7/5/25 Report - Electrolysis: Options and Use on Treasure Coast Beach Metal Detector Finds. Instructional Resources. 4th One More Time.

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

Two Treasure Coast Artifact Finds After Electrolysis.

I talked about a variety or cleaning methods in recent posts.  Today I'll spend some time on electrolysis, which I first did nearly forty years ago. 

I bought an electrolysis device from Kellyco.  It was the Kelly Kleen. I think I still have it, but I haven't used it for a while.  I'll explain more about that later. 

Kelly Kleen Electrolysis Manual.

My first experiment with electrolysis and the Kelly Kleen was on a buffalo nickel.  As I recall I overdid it and learned an important lesson.

I've used a lot of different equipment for electrolysis.  Everything from the Kelly Kleen, to an AC adapter for a computer charger.  You can also use a car battery or much smaller batteries.  I'll show you some of those variations.  

Containers range from a small plastic cup or ice cream container to a much larger tank that can simultaneously clean multiple items.

Electrolysis Using a Small Battery and Plastic Cup.

Below is an ice cream container being used to clean a shipwreck spike.

Electrolysis in a Used Ice Cream Container.

And below is the AC adapter used as a power source for that project.

AC Adapter Used for Electolysis Project.

The AC adaptor was one I had sitting around for some old elctronic device. I just cut the cord and stripped the wires and attached alligator clips. Filled the container with water and mixed in a spoon full of salt. One clip was attached to a bolt and the other to the object. I taped the wires to the container so the objects were in the water but not the alligator clips. That way the alligator clips don't deteriorate real quickly. Then just plug it in and check every once in a while to see how it is going.

And below is a larger tank with a setup that can be used to clean larger or multiple items.

Electrolysis Tank That Can be Used to Clean Larger or Multiple Items.

I like using the used ice cream containers, but it depends upon the size and number of items to be cleaned.  

At the top of this post I showed a couple Treasure Coast finds that I cleaned using electrolysis.  Below is the same wedge as it looked before electrolysis.

Iron Wedge Find Before Cleaning.

Below is a shipwreck spike before and after cleaning.

Shipwreck Spike Before and After Electrolysis.

\

These items were just cleaned but no additional finishing methods were used.  As I've said before, don't like old finds to look brand new.  I prefer to see a little of the touch of time remain, but if you like to take the restoration farther, there are some things you can do to make the items look better and conserve them more.

After removing the object from the container wash it off, remove any residue and dry it thoroughly.  You might want to bake it.  Then apply a thin layer of oil, and bake it in the oven at a high temperature.  Repeat the oil and baking a few times.

Here is a link for complete instructions.  

Electrolysis Cleaning Cast Iron: Rust Removal - Instructable.blog

You might apply polyurethane to seal the object.

For additional detail refer to the TAMU Conservation Manual.  Here is the link.

Methods of Conserving Archaeological Material from Underwater Sites by Donny L. Hamilton, Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation at Texas A&M University

That site provides everything you need to know about cleaning and conserving any find from textiles and pot sherds to gold coins.  Take a look.

===

For something like the 80th time. last night, along with much of the country, I celebrated one more fourth of July. 

One thing about getting older is that you've celebrated every annual event many times before. You've seen a lot and you've been there many times before.

No matter how many, or how bright or colorful they are, flashing lights and loud sounds no longer have the same impact.  But each timely explosion does light another fuse.  It takes you somewhere. 

As the fireworks display begins, Bang!, Flash!, surrounded by the sky's red glare I see the weeping willow tree in my cousins back yard where once a year for several years a big family picnic was held.  My young friend and I eagerly wait for her gramdma to bring out the pies.  (One of the last things my mom and I ever talked about was Dorothy's wonderful pies.)

The smoke clears a little, and another explosion lights the sky, this time multiple colors frames the scene.  I see my grandpa and the men playing horseshoes in my grandma's backyard while the women talk and set the long picnic table.  I am again playing with my little friend.

