8/24/26 Report - The Tools Required of a Pilot of a Spanish Galleon in the 17th Century That Could Be Treasure Coast Finds and Artifacts. Tropical Depression Forming.

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

Whazit Finds Made by JD in 2021.

You know how it is when you find a little doodad, thingamajig or whazit and wonder what it really is.   It can be especially difficult to identify an object is a smaller part or piece of a larger and more complex object.  

Some of the more complex instruments on board a Spanish galleon were navigational instruments. There aren't many complete or even nearly complete examples that have been found, but some really nice pieces have been found on Treasure Coast beaches.  One or two of those unidentified objects you've found could possibly be from one of those. 

Above is an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about.  The items in that picture were found back  in 2021.  They have been identified as parts of a sextant or octant, such as the one shown below.   You can see the same parts on that instrument.

The pilot of a Spanish galleon had to provide the necessary tools of his trade.  I found one document that described the tools that a mid-17th century pilot was expected to carry.  The list included the following.

Four compass needles fixed and well-conditioned with lodestone.

Six hour-glasses (ampolletas) - each of one -half hour.

A sailing chart for the voyage marked with compass points

An astrolabe weighing over ten pounds

A forstaff with three scales marked for the sun and stars.

150 brazas (9825) of sounding line - fine and thin and well-tarred.

Three lead weights of six, ten and fifteen pounds each.

A wooden quadrant.

A copper lantern.

Two clocks of the sort made in Lisbon.

A lodestone is magnetized magnetite, which was used to magnetize compass needles.

Below are the steps that would have been used to create a compass needle.

1. Obtain lodestone – A naturally magnetized piece of magnetite.

2. Shape it – Strike or carve the lodestone into a thin, pointed needle or a spoon-like form.

3. Mount it – Balance the needle on a low-friction pivot (like a fine needle point) or suspend it from a thread so it can rotate freely thecompasshistory.com.

4. Align with Earth’s field – When the needle is free to move, it will naturally align with magnetic north and south.

5. 
   

The earliest directional devices used lodestone, a naturally magnetized form of magnetite. Historical designs included magnetized pieces that were suspended, balanced, or placed so they could turn. Later, a magnetized iron needle could be floated on a small support in water or suspended from a thread, reducing friction enough for it to align with the magnetic field.  (Source: TheCompassHistory.com.)

I wonder if any detectorist ever came across a lodestone from a wreck and didn't know what it was.  I probably wouldn't recognize a lodestone.  And maybe I have.  Now I know a little better.

On to the next item.  The sandglass was a necessity for every galleon.  In fact, as you can see, there would be more than one, but I don't know of any hour glasses ever being found on the Treasure Coast beaches.  That is not surprising since they were made of wood and glass, which wouldn't likely survive the centuries.

Spanish Colonial Half-Hour glass.

The most important job of a page, who was the lowest ranking crew member on a galleon.  It was up to a page to turn the sandclock every half-hour and keep time so the pilot the pilot could determine the course.  A page that didn't do his job would receive serious punishment - maybe lashes.

Jumping to the astrolabe now - the astrolab was used to measure the positions of the stars, Sun, and planets in the sky so that by finding one fixed point the user could then turn the dial of the astrolabe and have an accurate (if two-dimensional) view of the whole celestial hemisphere. The instrument can be used to determine the height of prominent geographical features such as mountains. The device can also be used to measure time.

Below is a 15th century astrolabe.

I think many of those parts would not be the most difficult to identify.  They were often made of gold and might also have silver or other metals.

I had a picture of a Spanish pilot with an astrolabe seemingly hanging at his side from his belt.  I'll post that if I find it again real soon.

Here is a picture of a forstaff being used.  It seems there are a variety of names for the same instrument.

And here is a full color picture.

You can see some parts there to watch for or that you might have seen.

Several sounding leads have been found on the Treasure Coast.

You can use the following link to see one that was found on the Treasure Coast back in 2012.

The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 9/8/12 Report - Head High Waves and Good Surfing on the Treasure Coast

I want to finish this post.  I won't comment on the last two items of the list now, but maybe I'll get back to them and leave you will a link to a 1717 book entitled Practical Navigation.  There was also at least one prior18th century edition.

Here is the link.

