LOST TREASURE - NOVEMBER 2017

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Newsletter–November 21, 2017

Lost Treasure The Deep Search
Metal Detecting Club
ANTHOLOGY BOOKS
Now Available at:

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Only available in digital format

ANTHOLOGY:
This Anthology collection is
published stories, by multiple
authors, in a book format. It

was compiled from the
Archives of one or more of our

six publications:

–Lost Treasure–
–Treasure Cache–
–Treasure Facts–
–Treasure World–
–True Treasure–

– Rockhound–

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November 21, 2017

FEATURE CLUB

Feature Club — page 4

FAVORITE FINDS

page 15 — Favorite Finds

OTHER FEATURES

3 The Coined Phrase
7 Special Bonus Feature From

Lost Treasure Magazine
12 Good Hunting!
18 THers' News

25 Tips From the Pros
26 Calendar of Events

2 LOST TREASURE Newsletter 11-21-17

LostTreasure The Coined Phrase

CELEBRATING OUR 50th YEAR By Carla Nielsen

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Feature Club

The Deep Search
Metal Detecting Club

Pictures are from one of the club’s
hunts in Long Branch, New Jersey
– the Deep Search Metal Detecting
Club’s 25th Silver Anniversary Open
Beach Treasure Hunt at the Seven

Presidents’ Oceanfront Park.

The DSMDC is a group of Metal ship dues are $20, family member- Treasurer - John Calamusa
Detecting enthusiasts who meet
monthly to share their finds with ship dues are $30. Sargent at Arms - Bill Hermstedt
fellow members and discuss some of
their tips and tricks of the trade. The Deep Search Metal Detecting Librarian - Shirley Boyce

Meetings start at 7 p.m. and Club is asking for any landowner Secretary -  John Fallon
refreshments are served. Visitors are
always welcome. / homeowner with property in the Web Master - Bob Smrek

Meetings are held at the Minnie state of New Jersey who might be Membership Committee-
B. Veal Community Center, 1070
Grove Ave., Edison, New Jersey.  willing to allow their organization to Mitch Speert and Bob Funk.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and conduct metal detecting on their land
the meeting starts at 7 p.m. The next
meeting is Monday, 12/18/17. to contact the club at: For more information log onto
http://www.dsmdc.org or their
Anyone wishing to join the Deep DSMDC President Donna Facebook page at https://www.
Search Metal Detecting Club only facebook.com/Deep-Search-Metal-
needs to attend a meeting and fill out Funk, (973) 219-5833, Detecting-Club-136109619768055/
a membership form. Yearly member-
e-mail donna@moondoggiecoffee. Request information: deepsearch-
[email protected] or
com by contacting President Donna Funk
at the number and/or e-mail listed
DSMDC Officers: above.
President - Donna Funk
1st Vice President - Paul Wiener
2nd Vice President - Mitch Speert

4 LOST TREASURE Newsletter 11-21-17

Feature Club cont'd...

www.LostTreasure.com Newsletter 11-21-17 5

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How To
Repair
Damaged
Coins

By Bill Gallagher

A new type of
coin damage:
lawnmower

strikes.

www.LowswtTwre.LaossutrTer.ecaosmurNe.ecwomsletJteurne112-201-717175

An 1824 Capped Bust Half Dollar, holed with a square nail. this type of cleaning takes, but some-
times just a small amount of time in
the bath is sufficient to clean a coin
or a coin bundle.

The number one rule is do not
overdo it, and this can only be
accomplished by experimenting on
lesser coins and always checking the
process every 5 minutes or so.

The voltage needs to be 1-3V DC,
with amperage around 100 milliam-
peres.

This can be achieved easily with
small transformer power supplies
from dead appliances like phones
and answering machines.

Read the label that is impressed
on every one of those things and
make sure you are not getting an odd
one that puts out AC, or one which is
too powerful for your job.

If you over strip a coin it is not a
pretty sight and cannot be repaired.

Before electro stripping became
popular the accepted method for
removing encrustations, also known
as “reaction shells,” from an ancient
coin was to strike it repeatedly with
a wooden mallet as it rested on a

One of the many things metal The reverse of the holed 1824 Capped Bust Half Dollar.
detectorists inevitably encounter in
their work are coins that have been
damaged in some way.

The most obvious way coins are
damaged is by being dropped in the
dirt for varying lengths of time.

Generally speaking, the longer a
coin sits in the dirt the greater the
damage that will be caused to it.

The repair of that type of damage
is multi-faceted and not always suc-
cessful. However, one cannot ever
accomplish anything without trying,
and when one tries it will often be
seen that results are many times
pleasantly surprising.

Everyone can do good work, with
preparation, information, and good
thinking.