Another boom and flash, and there we are.  My mom, dad and I are in sitting in the old Pontiac parked with hundreds of other cars at the city park looking toward the hillside waiting for the fireworks to start.

Bang, flash, and this time my dad is setting off fireworks on the hill behind our newly built house.  Our neighbor on the opposite hillside shouts out across the valley my dad's name to acknowledge that he sees it too.

As last night's fireworks display ends with an even bigger and brighter attempt to shock my senses, I see my grandma kneeling beside me and holding a small lighted sparkler in one hand while sheltering me safely in her other arm.  This time we are in our front yard.  I see grandma's face lit up by love and pride.  Her focus is on my face while my young eyes are focused on the dazzling lights.  

The fireworks display comes to a loud but sudden end as I come to the beginning of my story.  I use the sudden quiet to reflect on the long journey.  Odd how time unwinds and the beginning and ending coincides.

So overall I'd say that last night's fireworks display was ok, I guess, but flashing lights and loud noises and things like that don't impress the mature eye so much.  I still loved it, but for a different reason.  The lights and sounds became the fuse and background as I flipped through some of the pages of my mental family photo album. I felt the love and visited the people that made my life so wonderful to recall.  

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Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/4/25 Report - Happy Fourth of July. Special Edition.

Fourth of July Postcard
Circa 1906

Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July or July 4th, is a federal holiday in the United States, which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America.

The Founding Father delegates of the Second Continental Congress declared that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain, King George III, and were now united, free, and independent states.^[1] The Congress voted to approve independence by passing the Lee Resolution on July 2 and adopted the Declaration of Independence two days later, on July 4.^[1]

I like ephemera too even though I don't often show it in this blog. This postcard is one of my old postcards dated to around 1906.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

 ---

Happy Fouth,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/2/26 Report = Sifters: Variety of Types Including the T-Rex. Incan Place of Gold. Orlando Summer Fun Conference. Tropical Development.

 

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

Big Scoop Swallowing Shovel
Added for Size Comparison.

This is the scoop that I call T-Rex.  I think you can see why.  It is a big heavy-duty scoop with some big teeth.  

I recently showed the vibrating sifter constructed by Mark G. and reported on his test of that system.  I also recently mentioned the Merkitch sifter, which is a type of sifter that is pulled through the top layer of beach sand to pick up any kind of near-surface treasure.

And in the past, I reported on a sifting experiment conducted on a heavily detected lot.  After the lot had been metal detected many times and the lot thought to be pretty much cleaned out, sifting resulted in MANY more silver coins being recovered - many more than had been detected.  The sifter used in that case was a sifter very much like those used by archaeologists.  Material is shoveled or dumped on a stationary sifter.  Here is the link you can use to read more about that, and I do highly recommend reading that post.  For me, it is the most important post for detectorists to read. It shows how much can be left in the ground after a site is thought to be cleaned out.  That is important to know.

Here is that link.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 3/26/18 Report - First Investigation Ever To Really Answer Two Big Questions: How Much Is Actually In The Ground As Compared To How Much Will Be Found Using A Metal Detector.

I also posted two or three additional posts with additional comments on the experiment.  

And there are some other types of sifters, such as the floating sifters commonly used in shallow water.  They are commonly used for fossils as well as detecting in shallow water.

It takes little more than some chicken wire and a couple boards to create a portable sifter that you can roll up and keep handy for whenever it might come in handy.  Floats, of course, can easily be added.

T-Rex, though, is made for another kind of sifting.  You might have concluded that from the big teeth.  T-Rex is primarily used to submerged sift mud, silt or sand from a dock or seawall or something like that.  There are six sections of PVC that can be attached to lengthen the handle up to thirty feet or more. Using a sifter like the T-Rex is among the most strenuous types of sifting, but it can be well worth the effort.  You might consider it a two-man operation.

There are many situations for which I highly recommend sifting.  Sifting can help you be more thorough.  You can go deeper and get many targets that would for one reason, or another be missed by a metal detector.  I have found that sifting can be useful in very junky situations.  It will pick up the junk, but the junk is easily separated from the good targets visually.