Practical navigation; or an introduction, to the whole art, ... By John Seller, ... 1717 : Seller, John Hydrographer. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

It isn't the easiest to navigate and the text isn't always clear, but it all there.  Much of it was devoted to extensive tables.

---

Source: NHC.noaa.gov.

The one headed towards us has a good chance of becoming a tropical depression by the end of this week.  That is something to keep watching.

The Treasure Coast surf won't get any bigger than 2 feet for the week.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/23/26 Report - Sunken Treasure of King Charles I. Old Wells as Metal Detecting Spots. Various Metallic and Silver Artifacts. Tropical Wave to Watch.

Written by the TreasureGude for the Exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.

Portrait of Charles I, painted by Anthony van Dyck around 1637. (Public domain)

On 10 July 1633, the ferry known as the Blessing of Burntisland was travelling from Burntisland to Leith during Charles I’s Scottish coronation tour when rough weather struck. The king’s baggage was aboard the ferry, according to the Burntisland Heritage Trust’s original account of the search. Another vessel carried Charles himself, while only two of the 35 people on board are believed to have survived.

The cargo reportedly included royal jewelry, textiles, coins, and precious-metal plate valued at about £100,000 at the time. Later accounts linked it to a gold and silver dinner service associated with Henry VIII. No complete inventory has ever been established...

The phrase “millions in treasure” makes a compelling headline, but it is not a measured valuation of a recovered hoard. The trust gives the cargo’s contemporary estimate as roughly £100,000. Modern figures depend on inflation, rarity, and what survived the sinking.,,

The search has been unusually persistent. Burntisland Heritage Group took over after an American exploration company withdrew in 1996. It became Burntisland Heritage Trust the following year and secured protected-wreck status in 1999.

The next stage is timber dating and archaeological assessment. If those steps connect the structure to the 1633 ferry, a local legend will become a major piece of Scottish maritime history. If not, the search will continue beneath the Forth...

Here is the link for more about that.

Hope is High for Finding Charles I Treasure Wreck Located in Scotland | Ancient Origins

Here is link to another site on the subject.

Burntisland Heritage

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Maybe you've come across an old well at some time.  There are some just behind some of the Treasure Coast wreck beaches.  For example, one was found at Frederick Douglass in the mangroves, but there are others, such as those in the Sebastian salvage camp area.  I've also found them other places such as the barrel well on Pigeon Island in St. Lucia.  Wells attractive and therefore artifacts.  They don't even have to be constructed wells.  Springs and watering holes are also good places to metal detect.  And then, of course, there are wishing wells, or waters that have some superstitious or religious connection.

Below are a few excerpts from a paper that studied artifacts found in some very old wells.  

Concerning those particular old wells...

The relative lack of metalwork in comparison to other materials, like ceramic, is not surprising. It should be expected that metalwork was less likely to have entered middens and would have been selectively retrieved from debris if found due to its recyclability and residual value...

P. Mountjoy identified three forms of well deposit: 1 ) whole pots, usually water jars, related to the well’s use and in a primary context; 2 ) a gradual fill of rubbish that builds stratigraphically up the shaft; 3 ) a deliberate fill of rubbish, brought in from elsewhere and deposited in a single operation... 

When wells are no longer used, they are often filled with rubbish or dirt so they might not be apparent and the older stuff will be found deeper.

Here is the link for the rest of that study.

978-2-503-59991-5_bookblock.indd 

If you want to read it, I'd recommend the PDF version.

---

Archaeologists in Germering unearthed a 3,000-year-old wooden wishing well, the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection said in a Dec. 20 news release. Unlike today’s coin-filled fountains, this well was filled with over 100 well-preserved artifacts.

At the bottom of the 16-foot well, archaeologists found a variety of items that appeared intentionally placed. Considering the depth of the well, the artifacts may have been ritual offerings or religious sacrifices made during a long drought, archaeologist Marcus Guckenbiehl said in the release...

Additionally, archaeologists found a mounted animal tooth and a wooden scoop inside the well. The number and quality of items indicated the artifacts did not fall into the well accidentally, experts said.

Wire Wrapped Animal Tooth Found in Old Well.

That one reminds me of the wire wrap mounted objects you'll see today and those that have been metal detected such as quartz stones, shark teeth, and amulets.

