11/12/26 Report - Florida Treasure Found in Greece. Columbus' Spirituality. $800,000 Gold Found in Backyard.

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

The St. Nicholas Icon painting.
Credit: John Koulianos, Mayor of Tarpon Springs/Facebook©

A painting that belonged to a cathedral in Florida and went missing over 100 years ago has been rediscovered in Greece...

• A century-old religious painting connected to a Florida Greek Orthodox community in Tarpon Springs has been rediscovered in Greece
• The artwork was sent to Greece for restoration more than 100 years ago but was never returned
• Local officials are now working with church leaders in hopes of bringing the painting back to Florida...

Herer is the link for more of that article.

Lost Florida painting has been found 103 years later. It was hanging in a church in Greece

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Indeed, few know that Columbus prayed at a shrine in Spain called Guadalupe before setting off on his great journey. This was a spot where an ancient image of the Virgin had been hidden in the first centuries after the death of Christ and where she later appeared to a herdsman, telling him in 1326 to have the bishop dig up the image and build a chapel. It is believed that Columbus took a replica of the image with him on his first trip across the Atlantic, and when he arrived in the New World he named an island after Guadalupe (it is now spelled "Guadeloupe"), and soon after, the Virgin appeared to an Aztec Indian near Mexico City at a spot that was also named Guadalupe!

The devotion of Columbus was tangible. He named his ship after Christ's mother (the Santa Maria) and every night he and his crew sang the Hail Mary. According to his diary, Columbus, looking for the correct course, was guided at one critical point by a "marvelous branch of fire" that fell from the sky.

That was on September 15, 1492. Once across the Atlantic, this faithful son named the first island he came to "San Salvador" for the Savior and the second "Santa Maria de la Concepcion" for Mary, in addition to Guadeloupe and another island, Montserrat, named for another ancient apparition site near Barcelona.

Upon landfall Columbus and his men prayed the Salve Regina...

Here is the link.

columbus

Concerning the founding of the shrine, Wikipedia says the following.

The monastery had its origins in the late 13th century, when a shepherd from Cáceres, named Gil Cordero, discovered on the bank of the Guadalupe River a statue of the Blessed Virgin,^[1] which had been apparently hidden by local inhabitants from Moorish invaders in 714. On the site of his discovery a chapel was built, dedicated under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe.^[2]

So a shepherd discovered the statue on the banks of the river and the statue was buried to be hidden from the Moorish invaders.  That is a good example of how an item was found on the banks of a river, and then how and why such a cherished item was buried.

I could imagine the shepherd reciting the 23rd Psalm, "He leadeth me by the still waters..." as he discovers that treasure.

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Just because you’re not looking for buried treasure doesn’t mean you won’t find it. Case in point: In 2025, a man digging a pool outside of Lyon, France, unearthed a trove of gold—five gold bars and a host of coins—in his backyard, all stored in plastic bags.

After the discovery of gold on his property—a property he’d only owned for about a year—the man (who has remained anonymous) turned the treasure over to the local Neuville-sur-Saone town authorities, who in turn contacted the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs. That group had to decide if the treasure had any archaeological value. If so, that would mean the state could claim ownership of the find.

But if the find was not deemed to have archaeological value, the claim goes to the discoverer. The civil code of France—which dates to the 19th century—defines a treasure as “any hidden or buried thing over which no one can prove their ownership, and which is discovered purely by chance.” Ownership of such a discovery is granted to the individual finding the treasure, if it was on their own property....

Here is the link for more about that.

He was merely digging a backyard pool. Suddenly, he hit an $800,000 gold treasure.

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Fort Pierce South Beach Friday Morning from Surfguru.com.

Boring looking beach this morning.  A lot of mush.  

It seems the front is passing through.  There is some rain around the Treasure Coast this morning.

The surf chart shows a flat surf through at least Saturday

Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/11/26 Report - Testing the Minelab Manticore Target ID on a Few Recent Finds. Small Surf Continues.