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Few structures are more fascinating than the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo del Cuzco on the Pope’s home turf of Peru.

This edifice was built on the foundations of the famous “Inti cancha” in 1534, an Inca Temple of the Sun that was the most sacred spot of the entire and vast Inca Empire.

That construction atop the Incan ruins represented the annulment of the ancient pagan cult.

Some time later the temple, known as the Place of Gold, was looted: almost completely stripped of the incredible walls and vessels of precious metals, mainly that gold, that decorated it...

Here is the link for the rest of that story.

An Amazing Church | Spirit Daily Blog

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From Sedwick Coins...

Come see us in Orlando!

July 10-12, 2025

 Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida

Consignments Wanted:

Heading to Orlando, Florida for the Summer FUN Coin Show, July 10–11?
We’d love to see you there!

Stop by Booths 429 & 431 to explore our full inventory of shipwreck gold and silver coins, rare world and U.S. coins, paper money, and more—all available for viewing and purchase.

We’ll also be accepting consignments at the show for our next Treasure Auction. Let us help bring your rarities to top bidders around the world.

Now accepting consignments for Auction 38, including:

• Spanish Colonial silver and gold coins

• Shipwreck coins and ingots (Atocha, 1715 Fleet, Maravillas, etc.)

• Rare and high-quality Latin American coins

• Certified world gold and silver coins

• U.S. coins and banknotes

• World banknotes

• Certified shipwreck artifacts

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The first Florida tropical development of the season.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

That is not likely to affect the Treasure Coast significantly.

Fort Pierce Area Surf Forecast from Surfguru.com.

So the Treasure Coast continues to have nothing but a very small surf.  Easy shallow water hunting.

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This blog has something new every day with very few exceptions.  It isn't like most blogs which publish a post every once in a while.  You miss a day here and you missed something new.  You'll never catch up with all the posts by binge reading.

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Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/1/25 Report - An Experiment with Beach Sifting. Vibrating Sifter. Bigfoot Metal Detector Coils. Heinz Bottles and Rssource.

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

Vibrating Sifter Created by Mark G.

Mark has been working on creating a powered sifter that vibrates for easier sifting.  He did his first test of the prototype. Below is how he described the results.

Got out today to test the power sifter in the morning, the sand was wet so I broke it .I thought it would fail. I few well placed screws and problem solved. I got out in the afternoon and went to the smallest beach closest to home hopefully not too many people. It was packed, but I staked out about a 100’ to 150’ square area to sift. Wasn’t sure what it was at first, it looked like something rubber and round like a rubber tire off a kids toy or maybe trash like from a bottle neck I put it in my pocket and kept sifting. Maybe a few more tweaks and tips, for one tip, stay out of the shell patches and seaweed sifter gets clogged quicker. The fun part is going through everything when I get home. The sifter is so fast I just dump it when it’s full into a bag or bucket can’t go through everything on the beach just scoop and go. The round white thing was still in my pocket so I looked at it again more closely and it had the number 7 on the inside like a ring size I said this is a ring! Unbelievable, first hunt with the power sifter and I find a ring that you can’t, won’t and will never find with a metal detector, I say mission successful. It’s a Marble Silicone Wedding Band for women or at least that’s what it’s advertised as. It’s marked on the inside with the brand Zollen and it’s going in the ring box!

Thanks Mark.

Here are a couple links to old posts on beach sifters and sifting.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 11/5/17 Report - Sifting Beaches With Merkitch Sifter. Science of Shipwrecks. Castle Cache.

I've used a couple types of sifters in the past, including a couple of the Merkitch-type. 

A fellow named Merkitch published a little book giving instructions for building a sifter.  That was probably forty years or so ago.  I don't remember his full name, but that is why it is called a Merkitch sifter.