You can also see that one in the following picture of metal artifacts found in this well.

Here is the link for more about that.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article270969882.html#storylink=cpy

I showed some wire-wrapped pieces before - both new and very old. 

See The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 1/12/15 Report - Wire Wrapped Jewelry. Quartz Crystal Find. Difficulty Of Identifying Age.

Wire wrapped items have been found in Spanish Colonial sites.  I've found evidence and seen other sources that suggest the presence of a jeweler or craftsman on the wreck at the Frederick Douglass site.  You'd expect some pretty crafty people on those ships.  

I've found what appears to me to be an unfinished silver strap bracelet at Brooks.  Jonah M. found a similar copper strap bracelet at another wreck site. I couldn't find that post right off.  I'll have to take a new photo of it.

---

Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

There is a tropical wave headed in our general direction that has a good chance of developing.  That is something to watch.  So far, I think everyone has fallen asleep on a very uneventful hurricane season.  Don't be caught sleeping.

The Treasure Coast surf might pick up a foot or two at the end of the week, but nothing very significant.

Good hunting,

Treauseguide@comcast.net

8/21/26 Report - New Variety of Fractional Gold Coin Discovered. American Holds More Gold. Sept. 1 Consignment Deadline. Skinwalker.

 

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

This 1880 California fractional gold quarter dollar is a previously unknown die variety as attributed through “California Pioneer Fractional Gold,” 2003 second edition, based on the original reference by Walter Breen and Ronald J. Gillio.

Images provided by Lance Boiselle via Premium Quality Coin on eBay.

California pioneer fractional gold varieties are cataloged by Breen-Gillio (BG) numbers.

The collecting field is divided into “Historic Gold Rush Small change 1852-1857” and “Suppressed Jewelers’ Issues 1858 to 1882.” Boiselle’s discovery is from the era of suppressed jewelers issues.

Pieces issued in the earlier era, also referred to as Period One, were used as small change to offset the shortage of small denomination federal coins issued by the United States Mint reaching circulation in California during the California Gold Rush era. The San Francisco Mint did not open until 1854....

 Leonard notes that the suppressed jewelers issues were so-named by Breen as having been suppressed by the Secret Service in 1883.

The California fractional gold pieces for both periods are denominated, using fractions, in quarter dollars, half dollars and dollars and struck on planchets in either a round or octagonal shape.

Concerning the newly discovered variety...

“There is no doubt that it is a new, currently unique variety,” Locke confirmed in an email to Coin World. “The reverse die impression has not been seen before...

 A closer look revealed that the reverse did not match a BG 799W, X or Y...  I sent pics of the obverse and reverse to Mike Locke for a look. He indicated that the reverse is unknown.

“The piece is undoubtedly the obverse of BG 799W, the die state to be determined,” Boiselle said...

Here is the link for the entire article.

Fractional gold experts confer

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Gold Held by Various Countries and Rankings.

In total, the United States holds 8,133.5 metric tons of gold, which is more than double that of Germany in second place, and 2,141.25% more than the average reserves across countries in the study, according to The Gold Bullion Company.

Although the United States has not increased its reserves since the first study, the value of its gold reserves has massively risen from $507 billion in U.S. dollars to $897.3 billion.

The valuation explosion is a result of the rapid increase in the price of gold, which more than doubled between 2023 and 2025, from a high of $2,053.13  in 2023 to $4,533.57 in 2025...

“After analyzing this new data, it’s clear to me that central banks are continuing to build and hold gold reserves because countries are actively reducing reliance on fiat currencies and insulating themselves from geopolitical risk,” says Rick Kanda, managing director at The Gold Bullion Company. “Physical gold, whether in bars or coins, offers a tangible asset that isn’t tied to the performance of equities or currencies, making it a useful hedge against inflation and market shocks...

Here is the link for that article.

U.S. leads nations in gold holdings

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From Sedwick...

With our September 1 consignment deadline rapidly approaching, now is the time to prepare your material for review at the ANA World’s Fair of Money. Bring your consignment to us in Pittsburgh, or contact us in advance so we can arrange shipment. We are getting very close to what is shaping up to be one of the most important auctions we have ever conducted, and we encourage prospective consignors not to miss the opportunity to participate.