 

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

Fort Pierce South Beach Wednesday Morning.

I was a bit hopeful about the cool front that will be coming through this weekend.  The wind will be north wind some of that time, but the surf forecast shows a continuing small surf.  Not what I was hoping for.

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As I've described, I recently detected an inland site with a metal detector that I hadn't used for at least two years.  I learned a few things from that experience.  Trying different types of hunting is recommended because it forces you to learn.

Many of the videos you'll see are by people who do the same kinds of hunting all the time.  Maybe they hunt fields or beaches, but they often hunt the same kinds of fields for the same kinds of targets and  always work with very similar conditions.  There is nothing wrong with that.  In fact there are definite advantages to that.  You become very knowledgeable about whatever it is you do all the time, but you won't be challenged to adapt and learn new things.   In fact, when you do the same things all the time you will likely fall into some common traps. 

I've told how when I was still young in the detecting field, I thought women must lose fewer rings than men because I was finding a lot more men's rings.  Eventually I learned that women lose just as many, but I was getting more men's rings because I was using a level of discrimination that caused me to miss many of the smaller women's rings.  I could have gone on missing small rings for a long time if I never dropped the discrimination or did something different and discovered that the smaller rings were out there in numbers, but I was missing them.

Not only did I enjoy my recent diversion, like I always do, but the change did me some good, no matter how much I wish I could have been back on the beach that week.

Of course, I had to relearn the old metal detector that I hadn't used in years, but relearning is usually pretty fast.  I focused more on the audio because I didn't have the Manticore display that I usually watch.  And because of time constraints I was a lot more selective about what I dug.

The coins were easy enough to identify with a fairly high degree of accuracy, but I dug a few other good targets as well but managed to avoid digging a lot of junk.  I am a dig-everything advocate, but sometimes you have to adapt to circumstances.

There is a lot of information in metal detector audio signals that some people don't get.  The rings that I found, for example, didn't sound like coins, but they did sound good enough to dig.  It can be a kind of subtle thing.

One common mistake is putting so much emphasis on coins, which are among the easiest targets to ID, that a lot of the really good targets such as relics and irregularly shaped items made of various metals and parts that are the rarer and more valuable targets are not easy to ID.  They are often missed.

The way I was recently hunting, I knew I was missing good targets.  I'll do things a little differently the next time in that area.

I've done comparisons of the Equinox and Manticore conductivity numbers before.  I knew the Equinox numbers for specific targets will be different than the Manticore's. 

For a quick comparison of Equinox and Manticore numbers see Treasure Beaches Report: Pt. 2. (2020 and Beyond). : 3/9/26 Report - Equinox and Manticore Metal Detector Target ID and Conductivity Comparison on Seven Test Objects.

I remember the sound of the Equinox signal I got on the two rings I found pretty well.  They were both a few inches deep, and that was in tightly packed rocks.  It took a while to dig them out with a shovel because of how the rocks were packed.  

Picking two rings out of centuries of junk surprised me.  The signals were more irregular than coin signals but sounded pretty good anyhow.  Of course, the irregular shape would show less stable conductivity numbers.  As the coil position changes, you'll get number changes.  I forget the numbers the rings gave me, but I remember they jumped around a little within a fairly small range.

I decided to check to see how the Manticore would show them, so I put them in the yard along with some other test targets that included a small piece of aluminum that looked like what we call can slaw, a wheat penny and a clad dime.  Below are the results.

First is the can-slaw display output. 

Manticore Response to Small Can Slaw.

The number (13) as well as the position of the dot on the left of the center line could have easily been produced by a piece of foil, but it was the small piece of aluminum.  I've found small gold rings showing a very similar display.  There were plenty 13s I passed up during my hunt in WV.

Next was the wheat cent.  

Wheat Cent on Manticore Display.

That is a higher number than I expected.  With the Equinox, the number would be down around something more like a 20.  