Here is another good post on beach sifting.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 6/10/14 Report - Fascinating Newspaper Clipping, Alternative to Metal Detecting, How Objects Sink in Sand & 17th Century Shrine Excavated

There are several advantage to sifting, but of course, metal detecting is a lot easier.  You can get more by sifting if you are willing to put in the time and work and there is something there to begin with.  And of course, you get more than metal targets when you sift.  I've written about that in the past.

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I've seen these rectangular shaped coils advertised in the past, but not for years, and I never saw anyone actually use one other than on the internet.  Looks interesting, but I don't know how well it works.  Evidently it has problems, or else it would have caught on.  I think Garret advertised one long ago.

Advertisement From an Old Tesoro Booklet.

I never saw anyone use a long rectangular shaped coil like that other than on the internet.  I think other companies advertised similar "Bigfoot" coils.  Anyone every used one?

As you probably know, Tesoro went out of business.  I used a few Tesoro detectors and thought they were good for some situations.  I've told about my experiences with Tesoro before.  They had some interesting features, including notch discrimination and surface blanking.  

I used a Silver Sabre, Royal Sabre and Sand Shark.  The Sand Shark had a problem with grounding, but Jack gave me a hard-wired one.

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Unusually Shaped Bottle Find.

I found this bottle and didn't know what it held.  I thought it looked like a food bottle or maybe oil.

The bottom of the bottle answered that question.  The bottom was embossed as follows.

H. J. Heinz CO.

211

3, O in a square and 6

PATD

Here is the bottom.  You might not be able to see all of it clearly.

I gave this link to a great Heinz bottle site yesterday.  Heinzbottlecodes.pdf

It shows that the O in a square was the mark of the Owens Bottle Co. (1911 - 1929)

Here is entry for the 211 code.

#211 held white, malt, cider or tarragon vinegar. It was in use between 1924 and 1943 to contain vinegar. Between 1924 and 1927 the container was sealed with and aluminum and cork device that required no threads in the sealing area. After 1927, it was sealed with and aluminum roll-on type closure that did require threads in the throat opening of the bottle. 

Not what I guessed.  The date of the code combined with the date of the Owens mark narrows the date down to between 1924 and 1929.

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Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

The area over North Florida shows some development.  The chances of it becoming a cyclone is now up around fifty percent.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/1/25 Report - Malagana Gold Treasure. Ancient Change Purse Remains Found. Heinz Bottle No. Site. Tropical Season Underway.

 

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

Source: AncientPages.com

Archaeological excavations and interviews with professional grave diggers - "guaqueros" are the main source of what is known about the Malagana Treasure.

The Malagana Treasure is a legacy of an old culture, which most probably flourished between 180 BC and 70 AD, based on radiocarbon-dating of relics, which archaeologists managed to recover from the almost completely looted site.

A necklace with beads in the shape of a schematic bird decorated with a delicate pendant shaped like a flower, manufactured by Malagana goldsmiths...

The site was accidentally discovered in 1992 in a sugar-cane field at Hacienda Malagana, which is situated on the flatlands of the fertile Cauca river valley, near the city of Palmira in western Colombia.

Countless artifacts were removed by the treasure hunters. The weight of the gold objects that were taken from the site has been estimated at approximately between 180 kilograms (396 pounds) and 140 kilograms (308 pounds). Finally, diverse looters left the site and archaeologists could begin their work. The four important occupation periods have been identified: "Proto-Llama" (earliest period), "Llama," "Malagana," and "Sonsoid"...

Here is the link for the rest of this article on the Malagana treasure.

Malagana Remarkable Sophisticated Goldwork: Legacy Of Colombian Pre-Hispanic Culture - Ancient Pages

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The rare discovery was made in January of this year on Hradisko Hill in South Moravia, at the site of a fortified camp once occupied by the 10th Roman Legion during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Though only about 30 percent of the original purse survived, experts quickly recognized it as a type of forearm purse used by Roman soldiers...

No coins were found inside it, but silver Roman money has been uncovered in large numbers nearby, which helped to date the object...

Here is the link for the rest of that article.