Our next auction will take place at our offices in Maitland, Florida, on November 5 and 6, 2026. The exceptional quality, rarity, and historical importance of the material already consigned are making our 40th auction a particularly special event.

===

I enjoy the Skinwalker Ranch program. but I don't know how legit it is. Matty Blake's appearance always seem to reduce credibility for me. He is the same writer that appears on Oak Island occasionally.  According to online sources, he is a writer and comedian.

I thought it was odd that the homesteads on the Skinwalker Ranch TV show were always open and stand in dangerous disrepair with broken boards windows etc. I'd think they'd want to control access better. Even the presence of random birds or animal can have the effect of uncontrolled variables. I wondered why they wouldn't board it up or something until I learned that they run a tour business (like Oak Island) and the haunted house look might make good staging for that.

As it is, I don't care a great deal about the honesty, reality or truthfulness of Skinwalker.  Unlike Oak Island, I find it interesting anyhow. 

---

Source: nhc.noaa.gov.

So, there is a little activity out in the Atlantic now.  Pretty far to the north.

The surf is still flat and will remain around one foot all week.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

8/19/26 Report - $800,000 Gold Treasure Unearthed in Back Yard. Ancient Hospital Remains Uncovered in Lima. Silver Cleaning Procedure.

 

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

Just because you’re not looking for buried treasure doesn’t mean you won’t find it. Case in point: In 2025, a man digging a pool outside of Lyon, France, unearthed a trove of gold—five gold bars and a host of coins—in his backyard, all stored in plastic bags...

 if the find was not deemed to have archaeological value, the claim goes to the discoverer. The civil code of France—which dates to the 19th century—defines a treasure as “any hidden or buried thing over which no one can prove their ownership, and which is discovered purely by chance.” Ownership of such a discovery is granted to the individual finding the treasure, if it was on their own property.

Since the five gold bars all had unique identification numbers etched on them, the researchers were quickly able to trace them to a refinery in the Lyon area that had melted down the gold and made the bars only about 15 to 20 years ago. The police also determined the bars were not stolen or otherwise involved in unscrupulous acts. The relative newness of the gold bars, coupled with the legal provenance, meant the man who wanted a swimming pool could keep the treasure...

Here is the link for the rest of the article.

He was merely digging a backyard pool. Suddenly, he hit an $800,000 gold treasure.

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Traces of a sixteenth-century hospital and church have been found in Lima’s historic district, at the sanctuary of Santa Rosa de Lima, a Roman Catholic saint who lived next door to the structure when she died in 1617. “While performing maintenance on one of the exterior gardens of the sanctuary,

In 1573, the Greek merchant Miguel de Acosta founded the hospital to care for seafarers (mareantes) and their families. The institution began operating in 1581, and each room had a small altar. The sick could hear mass from their beds every Sunday and on holy days. There was also a chapel with an altar, as hospitals in the colonial era housed their own churches.

Here is the link for more about that.

Remains of colonial hospital and church discovered in Lima’s historic centre - The Art Newspaper - International art news and events

Interesting that a Greek merchant was doing business in Lima in the 16th century.  I never thought about the merchants of other nationalities working in the Spanish colonies that early.  Maybe I'll have to look into that more.

---

In a couple recent posts, I used vinegar to remove curst and corrosion from coins that were difficult to identify.  I wanted to see how well the vinegar would work on the encrusted and corroded coins.  Mark G. sent an email about the procedure he uses to clean and brighten up silver that isn't in that bad shape.

Below is the email in which he describes a procedure the has proven.

I read your post today and I know you like to clean your cobs in vinegar. I learned something about cleaning silver when I was smelting down all my 925 silver earrings. After releasing it from the mold you drop into water to cool then drop it in a vinegar brine. They call it pickling the silver and in like 20 minutes it comes out shiny. Mix the vinegar with salt and bring up to about 150 degrees and drop it in for about 20 minutes. I was able to do it with a small sauce pan stove top just don't bring it to a boil. I was able to get a 29 gram round of 925 silver, the next step is 99.99 pure silver with nitric acid. Note I only tried this on my smelted 925 and also a corroded silver tennis bracelet, it worked better the hot water and baking soda in a foil bowl trick.

