Treasure Beaches Report: Pt. 2. (2020 and Beyond). : 9/2/22 Report - Other Florida Beaches Where You Can Find Spanish Treasure Coins. Royal Crown Bottles. Two Named Storms Now.

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

Lost Treasures of Florida's West Coast, by Frank Hudson (1983)

No matter where you go there is good history to research, and there are treasures to find. When you do your research, you will probably discover there are more treasures to find than you ever imagined.

When I traveled a lot for business, I visited a lot of different places, including some of the areas along Florida's west coast. I often took my metal detector and explored some of those areas.

Recently I discussed some of Frank Hudson's treasure and shipwreck books, but here is one more. This one covers the treasures of Florida's west coast. And there are many.

I often hear from readers from the west coast of Florida who visit the Treasure Coast to detect. And some readers that live in other parts of the state but visit both the Treasure Coast and the west coast of Florida. Maybe you'll be able to explore some of the treasure sites listed in this book, but even if you never do, you will still learn some things from this book.

To get started, I decided to ignore all the buried chests and Spanish galleon wreck sites listed in the book, and just mention some of the beaches that Hudson describes as coin beaches. I've visited a few of them.

Starting at the south and working north along the coast, at Naples beach, for example, 300 feet south of Clam Pass, gold and silver coins are found. Some think they are coming from the wreck just offshore.

On Captiva Island, visited by Gasparilla, pillar dollars as well as artifacts, have been found on the beach.

The beach on Pointo Blanco Island is said to produce both Spanish coins and artifacts.I d

Spanish coins wash up on the beach of a small island at the mouth of Coral Creek, presumably from the wreck of a Gasparilla wreck.

Portuguese gold doubloons wash up on the beach near Stevens Bluff on the Tampa Bay side of Clearwater.

There are more, but I'll stop there for now. This book is jam packed with treasures and sites to explore. I think this book is Hudson's best. Not only does it provide a lot of leads but, it has some colorful detail on some treasures as well as some tips on techniques for probing and building a casement.

I remember once commenting that Hudson was not always known for accuracy, but in response to that comment I received at least one email from a person that followed up on some of his leads and found them accurate. I do find his books helpful. They get you going, then you can do your own additional research.

I'm sure some of the sites are no longer accessible. Condominiums have been built over some, and a some are now in parks or areas where metal detecting is prohibited. Nonetheless, there are plenty of good leads in the book.

I didn't find any copies currently listed on Amazon or eBay, but I'm sure you will be able to run down a copy in a library somewhere.

Remember interlibrary loans. If your library does not have the book, they can borrow it from another library for you. Ask your librarian.

---

Treasure Coast Found Royal Crown Bottles.

You'll find a lot of soda bottles on the Treasure Coast. Here are three Royal Crown bottles. Two are ACL, and one is embossed. These soda bottles aren't as old as the bottles that I prefer to find, but soda bottles are so collectible (when in good condition) that I find them interesting. I like the art, and soda bottles are nostalgic and remind me of my youth.

Here is what wikipedia says about Royal Crown and Nehi.

Nehi (pronounced "knee high") is a flavored soft drink that originated in the United States. It was introduced in 1924 by Chero-Cola/Union Bottle Works and founded by Claud A. Hatcher, a Columbus, Georgia grocer who began bottling ginger ale and root beer in 1905,

The "Nehi Corporation" name was adopted in 1928 after the Nehi fruit-flavored sodas became popular. In 1955, the company changed its name to Royal Crown Company, after the success of its RC Cola brand.

So these bottles are no earlier than 1955. The big 16 oz. bottle was introduced in 1959. I haven't dated the others yet.

I understand there are around 20 variations on the painted label Royal Crown bottles. I like the art work on the painted label bottles. I just wish were nice and bright.

Here is a link for some of the history of Royal Crown Cola.

Royal Crown Cola Company - New Georgia Encyclopedia\

I visited Columbus, Georgia to give a presentation on Computer-based training for a Mid-south AEDS (Association for Educational Data Systems) conference sometime in the 1970s. I remember taking the plastic cover off of a telephone and using alligator clips to establish communication over the phone lines. I guess I didn't have a modem at that time. I also remember that they had great deep dish pizza some place in Columbus, Georgia. Funny the things you remember.

---