Good dot on the center line.  That would indicate most likely a coin.

Manticore Display for Clad Dime.

Non-ferrous items generally show as being on or near the center line.  Low to high conductivity goes from left to right on the center line.

The number is a little higher and the dot is a touch more toward the right on the center line.  Another good coin signal.

Ok.  Now for the rings.

First is the copper looking one that really confuses me.  Some of it looks copper and some not.  Maybe there was some plating on it. 

I checked it in two positions.   The first is with the ring laying with the hole showing and the flat face of the ring standing on edge.  This ring has a discontinuous band.  Don't I know if it is adjustable or broken.  It has a lot of dirt and or rust on it.

As you probably know, rings with broken bands often give a much weaker signal.

Small Copper Looking Ring
With Face Standing Vertical.

That was a very weak signal.  Maybe I didn't catch the conductivity number when I took the photo of the screen.  My feeling is that the signal was too weak.  I could barely hear it at times.  Notice the depth bar to the right of the screen.  On irregularly shaped objects, unlike coins lying flat on the ground, the signal depends a lot upon the relative position of the surface area of the target object to the coil.

This display shows it in the ferrous range with a tail down into the non-ferrous range.

When you have a diagonal trace on the display screen, the target is often a jagged piece of aluminum can slaw or an oddly shaped lead object. In that case, instead of a tight dot, the graphic looks like a smear or a blob that stretches diagonally. The display shows it as an irregularly shaped object and it is.

Then I changed the position of the ring so the flat face was facing up towards the coil as shown below. 

Found Ring Face Up.

My feeling is that people focus a lot on coins, which are easy to identify, and, as a result, miss many of the more complex, more interesting and more valuable objects that are more difficult to identify from the detector signals and displays. People want everything easy and fail to work for the more valuable things.  

Same Small Copperish Looking Ring With Face Up.

When the face of the ring is flat on the ground, the dot is elongated and pretty far from the center line but not in the ferrous zone (as shown above).  The conductivity number is 49.

I'll have to clean this ring off sometime so I can maybe tell more about it.

Then I moved to the larger cats eye ring.

Cats Eye Ring.

First laying so the hole shows and the face and stone is more vertical.

This ring has a lot more mass.  

Big Ring With Hole Showing.

This shows as definitely on the center line but a with lower conductivity number than the penny and dime. 

Then with the face (or stone) up.

That is a pretty solid figure but has a little slant downward.

Big Ring with Face Up.

The ring face up has a higher conductivity number than when it was in the other position.  Now the conductivity number is up close to the clad dime number.

This ring has another complexity too.  It has a strip of very shiny unidentified metal wrapped around the small part of the band.  It looks like it was added because the ring was a little too big.  But it could be a different metal than the ring is made of.

Despite the help the Manticore offers with target ID, I won't feel like I've got every good target from the area until I dig everything.  There are probably interesting iron targets in the ground something like the ax head or horseshoes or wagon parts I've found in the area.  There could also be smaller gold rings.  Who knows what might be found?  I'm just not a person that likes to leave any stone unturned (pun intended).

Some say information is power, but I'd say, not unless you use it well.  

Metal detectors today provide a lot of information, but you still have to interpret the information and act wisely.  It is a only a tool.  Skill helps.

For best results, get to know your metal detector very well.  Develop a relationship with the detector, and also the area you like to hunt.  

Developing a relationship with your detector takes a lot of time.  I haven't put in enough time with the Manticore.  I don't know it very well yet.  

I'm still amazed to pull two rings out of that ground (even if they aren't valuable rings) when I was working with serous time constraints and passing up the majority of targets.  Of the targets I did dig, the amount of dug junk items was very low.  That is something that target ID will allow you to do.  The question is what was passed up.  I don't know that yet.  

All of this applies just as well to a junky beach where target recovery is easier.  Quicker target recovery will change the equation a little.  Each dug junk item represents less time expense when recovery is easier.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/9/26 Report - One View of Treasure Hunting. Dasein.