Heating makes this mix twice as effective.

Mix:

• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons salt

Heat:

• 140–160°F

Time:

• 10–20 minutes

Best for:

• Light to medium oxidation
• Quick brightening
• When you want zero chemical risk

   

Thanks to Mark G. for the contribution.

---

Source: nhc.noaao.gov

Nothing on the hurricane map and the surf remains very small.

Surf Chart from SurfGuru.com.

Happy Hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

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8/18/26 Report - More on Checking Found Coins and Cleaning Them. Low Ball Coin Collecting. Rewriting History - Not Again!!!

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

Silver Dime with Remaining Heavy Crust.

I decided to go through another group of wheat pennies that have been sitting around.  There were about 20 from the 1940s.  Boring!  Again, I didn't find even a decent die chip.  The most interesting thing I found, and it isn't very interesting, was a 1944 S.  It was the only San Francisco mint mark in the entire group.  I do need to make sure it isn't one of the steel ones, which would take the value from around ten cents to possibly many thousands.,  Fat chance!  But a quick check with a magnet will tell the story.

I started cleaning some coins yesterday.  I talked about that a little in my last post.  I did another day of soaking in vinegar, and the tough sand/shell crust did eventually dissolve in the vinegar.

Above is another silver coins with a very touch crust.  The vinegar didn't penetrate it after two days.  The other side has a similar crust.  I can however see the edge of the coin, which is shown below.  I'm assuming this one is a dime even though I still can't see the obverse or reverse.

Edge of Silver Coin.

Below is a picture of a dime that has been cleaned with vinegar.  While it now shows the word "LIBERTY," the rest of the design is not visible.

Despite the heavy wear, the edge of that  dime shows the copper core.

Edge of Heavily Worn Clad Coin.

Sometimes you'll see very clad dimes so badly corroded that the edge looks like the one shown below.

Edge of Very Heavily Corroded Clad Dime.

I've seen some of that look like that fresh out of the ground.  They are usually from an acid environment, such as around mangrove trees.

---

I always liked coins that look circulated. I've said that before.  They show that they've been handled.  

I noticed a nickel the other day that had nice smoothed look.  It wasn't dirty or corroded but definitely showed the wear of being handled.

 One thing I always disliked about coin collecting is the emphasis on condition that seemed to me to be taken to an absurd level.  Thankfully for old shipwreck coins it isn't that bad, although there is a definite premium for the better examples.  The cobs I find on the beach are usually very worn and often badly corroded.  

I just found out something that I never thought I would see.  I didn't realize it existed.  There are evidently collectors of they call "low ball" coins.  And those coins can sell for nice prices.

Here are a few excerpts from an article on something I never knew existed - Low Ball coin collecting.

Low Ball collecting turns one of numismatics’ oldest assumptions upside down. Instead of pursuing the finest known coin, collectors search for the lowest-grade example that a grading service can still identify and certify. The ideal coin may grade Poor-1 or Fair-2. Yet it must also show natural wear, retain enough detail for attribution, and avoid the damage that often accompanies decades of hard use...

Collectors often associate Low Ball coins with three grades:

Poor-1, abbreviated PO01
Fair-2, abbreviated FR02
About Good-3, abbreviated AG03

A PCGS PO01 coin must remain identifiable by type, date, and mintmark when applicable. A Fair-2 coin retains slightly more information, although most of its surface may appear smooth. An AG03 example usually shows clearer lettering and stronger outlines, but heavy circulation still dominates its appearance.

However, Low Ball collecting does not begin and end with one fixed grade...

As certified PO01 coins attract stronger prices, some people may attempt to manufacture wear. They might carry a coin as a pocket piece, tumble it with other objects, rub its surfaces, or use abrasives to remove detail....

Here is the link for more about that.

Low Ball Coins: Why America’s Most Worn Coins Can Be Worth Thousands

That was all a surprise to me.

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A prehistoric discovery in the Oregon mountains could rewrite the story of the first people to live in North America.

Archaeologists said a remote rock shelter, known as Rimrock Draw, may have been occupied by humans about 18,250 years ago, thousands of years earlier than scientists once believed the first Americans arrived.