Rare Roman soldier’s wrist purse discovered in South Moravia | Radio Prague International

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Gov. DeSantis signs bill, Florida to recognize gold and silver as legal tender starting in 2026.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday that sets the stage for Florida to recognize gold and silver as legal tender, allowing the precious metals to be used for transactions and certain tax payments beginning July 1, 2026.

The legislation, aimed at bolstering "financial sovereignty," requires coins used as legal tender to be stamped with their weight, purity and mint of origin. While using or accepting gold and silver will be optional, the bill mandates that businesses wishing to accept the metals be licensed. It also requires check cashers and money service businesses to accept the metals...

Here is the link for more about that.

Gov. DeSantis signs bill, Florida to recognize gold and silver as legal tender starting in 2026 | FOX 35 Orlando

At this point I don't know how that will be implemented. I'll need to read more to get some understanding of how that will work.

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If you hunt bottles, here is a great site.  It gives the bottle codes for numerous types of Heinz bottles.

Heinzbottlecodes.pdf

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It is time to start watching the National Hurricane Center web site.  We are getting into tropical storms season.  We've had two so far.  The last, Barry, came and went.

Now we have a zone hanging over Florida that has about a thirty percent chance of becoming a cyclone.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

The Treasure Coast will have a one-to-two-foot surf for another week or so.

We're going to have rain and thunderstorms for a week or so too.  Remember to check for rain and runoff erosion. 

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I'm still planning a remote viewing experiment in this blog.  

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Thunder is cloud-speak for lightning.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

 

6/30/25 Report - Coins, Fakes and Reproductions. Book: History of the Florida Keys Treasure. Electricity, Psychometry and Finds.

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

fake or real

I noticed the above coin sale online.  It immediately reminded me of a fake coin I saw before. As I looked at it, it just didn't look right.  It looks fake.  What do you think?

I looked at the listing a little more and saw that this coin was advertised as sterling silver.  OK.  So it is a fake.  Reading on a little more, it was advertised as a reproduction.

Can you see anything in the photo that would tell you it is a fake?  Take a close look.

Perhaps the most obvious sign, or at least the easiest to point out, is the seam that you can see running from the bottom of the view of the left up along the right side of that coin.  

I see no "COPY" mark.  Those marks are sometimes very small and disguised to not be apparent, but I don't see any such mark on this coin.  By the way, it was one of a group that were for sale from a site that sells reproduction coins - some being more obvious than others.

Should this coin be marked?

The Hobby Protection Act, passed by Congress in 1973, covers imitation political items (e.g., buttons, posters, stickers) and imitation numismatic items (e.g., coins, tokens, paper money, commemorative medals). These imitation items are required to be marked with certain identifying information to flag them as imitations. The Collectible Coin Protection Act (CCPA) further amends the Act to address the distribution and sale of such items. The Act prohibits manufacturing, importing, or selling imitation numismatic items unless they are properly marked. (Source: copilot)

I don't think this coin has to be marked because it is being sold as a reproduction. 

The asking price on the site is $37.95.  Being sterling silver, it does have some value.  I looked up the weight and it weighs 6.3 grams so today isn't worth much more than about a dollar in silver content.

---

I recently mentioned treasure hunting in the Keys and Art McKee in particular.

Here is a good book you'll want to read - Hidden History of the Florida Keys.  You can read part of it free online.

Here is the table of contents.

And here is a brief excerpt from that book.

That is just a small part of it.  Take a look.  Here is the link for much more.

Hidden History of the Florida Keys - Google Books

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We've been struck with summer conditions for, it seems like, at least three months.  No surf to speak of.  Nothing to stir anything up.  But now we are starting to get some tropical development.  We had one storm develop and quickly fall apart.  Now there is Tropical Storm Barry down by the Yucatan and no threat to the Treasure Coast.

We've been getting more rain too as well as some thunderstorms.  Watch out for lightning.

You can hear static from lightning a long distance away. I knew a fellow that got hit by lightning a couple times. I met him when I was doing consulting for Federal Express in Memphis.  He was on the tarmac both times.

