Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
I was browsing the current Sedwick treasure auction when I noticed a couple unusual looking cobs. Shown above, they are called "greenies" and have an unusual patina for 1715 Fleet cobs. They are ex-Bruce Ward coins.
If you don't know who Bruce Ward is, he is credited for finding the "Colored Beach" wreck. Of course, that is the John Brooks/Frederick Douglass wreck. Many beaches in many locations were at one time know as "Colored Beach."
Back in the day of segregation black people usually were left with some of the less desirable beaches. Many communities had them, and I've detected a few of them. In many cases, back when I started metal detecting a good number of them were overgrown and abandoned. example, was beach on Virigina Key near Key Biscayne where I metal detected before it was renovated produced a lot of silver coins when the dunes where the colored beach was eroded. Of course, you didn't find a lot of valuable stuff on those beaches, but they were good for modern silver coins. I undoubtedly wrote on that before.
I posted about Bruce Ward before. Jammin Jack purchased some coins from Bruce Ward's estate sale and sent me some pictures from the January 1965 issue of Argosy Magazine that featured an article about Bruce Ward. I posted more pictures, including one showing a dive raft that Ward put together.
Here is a link to the post with more pictures and information on that.
I found the Bruce Ward "greenies" when I was browsing the first session of the Sedwick auction.
The session started with a bunch of gold cobs, included some bars and ended with a bunch, and I do mean a bunch of silver coins. The first session includes something like 450 lots.
Most of the lots had no bids yet, but the one Ward coin shown above did have an early bid. In some ways you might consider it an unremarkable example, but it has a great provenance from the early days of the 1715 wreck salvage efforts.
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On a related note, here is an article on how brand heritage and provenance also shapes jewelry auction prices.
Even while gold prices remain high, all the lab made diamonds and doctored gemstones make for a confusing picture when it comes to gem stone prices. It is no surprise that provenance is playing a more important role.
Brand premium example: A Harry Winston diamond ring sold for CHF 4.2 million, surpassing its high estimate by 23%, illustrating brand-driven value.
Provenance value boost: Documented history can increase jewelry auction prices by 20–40%, adding value beyond the intrinsic quality of the gems.
Cross-market lesson: In jewelry, art, and coins, provenance and brand heritage combined with expert verification can significantly enhance value.
Here is the link for more about that.
How brand heritage and provenance are shaping jewelry auction values
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The surf is small and remain at only one or two feet for a few days.
We are still getting some nice high tides.
Good hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net