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

Sometimes you can't get there from here.  At least that is how it feels.

I started this post several times and it just wouldn't come together.   I'll try again.

Two Sunday's ago was the type of day I wait for.  We were finally getting some good hunting weather.  The wind was blowing and the surf and tides were high.  It was the type of day I really like to detect, but I had a flight scheduled and wouldn't be able to detect the Treasure Coast that week. To rub it in, the flight number was 1715, which seemed to me to be a cruel joke.

Don't get me wrong, I love metal detecting up north.  I just hated the timing.  

The return flight one week later was terrible too.  I was scheduled to arrive at the Palm Beach airport at four something in the afternoon, but due to a severe storm, we ended up in a holding pattern around DJT until fuel ran low and we had to land in Miami, where we sat waiting for the weather to clear so we could continue on to DJT.  We went to Miami to refuel.  We deplaned and sat on the ground in Miami waiting for things to clear.  Then after all that, when we finally got to the Palm Beach airport, we still had the long drive home.

This post has been something like that flight.  I just couldn't get it done.  I don't know what attempt this is.  Probably attempt number six or seven.  

When I began hunting the hills of West Virginia, people would always tell me there is nothing there.  They wondered why I wasted so much time metal detecting there, but when I first detected there, it was back when I was primarily hunting rings and felt like I was on the ring trail.  I had a very positive mindset.  I believed, just like I do today, there was stuff to be found everywhere, and even if there wasn't, it was worth checking.  Who isn't open to being surprised?

On my first hunt up there, I hit a gold class ring from the 1930s.  Everybody was surprised, but no one changed their mind.  They still couldn't understand why I was wasting my time.

I've detected those hills quite a few times now, and I could easily think, like everybody else, that it is a waste of time, but I don't see it that way.  My previous hunts have shown me that a lot went on around there.  I've found evidence to show there is a lot in the ground - a lot more than I have picked up so far.  It might not be Miami Beach, and maybe there isn't anything fancy or real valuable, but I have proven that there are interesting things out there, and there are things to discover.  There are surprises.

Metal Detecting this Fall.

Maybe they were right from their point of view.  It is tough hunting, but they don't realize that.  In fact, it is downright taxing.  And I haven't made a killing.  No big cache.  No super valuables have come out of the ground.  But that is not what it is all about for me.

A few years ago my wife and I took her 95-year-old mother and a cousin down the hill.  They grew up in the area, and the hill was an important place to them.  They played on the hill as youngsters.  They walked up and down the hill to town.  So did their parents, who selected the place because it reminded them of the place they immigrated from in Europe.  I think we all knew at the time that my wife's mother and the cousin, who had a terminal cancer diagnosis, were on their last walk down the path.  And it was.  Both are now gone.

I read a couple books about one of my ancestors.  His parents brought him and his brother to the area from out east.  They were the first settlers in the area.  They crossed the Appalachians with their magre belongings in their wagons.  They build log cabins, made a life in the wilderness and built a fort to protect them from the indigenous tribes.  Their cabin was burned and the parents killed.  The young boys were captured by the Indians but escaped.  One with a musket ball in his clavicle.  He later became famous as an Indian scout who had a musket that the Indians thought was somewhat magical because it seemed like it was always loaded.  He became famous as an Indian Scout.  The two book described him with the same qualities I could see in my own father who came up rough and all his life was ready and willing for a fight.  

When in the those woods today, I feel at home even though I didn't grow up there.  I always think of my ancestor silently stalking the woods.  I know he was there from what I've read.

My wife and I both feel we have deep roots with those towering trees.    It is a magical place to us. It seems more than coincidence that brought me there.  \

I can imagine what went on there before, and my imaginings are supported by the evidence of the things I discover there, which includes everything from arrowheads to horseshoes and other items from the wagon trail days and old coins as well as items dropped in much more recent times.