Yesterday I was outside when lightning hit some distance away.  I was near an electric pole and heard static around the circuit breakers.  I thought they might be kicked off, but it didn't.  What happened though right after the static though surprised me.  Just a couple seconds after I heard the static about six birds came from I don't know where and landed right above the circuit breakers.  I wondered if the timing was coincidental or if the electricity somehow drew the birds. I'll probably never know.

Another strange thing happened close to that time. It had nothing to do with the lightning.  I opened an box where some of my old stuff was stored.  There were about four old baseball gloves from my childhood, my football kicking shoes. a couple footballs, including one that I kicked the heck out of and had a bulge where I usually kicked it, along with a few other old sentimental keepsakes.  But I picked up the better football and grabbed it like I was going to throw a pass and my hand fit it so well I couldn't believe it.  After sixty some years of barely touching that football, I felt a really strange connection. It fit like it was part of my hand.  I still haven't gotten over the sensation.  It felt like it fit better than a glove.  More lie it was part of my hand.  It was a strange feeling, and I haven't gotten over yet.

When I started to tell about this experience, I didn't realize any connection with treasure hunting.  I was just relating something that really struck me, but I just realized that I've talked for the first time about psychometry (object reading) in yesterday's post.  I presented the subject only to encourage tacking time to quietly consider or brainstorm about a find.  I paid no attention to any connection with the paranormal.  But the timing of this unprecedented experience did make me wonder about why the experience was so unexpectedly strong.  I do not have any belief that the incident had anything to do with any kind of energy resident in the object or any spiritual connection, still I was very struck by the experience and can only wonder about it.

For more on psychometry, see Psychometry: Reading Objects Through Touch - iResearchNet 

Interesting how things come together.

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Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

6/29/25 Report - Cleaning Coins: Notes on Using Muriatic Acid, White Vinegar and Baking Soda. Two Treasure Coast Find Examples.

 

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

BEFORE                                          AFTER
Monogram Side of Lima Half Real Before and After Cleaning with Acid.

In an earlier post I discussed using a tumbler to clean coins.  Today I'll discuss using Muriatic acid and white vinegar to clean coins.

When found, the above half-reale was completely covered on one side (the side shown in the photo) with a very hard calcareous crust.  The other side was very different.  The side not sown above, was covered with a sand crust that was easily removed.  

The calcareous crust, although difficult to remove, actually protected the surface details of the coin from corrosion over the hundreds of years on the beach.  

The hard crust was removed by soaking the cob in Muriatic acid, which is one common method used on silver reales.  I didn't take the cleaning as far as is commonly done.  You can see that it is still black.  

I've posted this reale before, and I also posted the following excellent instructions as provided by Bill P. before.  Today I'll add some additional comments.  

Bill's Silver Cob Cleaning Method

Use this method at your own risk. This writer accepts no responsibility for misuse or ignorance or neglect for any person or party and for informational purposes only.

 This process uses diluted Muriatic Acid which is commonly used around swimming pools. It can be purchased pretty much anywhere pool chemicals are sold.

 A few precautions must be addressed first though. Here is a link to Bob Vila's Info on this acid https://www.bobvila.com/articles/muriatic-acid/ .

 As stated in the Bob Vila article, I cannot emphasize enough that water should NEVER be poured into acid to dilute it. The reverse is the only way it should be done...acid into water. This acronym should be in the forefront of your thoughts when using any acid...AAA - Always Add Acid!

 How to neutralize acid; baking soda neutralizes acid very quickly so make sure you have enough on hand.

 Muriatic acid is readily available at most home improvement stores in ½ and 1 gallon sizes. It is typically a 31% strength from the bottle. I generally cut this in half to roughly 15% strength and it seems to work perfectly but you may want to experiment (again, AAA).

 I suggest that you treat one cob at a time. I use a shot glass so not much acid is required. Place the appropriate amount of acid into the shot glass and gently place the cob into the container (no splashing please). Depending on how heavily it's encrusted, it should start fizzing immediately. It may take several treatments to dissolve the encrustation but in my experience once is enough.