If confirmed, the site would rank among the oldest known places of human occupation in North America and date back to roughly four times the age of Egypt's Great Pyramid.

the findings challenge the long-held theory that the continent's first inhabitants crossed an ice-free corridor from Asia around 13,000 years ago...

Here is the link for the rest of that site.

Prehistoric discovery in Oregon mountains older than Egypt's Great Pyramid rewrites human history

I'm always very skeptical of dating techniques, especially those that go back that far.

----

Nothing new with the storm watch or beach conditions.

Good hunting,

Treasureguide@comcast.net

8/17/26 Report - Investigating Some Unidentified Coin Finds. Cleaning and Surprise Discovery. Coin Quiz.

 

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

I had some little bags of wheat pennies separated by decade sitting around that I never checked with the microscope for errors or anything interesting.  When I looked at the group of 1950s coins, I didn't find anything interesting - not even any die chips on the reverse.  Die chips are common on wheat pennies, but this group had none.

I had some older wheaties to check, but I noticed some other coins that hadn't been checked, and they looked more interesting, so I decided to look at them next.  I noticed the small coin above and didn't know anything about it.  Before I go any farther, see if you can you guess what it is.  I'll give you the answer below.

Among the other coins I decided to check, there were a couple about the size of a dime that were worn and encrusted, and I didn't know what they were either. 

Here is the first of those.  

Unidentified Coin Find.

This one has the same kind of crust as a Potosi half reale I once found but this coin doesn't look silver.   It has a very hard sand/shell crust, but unlike the crust on my half reale, it doesn't cover the entire side.  It looks like there is some lettering that I can't really read.

Here is the half reale with a similar hard crust before it was cleaned.

Sand and Shell Encrusted Half Reale.

You can see more about that half reale in this old post.  The Treasure Beaches Report Direct From Florida's Treasure Coast.: 3/15/20 Report - Metal Detecting on South Florida's Crowded Beaches. Thoughts on Mystery Find.

I put the coin that needed cleaning along with another in vinegar. 

After a couple hours I checked the coin to see if I could see any more of the detail.  I could now see Roosevelt on the obverse and the edge.  It is clad.  Too bad.

I'm was surprised that the crusts on the silver reale and clad dime were so similar.  I'm still interested to see if the sand/shell crust will be removed by soaking longer in vinegar.  I probably cleaned the half reale using Muriatic acid.

I did find something interesting on another coin that initially looked like it might be a dime though.

Here it is.  Take a look at this coin.  Do you see anything?

Unidentified Coin.

I drew an arrow to point out appeared to me to be the number 3.  I thought maybe it was part of a date..  

Then without moving the coin or the microscope, I adjusted the microscope to get optimal focus.  It looked like the 3 disappeared.  

Below is a enlarged view of the area where I saw the 3.

Where did it go?  If you look just above the center of the photo, the area that looked like a 3 now doesn't look much of anything.  If I was forced to see something in it, I'd say maybe it looks something like an? "S."

The interesting thing to me is that by improving the focus what appeared to me to be a clear figure disappeared.  That really surprised me.  And that is very instructive.  It says something about the process of perception and how we can get fooled. 

If I was a young man in an academic environment again, that would be a research interest that I'd pursue.  We are always working a field of some degree of ambiguity and uncertainty but form a picture or story in which we can have varying degrees of confidence.  That is the same thing we do when we try to identify a find or buried target by looking at a metal detector display.  We attempt to extract signal from noise and put things together to reach a conclusion often having more than the deserved amount of confidence in our interpretation.  New detail or additional clarification can prove us wrong and confuse us when we were overconfident in a previous conclusion.

When I improved my focus, I actually saw less because what I saw at first was wrong.  I'm sure that happens to us a lot, but we fail to improve our view and correct our impressions.

Something similar happened when quantum physics was discovered.  When we got a better look at very small things, classic physics failed to provide a satisfying interpretation of how things work.  When we got a better look at subatomic particles, we saw electrons that didn't seem to act like particles.  Instead. they could be seen as acting more like fields or waves.  

The perceived is not independent of the observer.  A closer look provides a different view.  Old views become myth.  And the beat goes on.

Looks like I've been led back to where I ended up yesterday. 

