Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treaszure Beaches Report.
 |
| My First Small UnidentifiableTreasure Coast Silver Find. |
I wanted to commend the fellow on his motivation, and I also wanted to put some realistic expectations out there for those of you who are relatively new to metal detecting. First and foremost, I want to say that it isn't easy to run out to the beach and pick up a gold coin, or any type of 1715 Fleet coin for that matter. And it is especially hard, when you have to drive to the Treasure Coast from another area. As I've said many times, you have to be at the right place at the right time, and there is a lot of ground to cover. And only a few days of the year are you likely to find a treasure coin on the beach. Again, it isn't easy, and it will likely take a while before you get the thrill of your life. I suppose that is the way it should be.
There have been a few cases (very very few) when someone went out and found a gold coin on their first hunt, but that isn't what you should be expecting. That is like hitting it big prize in the lottery.
You can't be successful all the time. It took a long time to find the Atocha. Patience is necessary. And the beach conditions the past year or so haven't been the best.
At the top of this post is a sliver of silver that was my first Treasure Coast silver find. I lived in South Florida, and, as I said, it makes it more difficult when you don't live near the Treasure Coast, but I made several trips not knowing what the beach conditions were like on the Treasure Coast, and struck out on several trips. I don't remember how long it took me, but I remember getting discouraged and beginning to think I was never going to find anything from the 1715 Fleet.
When I detected that first piece of silver, I picked it up in my scoop, and my wife took it out and started to toss it. I vividly remember saying, "Hey. Wait. Don't Throw that away." I took a look at it, and still didn't know what it was. I took it home and tested it, and found that it was indeed silver. I thought it was a coin - a smooth one, like they call razors. Now I don't think it is a coin at all, but mabye a piece of an artifact or something. It is certainly nothing remarkable, but it was my first shipwreck treasure (probably), and but for me it was encouraging. It was a start, even though it took me what seemed like a long time. And even though it was a long time ago, I still remember it very well.
At that time, I was hunting mostly other things in South Florida, and wasn't very familiar with the Treasure Coast beaches or shipwreck treasure, but I was doing well finding other things.
When you begin, you should realize that it isn't easy finding shipwreck coins on the beach. You can't be successful all the time, and it will likely take you a while before you hit it right, so there are some things you can do to keep you going.
First, make it a goal to learn something on every outing. If you don't find much, you can still learn about the beaches and your metal detector. That will make your time in the field worthwhile even if you don't find anything good. It will keep you interested and actively involved while you learn.
Secondly, put in some good field time even when you don't have time to drive to the beach. If you explore areas closer to home, you can possibly still find some things, and you'll learn in the process. You can find good things elsewhere and can even find Spanish Treasure coins at other locations. For example, did you know that Spanish shipwreck coins jave been found at Pompano Beach and Boca Raton?
Thirdly, learn to hunt a wide variety of types of treasure. If you are only interested in 1715 Fleet treasures or Spanish shipwreck treasure, that is fine, but I want you to know there are a lot of other types of treaure out there. When beach conditions are not good for finding treasure coins on the beach, you might be able to find arrowheads in a creek or field, old US coins on an old lot, or fossils or something else. I enjoy a wide variety of types of treasure, and you can learn something that will apply to finding shipwreck coins. In fact, my oldest shipwreck treasure coin find came from a location where fossils and indigenous artifacts have been found. You might find one thing when looking for something else.
In summary, if you are a relative beginner, you'll likely need some patience, but there is a lot out there to explore. Most importantly, enjoy the hunt.
---
On the Atocha, 2 silver coins and several encrusted artifacts including one that appears to be a knife were recently found.
---
Another Treasure Coast bottle find.
 |
| Embossed Scott's Emulsion Bottle. |
This bottle is embossed, SCOTT'S EMJULSION, followed by a picture of a man carrying a fish, and TRADE MARK, and then COD LIVER OIL WITH LIME AND SODA.
Cod liver oil was a very common remedy and widely used long before Scott's emulsion, but Scott's emulsion also had lime and soda added. Here is some of what I found.
Scott's Emulsion has a long tradition dating back to the late 19th century, when in 1873 Alfred B. Scott left England for New York with his partner Samuel W. Bowne to present an innovation.
Scott's revolutionary was not cod liver oil, which by those years was already well-known in the United Kingdom for Nordic influences, but its taste, more tolerable than its competitors. It was this that made him gain public acceptance.
By the 1890s, Scott had boosted his brand internationally. The company distinguished by the image of the man with the fish in his back, knew to reinvent for good a recipe that was believed to be unbeatable.
The problem of this substance was the unpleasant taste for the children and therefore, it was thought to modify the recipe so that it had a taste as pleasant as the one of the milk. Scott, although he was not a doctor or a chemist or a chemist, he did have visionary ideas.
The rapid development of scientific medicine between 1890 and the entire 20th century tested Scott's Emulsion, but it resisted the challenge and passed the scrutiny of the specialists. Although there is still much debate regarding the risks and benefits of cod liver oil, there is no doubt as to the efficacy of Scott's Emulsion. It has even been sponsored by the GlaxoSmithKline , One of the big companies dedicated to the pharmaceutical industry.
While a cod liver oil was used for a lot of years, the maker's mark on the bottom of this bottle narrows the bottle down to a ten-year period. It has an O in a square, which indicates the Owens Bottle Co, and a date range of 1919 - 1929.
Of course, i'll be posting this one in the TGBottleBarn.
---
I went out early this morning and found some nice bottles. I'll clean and research them for a future post.
---
Nothing new with the weather. Continuing small surf on the Treasure Coast.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net