 Remove the cob from the solution and if you only have one cob, neutralize the acid in the glass and on the cob at once. The cob will have a dull gray color.

 Next take a small amount of baking soda (not baking powder), place it in the palm of your hand, add a couple drops of water to make a paste. Then gently rub the cob between your fingers until a bright silver sheen is revealed. It's that simple.

 In the case of stubborn encrustation there is another method that works although not as reliable as the acid treatment. However it is much safer because there are no caustic chemicals involved.

You will need baking soda, aluminum foil and hot tap water. Make a paste with the baking soda and water, fold a small piece of foil in half, fill the folded foil with the paste and sandwich the cob in between. The whole thing may become warm as the aluminum and baking soda react. There also may be some fizzing. Once this is complete, you polish the cob as previously stated.

 It is my belief that using electrolysis can damage a cob. Years ago I watched a video when the early 1715 salvors were attempting to clean clumps of encrusted cobs. They dumped the clumps into a tub and poured muriatic acid over all of it. I never saw the finished product I'm sure it was effective.

You may want to try this first on a common silver coin instead on a cob...for your own peace of mind.

Silver and copper are insoluble in dilute Muriatic acid at room temperature.

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The Muriatic acid method works well. I've used it. The thing I would emphasize is monitoring any cleaning process. Check the progress occasionally and watch for anything unexpected. While silver or copper won't be dissolved, there is always the possibility of mistaking the composition of objects. Regretfully I've done that.

I don't usually remove all the dark silver sulphate, and I don't usually make my cobs bright and shiny.  Rubbing a coin with a baking soda past will shine the high spots while leaving dirt or a darker surface in the low areas.  I like just a little of that contrast to bring out the features.  Below is an example of a four-reale.that was cleaned that way. 

I used a microscope to view the cob.

You can see a few specs of sand remaining as well as the contrasting brightness of the high and low surfaces.  There are a lot of interesting features to be seen when you use an amount of magnification.

The aluminum foil method works very well.  I've used it too.

Lately I've been using white vinegar (5% acid) instead of Muriatic as my first choice.  The vinegar is safer for people and furniture.  I once got Muriatic acid on a dining room chair.  Not good.  You should use Muriatic acid outdoors anyhow.  It can give off fumes.  

Remove surface dirt, encrustation or corrosion physically first as much as you can safely do that.  Removing surface crust first will speed up the chemical process, but it will also enable you to get a better idea of what you are really dealing with.  You will learn about the metal as well as the type and amount of cleaning that needs to be done.  Extreme care must be taken to avoid damaging the coin when removing crust by force.

I have seen found coins with a crust that was completely impermeable to the acid.  The crust had to be physically removed before acid cleaning was possible.  The crust retained the negative image of the coin when removed.

Any of these methods will work.  Select the one that is most appropriate for the object being cleaned and your goals and circumstances.  There is no hurry.  You can avoid many mistakes by proceeding carefully and slowly.  If you stop too soon and are not happy with the coin, you can always continue, but if you go too far and make a mistake, you might not be able to recover.

You might experiment with coins you don't care too much about and gain confidence in your chosen method before applying it to your cherished finds.  For your better examples, if you don't feel that you have enough experience, you can get your coin professionally cleaned.

If you are going to sell your cobs, you will probably want them looking bright and shiny.  Augie of Sedwick Coins told me that buyers prefer them that way.

Sometimes you start out hoping for a Marie Osmond type of face lift but end up with more of a Nancy Pelosi type of effect.  Some cobs are simply nicer to start with.

In sharp contrast to this post about very old dug coins, when it comes to modern collector coins, cleaning coins in any way is discouraged.  Never clean those kinds of coins.  It is important to know when and when not to clean coins.

See Treasure Beaches Report: Pt. 2. (2020 and Beyond). : 5/22/23 Report - Cleaning Coins and Three Silver Treasure Coast Reales From Different Centuries. Tropical Storm Time. 

