Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
 |
| Source: nhc.noaa.gov. |
Tropical storm Nicholas is making landfall in Texas. There is a ;possibility that the Padre Island beaches will be producing coins, but the that all belongs to the National Park Service now. In the old days those beaches were hunted, and hydraulic mining was even used. They blew the beaches away with high powered water pumps. The wrecks there are said to be the oldest shipwrecks ever found in the Americas.
In April 1554, three Spanish naos (a type of cargo and passenger ship similar to Columbus’s Santa Maria) went aground on Padre Island following a storm that had blown them across the Gulf of Mexico from the coast of Cuba. At the time this was the greatest disaster to ever befall the Spanish fleet in the New World. Tons of treasure bound for Spain was lost in addition to the lives of approximately three hundred passengers and crew who died from hunger, thirst, and attacks by natives as they attempted to walk back to the port of Vera Cruz...
“The 1554 shipwrecks are important for a lot of reasons. The "mining" of them by Platoro caused the State of Texas to realize that shipwrecks and archaeological sites in general are important, and the property of the people and the state. They are cultural resources that have to be cared for. Some of the earliest experiments in the conservation of artifacts from the sea were done on the objects and hull remains that were recovered from the sites that Platoro and the State worked…The Platoro conflict did lead to the establishment of the Texas Antiquities Committee, which led to the Texas Historical Commission, which led to the discovery and excavation of La Belle [the ship of the French explorer La Salle, found on the Texas coast within the past few years] among other accomplishments.”
Here is a link for more about that.
The coins found there were are silver. Very little gold was found - some French coins and ingots.
That one area off the coast of Florida could develop, but I don't think it will do much for us. And the system coming off of Africa is too far away at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if it went north into the Atlantic.
MagicSeaWeed.com isn't predicting any surf over two feet for the next week or so.
 |
| Source: MagicSeaWeed.com. |
---
Yesterday I mentioned that the Panda gold coins come in a few varieties but the bullion coins are the most common. The same thing applies to American Eagles.
You might find American Eagles mounted in rings or jewelry. It happens ever once in a while. I've seen it.
American eagles are minted in four formats: bullion, burnished, proof and reverse proof. Pandas come in the same varieties.
Gainsevillecoins.com. says, "The vernacular surrounding the “bullion” version has changed over the years. It was originally known as “uncirculated.”"Bullion American Gold Eagles are the lesser-expensive of the two major product categories. While they generally feature well-struck details and decent surface quality, they generally are not pursued by collectors. The main market for bullion-quality Gold Eagles is the investor set, and such coins are produced in large numbers. Rather than being sold to the public as most United States Mint products are, they are distributed to a network of authorized dealers who then sell these coins in individual or bulk quantities to collectors and investors for relatively small premiums over spot."
Bullionexchanges.com provides the following comments.
American Gold Eagle Coins are among the most sought-after coins in the industry. Their high gold purity content and beautiful design make them appreciated and in-demand. Furthermore, mint error American Eagle coins frequently sell for even higher premiums than regular Gold Eagles. This is due to the high collector value they hold. The many types of mint errors, including misalignments and struck-throughs, provide Gold American Eagle error coin collectors with many purchasing opportunities.
There is a lot to learn about and a lot to look for.
Metal detecting keeps is really an educational activity.