What I became very clear to me as I struggled with writing this post is that metal detecting for me is not primarily about the economic value of the finds.  It is about the curiosity, discovery, learning, surprises and a lot of things.  But the bottom line for me it is about Dasein, which is a German word literally translated as "Being There."  It is a word popularized by Heidegger that plays a big part in Existentialism.  I tell you that part only so you could look it up is you so desire.

It can be a deep magical, almost mystical state. It is being very aware of the immediate time and place in which you find yourself.  It is the opposite of the inauthentic existence derived from outside sources and others. 

Metal detecting finds are to me a trail of evidence which paints a clearer and clearer picture.  The finds are remnants of previous peoples and times.  They are physical remnants of previous times. They are the footprints of those who "were" before.  

Every Fall, my wife and I silently sit on a log in the forest and listen.  The breeze whisper as the colored leaves flutter to the ground like the snow that will soon do the same.  It has done the same for centuries.  Others who have gone before experienced it.  Time disappears.  It collapses into the present.  It becomes immediate experience.

In my better moments, I detect the same way.  It is a meditative state.  The coil moves back and forth like a hypnotist's pendulum.  It seems to move by itself while the ground passes and the tone absorbs total attention.

The immediate environment is one of many ages.  To one side on the hill is an indigenous camp that I can see through the tomato garden that is there is now.  I can see where the wagons struggled up the steep narrow and winding path along the ravine, and the spring where Indians, horses and pioneers stopped for a drink of cool water.  And the log cabin that once stood near the path, the deer on the opposite hill alerted to the sound of me walking through the leaves, the children at playing as they travel the path to and from school; immigrant workers walking down to the factory to work.  It is all there.  All at once.  In the moment.  It is all One.  It is peace.  It is Being there!

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That was difficult to try to explain in such as short post, but I tried and that will have to do for now.

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Wabasso Beach Cam
From Around 10:30 Monday Morning.

Nothing special in forecast for the next few days.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/8/26 Report - Metal Detecting Hunt and Finds From a Way Off Beach Hunt. Coins, Rings and Relics.

 

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

Wooded Ravine and Hillside in West Virginia.

Several days ago I started to tell you about a trip I recently made to West Viriginia where I do some metal detecting occasinally.  It is totally different from beach detecting in some ways, but there is also a lot that applies in both places.

The first time I went there, everybody said there is nothing to find there and they continue to say that.  Some of them have also detected there and found a few nice things but they think it is probably all gone.  I've detected there numerous times myself but feel very differently about it.  You can see what its like above.

It is certainly no Miami Beach, and there is very little to suggest anything was ever there.  The first time I detected there, though, I found a gold 1930s something class ring from the local high school.  It was a surprise not only to everybody else, but also to me. 

Since then I've learned a lot about the place.  I've learned from research, but I also learned a lot from the things I've found.  Now I have a pretty good idea of what kinds of things are probably still in the ground.  I'm not expecting gold and diamonds, like Miami Beach, but I'm expecting some things that that could be even more interesting and meaningful to me.  

In the past, I've found horseshoes, wagon parts, horse tac and crotal bells, a few arrowhead, old bottles, and old coins and a number of older and modern coins.  

The finds represent the indigenous populations, the early European explorers to move west, the 1800s, immigrants making homes in the 1900s and their descendants.  Expensive or fancy things are not to be expected.

I've been working on a post for several days and it just isn't coming together so I'll proceed by showing my finds from my last trip up there, which was about two weeks ago.

I was hoping for either some older type coins or some artifacts from the wagon days.  Another nice crotal bell would have been nice, but I was very restricted in time and knew I couldn't dig all the junk.  Furthermore, I was using a metal detector (Equinox 600) I hadn't used in years and had forgotten a lot of what I knew about the signals and conductivity numbers on this detector.  With those handicaps in mind, I dug the best signals and skipped many others.  