And this post provides some additional hints for encrusted coins.  The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 1/21/16 Report - Preparing and Cleaning Encrusted Coins. Another Front Going To Come Through.

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On the Treasure Coast there is still a small surf.  There will also be a decent late afternoon low tide.

There was some tropical development in the Yucatan, but nothing that would affect the Treasure Coast.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/28/25 Report - New Atocha Find. Art McKee Treasure Museum. History of Diving Museum. Bottle Information.

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

 

The above photo and following email message was received Friday from the Mel Fisher organziation.

The Dare crew, currently working along the historic trail of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha. The team has recently recovered TODAY an intriguing piece of silver—what appears to be the neck or handle of a vase. This artifact may provide new insight into the types of items transported aboard the Atocha during her fateful voyage in 1622.

In addition to the silver piece, a small ballast stone was uncovered. These stones were used to help stabilize Spanish galleons and are strong indicators that we are still on the correct path toward the heart of the wreck site.

Each discovery, no matter how small, adds to our understanding of this incredible shipwreck and brings us one step closer to the untold treasures that still lie beneath the sea.

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Dubbed the father of modern treasure diving, McKee also uncovered the sites of the Infante, Herrera, Chaves, San Pedro and San José. His exploits are chronicled in a remarkable exhibit at the Florida Kehys History of Diving Museum in Islamorada. 

The Keys' most famous wreck is immortalized at Key West's Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. The museum showcases artifacts and treasures from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, lost in a 1622 hurricane and discovered off Key West in 1985 by shipwreck salvager Mel Fisher. Items on display include gold chains, cannons, navigational instruments, coins and heavy silver bars.

That excerpt came from the site of the Keys History of Diving Museum.  Here is the link to that site.

Early Wreckers, Treasure Hunters and Modern Divers Seek Keys Shipwrecks

That is another nice place to visit if you are down in the Keys.

I remember the first time I was down in the Keys and talked to Art one day when his museum was already closed. He was always known as a friendly helpful guy.

I posted several times about Art McKee and his museum, which.  Here is a link to one of those posts.

 The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 9/16/11 Report - Bronze Atocha Seal Find, Florida Bison, More on McKee

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Here is a bottle that had me puzzled for a long time.  I finally learned about it.

Cliquot Club Bottle.

On the shoulder the bottle is embossed as follows:

TRADE

CLIQUOT CLUB

MARK.

On the heel there is a big bold REGISTERED and a very small 84C or 84G.

And on the bottom is an R in a triangle, which is the maker's mark, which is an important mark.

Clicquot Club Ale—pronounced “Klee-ko”—has a fizzy legacy that dates back to the 1880s in Millis, Massachusetts. It all began when Charles LaCroix, of the LaCroix Fruit Farm, teamed up with Henry Millis to bottle sparkling cider under the name “Clicquot,” inspired by the French champagne Veuve Clicquot.

By the late 1880s, the company shifted focus from cider to ginger ale, which became its signature product. Henry Millis was a stickler for quality, using premium Jamaican ginger and Cuban cane sugar, which gave Clicquot Club Ginger Ale its standout flavor. The brand quickly gained popularity across New England and beyond.

In the early 20th century, under new ownership by Horace and H. Earle Kimball, Clicquot Club exploded in popularity thanks to savvy marketing. They introduced “Kleek-O the Eskimo Boy” as a mascot, lit up Times Square with a massive animated sign, and even sponsored a radio show called The Clicquot Club Eskimos.

At its peak, the company was one of the largest ginger ale producers in the world, with a factory so big it had its own train station. But by the 1960s, changing tastes and competition took their toll. Clicquot Club was sold to Cott Beverage Corporation in 1969 and eventually dissolved in 1980.

Source: Clicquot Club – Bay Bottles

The R in a triangle maker's mark indicates the F. E. Reed Glass Co.

For detailed information on that see FEReed.pdf.

I just posted that bottle in tgbottlebarn.blogspot.com.

As stated above Cliquot Club was inspired by a champagne.

For information about that, here is a link.

The Widow Who Created the Champagne Industry

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