Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
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| Encrusted Object Found by Mark G. |
Above is an iron find by Mark G. He asked about them. Here is his recent email after getting some of them cleaned.
A while back I asked about shipwreck iron. I found 3 pieces of iron that were highly mineralized. I cleaned 2 and found one to be a modern wire nail and the other I am calling missile debris. The third iron conglomerate I am still trying to clean, it’s very big.
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Encrusted objects can be fun. It is like the proverbial box of chocolates. You can start with a clump not knowing what is inside and after you do the cleaning or whatever, you might get a pleasant surprise. Sometimes there is nothing inside an clump other than a void in the shape of the original object.
Here is one old post on the subject.
And here is an old post on clumps, EOs and electrolysis.
And here is a link to the TAMU conservation manual for conserving iron and ferrous objects.
ConservationManual.pdf (tamu.edu
The manual provides instructions on how to clean and conserve almost any kind of find.
Conservation can be important. Iron objects will fall apart if they are not properly treated. So will some fossils and other things.
Some, like shark's teeth or other kinds of fossil teeth need very little care. On the other hand, tusks need to be conserved.
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| Ancient Carnelian Amulet Disovered by Hiker. |
A hiker in Israel discovered a centuries-old amulet in a nature reserve, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday...
"While walking, I saw something shiny on the ground, and at first I thought it was a bead or an orange stone," Avrahamov said in a news release shared by the Israel Antiquities Authority. "When I picked it up, I noticed it was engraved like a scarab or beetle." ...
Othmar Keel, a professor emeritus at Switzerland's University of Fribourg, said the stone was made of a semiprecious stone called carnelian. The carving depicts "either a mythical griffin creature or a galloping winged horse," and similar pieces have been dated to the 8th century B.C. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, the scarab is a type of seal used widely throughout the ancient world and were made from a wide variety of stones.
Here is that link.
vHiker discovers rare 2,800-year-old amulet in Israel (msn.com)
That is another reminder to keep your eyes open while detecting or just walking around.
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After the conclusion of World War I, most Americans became accustomed to using the more convenient paper currency after no gold coinage was issued between 1917 and 1919, and no silver dollars since 1904.
Double eagles were still produced, though, because they were better-suited for settling large accounts in foreign trade, and the government was required to back its currency with gold. The Philadelphia Mint struck nearly 1.8 million Saint-Gaudens double eagles in 1929 … of which 1.75 million never left Mint vaults, and 74 were destroyed in assay testing.
The remaining cache of 29,676 was either stored in the Mint cashier’s safe or delivered to the Treasurer’s office to help pay depositors or supply sales to collectors. Of those, 28,500 undistributed coins from the Treasurer’s office, the Cashier’s vault and untested assay remainders were returned to the Mint in 1931 to await melting with the bulk of the mintage, leaving just 1,176 of the 1929 double eagles that were ever released into private hands, no more than 350 of which have survived, with most examples in lower Mint State grades.
The 1929 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, MS65+ PCGS that is among the highlights in Heritage’s March 28-31 US Coins Signature® Auction is one of those rare high-grade surviving examples.
Here is the link.
Heritage's March US Coins Auction Includes Rare Double Eagle (coinnews.net)
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When a beach access is closed, it always made me curious and sometimes I went to great lengths to get there. On one occasion Seagrape and Turtle Trail were close. I parked at Wabasso and made the long walk just to see what was going on down there. It won't always be worth the walk occasion, but it is always an option and there have been a few times when I was glad I made the effort. That is the way it goes.
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The day is starting out with a northwest wind and a little cooler air. The surf is small. The tides are moderate.
Good hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net