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” — 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Funny thing is that when I started yesterday's post, I didn't know where I was headed until I got there, and the same thing happened today.  I was led to the same conclusion when I had no idea that was where I was going.  

---

Now to wind it up - back to the coin shown at the top of this post.  

It is a 10 Kopek Russian coin with a Moscow mint mark. 

The coin is magnetic and has a steel core.

---

Nothing interesting on the National Hurricane Center Atlantic map.

The surf is still very small.

The salvage season has been a good long one.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/16/26 Report - New Figural Bottle Find. Research Resources Online. What Does Years of Observation Prove.

 

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

Figural Bottle Find.

I thought this was one of the best bottles I ever found.  It seems to be painted pottery and has a nice seal on the bottle that says made in Italy.  The seal also shows a shield.

Here is the seal on the bottom.

Seal on Bottom

After some research I found bottles like it on the internet. It is a wine bottle from the C. V. D. Barfede company.  

I was hoping to find out more information from the seal, but here is what I found.

It is not as old or rare or valuable as I thought it might, be but it is the most interesting looking figural bottle I've found.

The crowned‑shield seal isn't as interesting as I hope either.  It is a generic “Italy” export mark used by numerous Italian makers from the 1930s tp the 1970s. It does not identify a specific company or area.  It simply certifies that the item was made in Italy and meets export standards.

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No tropical activity is expected in the Atlantic or Gulf for the next seven days.  Invest 92 and 94 disappeared.  Here is the NHC map.

Source: NHC.noaa.gov.

---

There is a lot of research information out there if you are willing to put the time to find whatever interests you.  The amount that is available these days is pretty overwhelming.

Herer is a link to a site where you can search through old magazines.

Vintage PDF Magazines - Free Old Magazines

If you drill down, you can find things like this in the section on maps.

Plan showing the attack by British squadron on Fort Bowyer at Mobile Point | Library of Congress

Here's a link that will take you to another big bunch of old magazines.

The Magazine Rack : Free Texts : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive

Here is a link to a bunch of historic maps.

Americas Maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library Online

---

They say the only continual thing is change.  As you get older you see a lot that adds to the depth of your experience and who you are.  

I remember driving home one day when I noticed a young couple park the road, cross over and excitedly explore a new house that was being built on the opposite corner.  

I later got to know that family.  They were from the Philippines.   The fellow was a dentist back and had made a good amount of money in the dot com boom.  His dream was to someday own a house on the water.  That was his new dream home being built on the corner.

Over the years they had a couple daughters.  My wife attended the baby showers.  

But the fellow struggled after moving there.  His dentistry credentials from the Philippines didn't allow him to practice dentistry in this country.  He tried one thing after another to get some kind of job or business going.  Not much worked.

Years passed.  The girls went to school and off to college.  

They weren't empty nesters for long.  An elderly parent needing help moved in.

Not too long after that they sold their dream home and moved away.

I don't know what happened to them after that, but it seems I saw one big part of their life cycle.  

You can learn something from the changes that you see.

I saw many others come and go.  There was the fellow that lived in an old historic house that I often saw jogging down the road.  Later he walked rather than jogged and wore a bandage around his knee.  Eventually I saw him no more.  The house was sold and remodeled and sold again and then torn down.  The nice historic house he left and returned to every morning was now just an empty lot.

I could tell you about many others like that.  One of my neighbors had the nicest lawn in the area.  Unlike mine, it was perfect.  He got complements on it all the time.

Then the grass started getting longer.  The garden and yard grew covered by weeds three feet tall.  I never saw him in the yard anymore.  But one day I finally saw him.  He was bent over and limping, obviously having a hard time getting around.

He once put a lot of time and effort into his yard and undoubtedly took a lot of pride in it, but things changed. What the newer neighbors saw as the worst yard in the neighborhood was once the most perfect.  Things had changed.

They say dreams come true.  But maybe they don't come true when, where or how, or last the way you want them to.  Maybe even dreams change.

When I started this, I was going to move on to the changes I've seen on the beaches, but I think I'll put that on hold for now because there is something much more important here.

 

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” — 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

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Water Skiing Behind a Jet Ski in the Ocean Off Just North of Sebastian Pier Sunday Morning.

SurfGuru..com.

As you can see, the surf is still flat.

Good hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net