central States!

Our auction will take place at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Winter Park, Florida. Instead of talks, the day before the auction during lot viewing will feature our first Winter Park Coin Show with select dealers from across the Americas. May 6, 10 am to 6 pm. Floor auction lots may be viewed at Central States tables 1806–1807 (Express lots by request). Also available by appointment at our offices and during the Winter Park Coin Show. May 6: Winter Park Coin Show (Pre-Auction Bourse) | 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM May 7 and 8: Live Floor Auction 39 | Starting 9:00 AM May 9: Online-Only Sessions

Highlighted Lots: Part 1 12. SPAIN, Seville, gold cob 8 escudos, Philip IV, assayer R, NGC MS 64, "top pop." 17. MEXICO, Mexico City, gold cob 8 escudos, 1714 J, NGC MS 64 (1715 Fleet Shipwreck Label). 27. PERU, Lima, gold cob 8 escudos, 1712 M, NGC MS 64 (1715 Fleet Shipwreck Label). 29. PERU, Lima, gold cob 2 escudos, 1711 M, NGC MS 63 (1715 Fleet Shipwreck Label). 31. PERU, Cuzco, gold cob 2 escudos, 1698 M, "Lima cut," error-variety with RX, NGC MS 64 591.MEXICO, Mexico City, 4 reales, Charles-Joanna, "Early Series," assayer P 613. MEXICO, Mexico City, klippe 8 reales, 1733 MF, NGC XF 45 614. PERU, Lima, 8 reales, Philip II, assayer R (Rincón) 963. CHILE, Santiago, gold bust 8 escudos, Charles IV, 1803 FJ/JJ, rare, NGC MS 65, finest. 1025. COLOMBIA, Bogotá, cob 8 reales, 1668 PoRS, denomination to left, rare, NGC AU 53, finest known 1085. COLOMBIA, Medellín, gold 10 pesos, 1886/74, fineness 0,666 / 0,900, extremely rare, PCGS AU55. 1152.  HAITI, struck at the Paris Mint, proof 1 gourde, 1881, very rare, PCGS PR66, finest 1246. MEXICO, Mexico City, cap-and-rays 8 reales, 1863 TH, PCGS MS65 (Old Green Label) 1281. PERU, Lima, gold bust 2 escudos, Charles III, ("rat nose"), 1767 JM, rare, NGC AU 50. 1322. SPAIN Al-Andalus Nasrids Granada AV dinar Yusuf I 734-755AH NGC MS62 finest known

---

I recently got word that a 17th century cross was found in recent renourishment sand near Jupiter.

I don't know yet if I'll be able to show that one or not.

---

Surf Chart from Surf Guru.com.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net