Also keep in mind the area I was detecting, had been detected by myself and others quite a few times, but despite what most think, I know there is a lot left.  The steep hills are subject to erosion and some areas, including especially the old wagon trail, is hard packed and rocky since most of the soil and cover washes down the hill every year.

I'll start with this relic that can be dated fairly easily.  The cap has been flattened and is only about an 1/8th inch thick.  The glass seal is on the inside of the remains of the cap but is not shown in this photo.

Remains of Ball Jar Cap Containing Glass Seal.

Looks like maybe the 1933 - 1960 trademark.  I regret that I didn't clean and get a better photo of the top and didn't bring it back to Florida.

 I previously posted that illustration in TreasureGuide's Bottle Barn: Ball Mason Jars. How to Determine Age.

I wonder now what I saw in that signal that made me dig it when I was being pretty selective in what I was digging.

Most of the coins I found where modern, but I found three wheat pennies in one area on a hillside that was sliding.  That was softer ground. It was also near a lot of junk that appeared to be from a dump. 

Wheat Penny Finds.

These pennies were difficult to identify.  The patina is very difficult to remove.  I can still only make out the date on two of them.  1941 and 1944.  I can't make out the other one.

Reverse of Same Wheat Cents.

As you can see, they are difficult to identify.  On the one in the middle, you can see the wheat stalks, but that is the most visible aspect of the reverse designs.  Even the "ONE CENT" is difficult to make out.

Not great finds, but it tells you there is still more old stuff waiting to be found.

Here is a tricky one.

39 Dime?

I got this one back to the house and still couldn't see the date - even with magnification.  Eventually some of the patina flaked off and I could see "39."  A 1939 dime shouldn't exist.  Actually part of the date flaked off with the corrosion.

I have found old coins, silver and otherwise, in these hills that are in decent shape.  These ones were mostly bad.  The dime was found under hard packed rocks.  It was difficult to dig out.

OK. so far the hunt has produced a few coins and other things, but not anything I really wanted to find and nothing really remarkable.  These finds just keep telling me there is more there.  Considering that I am only cherry-picking signals, there is a lot more there.

Towards the end of the hunt, I pick up the two rings.

Finds from Hillside Hunt.

The first ring was the ring at the top.  It appears to be copper.  I don't know what the form is.

The second ring was the cats eye ring.  Upon finding that one.  My wife said "I can't believe it."  She was shocked to see so much jewelry coming out of that area.  She grew up close to there and just couldn't believe it.   I've found rings that came from even more surprising areas of the hillside.  One was on the other side of the ravine on a very steep hard to get to place where you'd think few people have ever venntured.

I'm not sure of the metallic composition of these two rings yet.  I think the one is mostly copper, but some parts look like it and others don't.  Part has crumbled off, probably due to being packed tightly in the rocks and my attempts to dig it out. 

Ring Dug Out of Packed Rocks.

This one makes me think it could be pretty old, but I need to do research.

To sum it up, I didn't find anything I was really hoping to find but I did find some surprises.  Considering the limitations of this hunt, it wasn't bad.  At least I got a good idea of how much more can be found here.  If I was there more often, I'd remove every bit of metal, but as it is, I'd love to have the Manticore up there.  I might take it the next time I'm there.

A more general lesson to take away is that you can find interesting things almost anywhere.  There is more waiting in the ground than you probably think.

I don't get anything really valuable from these hunts in the hills, but I really enjoy the challenge and surprises.  I also want to uncover more of the older things that tell the story of the wagon trail.

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Around Eleven O'Clock Fort Pierce South Beach
from Surfguru.com.

Watch for the cold front that is expected next weekend.  It might bring some more north winds.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/6/26 Report - Recent Treasure Coast Metal Detecting Finds and Report. Auction Ending Tomorrow. Diminishing Surf and Tides.

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

Found on Wabasso Beach Yesterday by Mike M.

