Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Coronation Spoon and Ampulla Dated 1661. Royal Collection Trust. See link below. |
Until 1649 the Coronation Regalia were kept at Westminster Abbey. In 1649, during the English Civil War, King Charles I was executed, and parliament decided to sell off the late King's goods. This was an early act of the republic, of which Oliver Cromwell would become Lord Protector in 1653.
Parliament had other plans for the Coronation Regalia. Hoping to abolish the monarchy forever they could not risk the sacred regalia getting into the wrong hands. They were brought to the Tower of London and destroyed. The stones were sold and the gold frames were melted down in the Tower Mint and turned into coins stamped 'Commonwealth of England'.
In 1660 monarchy was restored and Charles II ordered new regalia for his coronation in 1661. These objects still make up a large proportion of the Crown Jewels collection, which has been protected by the Tower of London and its people ever since...
Here is the link for more photos and information about the crown jewels.
The Crown Jewels | Tower of London | Historic Royal Palaces (hrp.org.uk)
As you can see, old items are not always crude.
Many years ago when I began hunting the Treasure Coast, I made another error. I expected Spanish treasure from the sunken galleons to be ornate glowing gold and silver. I didn't appreciate many of the historic artifacts that don't look like the shiny silver and gold items you see in the Indiana Jones movies. Thankfully I quickly learned that not all treasure is glitzy. I learned the value of historic artifacts that might look like junk, especially before being cleaned and researched. I've learned to appreciate corroded encrusted items as much as shiny gold.
Long ago I was at John Brooks beach and had dug a few half reales when a couple fellows with Garrett metal detectors walked onto the beach. They obviously were newbies and hadn't found much of anything before, and I gave them a few tips on where to look. It didn't take very long before they held a small black half reale. (It was an unusually good day for hunting, and I knew where the small reales were lining up. That experience would almost never happen like that again.)
Anyhow, they found a small black half reale and were standing there looking at it and then each other with a confused look on their faces. I reassured them that they had just found a treasure coin.
That wasn't what they were expecting. I think they were expecting a big bright shining eight reale like they saw in the magazines or something. They didn't seem very impressed with their first find.
My point here is that not all treasures are beautiful either. It is easy to overgeneralize. Treasures come in many varieties and forms. Simple generalizations can be misleading and costly.
On that topic, here are some other links you might want to check out.
Marie-Antionette's Prized Jewelry Collection (veranda.com)
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Below is one of the best, if not the best, 1715 Fleet beach ring of all. It was found on a beach years ago, but to preserve the finder's privacy, so that is all I'm going to say about it.
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| Source: What Shipwrecks Reveal About the Origins of the Benin Bronzes | History | Smithsonian Magazine |
Manillas, which get their name from the Spanish word for handcuffs or hand rings, served as a currency for European enslavers — namely the British, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch and French — who sailed to Africa to trade millions of these rings for gold, ivory and slaves.
The manillas — highly valued in Africa, with different types traded among different peoples — were later made into the sculptures. Then, in 1897, British forces invaded Benin as part of a punitive military expedition, turning Benin's royal court to rubble. The British seized the Benin Bronzes before selling them to museums across Europe and the U.S.\
Benin Bronzes were crafted of metal from a completely unexpected place | Live Science
Strange how so much is made of the origin of the bronze manillas but nothing about the origin of the slaves and who captured and sold them for the bronze manillas. That is the dirty hidden secret.
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Nothing very promising in the forecasts now.
Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net