Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
I posted this spike before, but after reading about clinched spikes in McCarthy's book on ship's fasternings, I learned more about clinching and clinched spikes.
The above spike would be around 5 inches in length if not bent.
I believe the shank and head of this one was pulled through the hole. There could have been roves at both or either end.
A lot of what is in the McCarthy book, I already learned somewhere along the way. He uses a lot of illustrations, some of which I already discovered in other sources and posted. I am learning additional details and adding to my understanding though.
Clinched and double-clinched spikes were apparently very commonly used on ships, so I don't know why I haven't seen more of them.
Roves or clinch rings were often used on both ends.
Here is an illustration that I posted before, It was also published in the McCarthy book. In that illustration no rove or clinker ring is shown.
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| Illustration From McCarthy and Other Earlier Sources. |
I have also found a few roves. I posted at least one of those before. Here is one.
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| Musket Ball and Rove. |
When I originally found the roves, I wasn't sure what they were. Below is an illustration from McCarthy.
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Strip of Roves.
Source: McCarthy, Ship's Fastenings. |
Roves were produced in strips, punched and then separated.
When used at the head of a spike, the head was pounded to expand out over the rove.
Considering how many were used, I don't know why I haven't seen more of those either.
I suspect that some have been discarded because people don't know what they are or simply didn't find them interesting.
Often finds aren't interesting until you learn more about them.
Here is a link to one of the previous posts I did on spikes and roves.
The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 2/23/19 Report - Shipbuilding Fasterners: Clinched Spike and Rove Finds. EOs.
I'll continue reading the McCarthy book and probably have more posts on ship's fastenings.
Below is an email I recently received.
Thank you for your daily updates, research, and wisdom. I wanted to share something rather peculiar. Last week, I hunted a very popular place in Broward county. This area gets hit very often and when I arrived (at sunrise) there were already three other detectorists on site. I decided to head south and look for a decent cut - all of the beaches seemed very sanded in. I went into the water and found a bottom that I liked. I was getting a lot of targets, and my first find was a '43 wheatie. It piqued my interest. Then my second was a wheatie and then the third. I was uncovering wheatie after wheatie. I ended up staying at that spot for nearly six hours. I uncovered 34 wheaties, ranging from 1940 to 1956, and one buffalo nickel from 1936. In an area where it's nearly all modern finds, I was properly perplexed to uncover that many "old" coins. I'm not sure if someone seeded the area, because all of the finds were amongst old shells/corals and relatively deep. Anyways, it was a great day and even more so since there was heavy competition.
Kind Regards,
Anthony M
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Wheatie Finds
by Anthoney M. |
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1936 Buffalo Nickle Found With Wheaties
Photo by Anthony M. |
So many wheaties together without other coins is peculiar. Maybe someone dumped them.
I have seen times, though, which a shallow water area will get washed out while the beach above remains pretty big. Still, that wouldn't so many wheaties without other coins.
Thanks for sharing Anthony.
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One deisturbance in the Atlantic continues to slowly move west. It is still not far from Africa, though.
Sunday and Monday the Treasure Coast surf is supposed to be a touch bigger, but only three feet or so.
Good hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