Mike M. sent these photos of items he found yesterday.  Below is his email message.

I have always enjoyed your posts and stories. Thank you for the time you give in doing them.  I was curious to check wabasso beach today at around low tide and found this piece of China porcelain.  I actually found two but wanted to get your thoughts on them. Thank you, Mike 

 

Find by Mike M.

Good job Mike.  Keep your eyes open.

You probably know that Kang Hsi was carried on some Spanish ships and can be valuable.  Less expensive pieces are sometimes used in pendants and jewelry.

Concerning these pieces, the colors look good.  I find the broken edges useful for diagnostic purposes.  Take a look.  See if the paste is white, fine and if the color sinks into the glaze.

I've done several posts on identifying Kang Hsi in the past.

For a general overview of Kang Hsi, here is a good article.  Kangxi Chinese Porcelain and its Reign Marks « (antique-marks.com)

So how do you tell if your shard is Kang Hsi or not.  I've done a few posts on that in the past.  See for example The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 12/29/13 Report 1715 Fleet Kang Hsi Porcelain, European Pot Shard & Native American Shard and The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 5/29/19 Report - Book on 1715 Wrecks. Kang-Hsi Or Not. Couple Odd Finds.

Porcelain and glass and other things can often be found in shell piles.

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Mark G. sent the following report on his metal detecting at Sebastian on the 5th along with some photos.

Finds by Mark G.

 

I just got back from a few days camping at the Sebastian inlet. I got out yesterday to Treasure Shores beach just south of the inlet. Hunted that beach for a few hours saw several wondering detectors. The sand was all gone slope was gradual but looked good for a hunt. Found all the usual things. One thing I noted, and another detectorist noted very deep and rusty tent stakes, I don't know what that means. I also drove up to Bonsteel beach which was closed. I wish now I had taken some photos. I think Bonsteel is prime hunting. It wasn't high tide and the water was all the way up the beach to the very high dune walls. The staircase did not reach the beach, so they blocked it off. Sherriff was in the parking lot.

Sebastian Thursday 
by Mark G.

Thanks for the report and photos Mark.

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Yesterday I talked about the opening of a 400-year-old padlock by using xray technology.

I received the following email from Peter H., who found the lock. 

Hello;

 

Thank you for posting all about our Welsh shipwreck; it is much appreciated. I'm sure your readers are very happy with all the information you freely give.

 

I have some more news about the combination lock, which was featured on the BBC's national news on the 4th November!!

 

Code cracked for Margam shipwreck padlock solving 400-year-old mystery - BBC News

 

It was a great piece of cooperation between the museum and Cardiff University's Department of Engineering. I tried for many years to open the lock, but with 1,296 possible combinations, I failed and didn't want to force it in any way.

 

If you wish, I will compile some further private pictures for you to post in the best, most inspiring treasure blog of them all...

That was a great enough find but finding it working and getting the combination figured out is really great. 

 

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The Sedwick Auction will wind up with the Express Session Saturday. 

  

Non-Shipwreck Artifacts: Lots 517-549 Coin Jewelry: Lots 550-575 SESSION III: 6:00 PM EST Silver Cobs of Mexico City, Mexico: Lots 576-669 Silver Cobs of Lima, Peru: Lots 670-681 Silver Cobs of Potosí, Bolivia: Lots 682-776 DAY 2: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2026 SESSION IV: 9:00 AM EST Ancient and Medieval Coins: Lots 777-795 World Coins (by country): Lots 796-1400 SESSION V: 5:00 PM EST Medals and Decorations: Lots 1401-1438 Paper Money: Lots 1439-1508 DAY 3: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2026 SESSION VI: 9:00 AM EST Express Session (online only): Lots 1509-1945 ================= Surf Chart for the Wabasso Area from Surfguru.com. The surf is down to around three or four feet now and the tides are now down from almost four feet to two. Thanks to all contributors. Good hunting, Treasureguide@comcast.net