Electro-stripping or electro-clean-
ing of metal is the process where a
stainless steel butter knife acts as an
anode (+), and is submersed in a salt-
water bath with a copper or bronze
or silver coin as the cathode (-).

The dirtier a coin, meaning the
more encrusted it is by reacting with
the medium of the dirt, the longer

816 LOLOSSTT TTRREEAASSUURREENeJwunselet2te0r1711-21-17

wooden surface. War artifacts because he had gotten RTCoGnStrtiobruete.ctoom

This sometimes cracked the reac- his start in metal detecting around PIRATE STUFF

Flags, Treasure Chests, Hats
& Key Rings, Statues, Sign
tion shell off the coin, but overall the battlefields of Virginia in his LT Magazine viaSAND SCOOPS

was nowhere near as successful a early days. We Manufacture scoops,
water hunting equipment &
Rack, Frames & more.
e-mail atstock many accessories.
treatment as electro stripping. One of his many acquisitions REILLY’S TREASURED GOLD

Another even less successful was a Union officer’s uniform that managingeditor@954-971-6102 All major credit cards accepted

method was to heat the coin just seemed kind of heavy in the seam of losttForr Meoare Dsatua Crircele 3.8com

below red and drop in ice water. the coat.

Though neither of these methods Archie found a spot in the mate- ++++++++++

work very well, it is good to know rial that had been cut then carefully

about them because they may come resewn, so he undid the stitches and MSetualbdemtecittorss thoavreibeesen TM
aonudr fupllh-timoetobuss,inyesos u& r
in handy on some rare occasion. there, sewn into the coat material

As that great band from Texas itself, was a linen strip with four

named ZZ Top once said: “It’s better holed, seated liberty silver quarters fapavsosiornitsiencfei1n98d3s. ,

to have it than need it and not…” sewn to it! •aTGESuOeRsOt Editorial,

Hot glue sticks are a modern ver- Holed coins were mostly created

sion of these treatments and less so they could be sewn into things as a • XGPARDREaETTETTCHTO’iRnSg
•
abusive to the coin. safeguard against loss, although dur-

Melt the end, stick it on, let it ing a battle not even that was proof • FisqheureRsetsieoarnch, or

harden, and pull. Many times a glue against loss, as the many holed coins • BTDeopekutshnentectoottyoitcrrHosPiuersnostaearbnodut
•
stick applied thus will pull off patch- found on battlefields will attest. •

es of the reaction shell on a very The first thing anybody wanting

dirty coin. to repair holed coins needs is a torch

When electro stripping you only and a fireproof work surface. • DeTptHhM’ianstgergood

want the very outer layer of metal to Also, it is standard procedure to • AGcaWcrderheseoctslteaoeSrsdniaeeslcsea.u-lrYistRyooetuail
•
be stripped and, by default, every- obtain silver as close to the coin you

thing adhering to it. are repairing as possible.

Conduction through the encrusta- This means if you are repairing Dseutegctgoer EsltecatroTniHcs’Cionrgp.

tion can take a while, though. an 1838 half dime that has sufficient

The coins should bubble lightly detail to warrant fixing, then you clu2b3 TufronprikeuRds. to

across their surfaces, letting you need to acquire another damaged 5Ss0opu8thob-ot4rloiu6ggh0h, M-tA6a02n174d724

know the metal is conducting elec- 1838 half dime to get the kind of

tricity through the bath. silver you will need to plug the hole. VsiseitnUds OunsThyeoWuebr:

Electro-stripping even works for Multiple steps of annealing the

coins burned in a fire, most of the coin are necessary to allow good fus- TfwOuowLrpLwcoF.MoRueEmrtEali8CDn0ea0gtl-e4ece4tnvo6rd-e.0cnao2mr4t4.
For More Data Circle 59
time. ing of metals.

There is a lot of information con- Annealing is achieved by heating

cerning electro-stripping online or the coin to a red heat, then letting it

at the library, and the process can slowly cool.

be used for many other things in the This softens the metal drastically Lost Treasure

craft engineering hobbies. and makes working it a lot easier.

As always, further research is This makes work damage more pos-

highly recommended. sible, too, so extra care is needed.

Another form of numismatic dam- Leather and wood are good work

age that metal detectorists will come surfaces and will take a lot of pun-

across every so often is coins that ishment, once the coin has been OnLine

have been holed. annealed.

Many people seem confused by Besides the annealing process, sil-

this happenstance and, yes, like all ver solder is used judiciously and

damage it is not very pretty, but occasionally, precious metal clay

considering the number of coins that (PMC) during modern repairs. www.lost

have been holed over time, there had A lot of times a hole in a coin

to be some reason for this disfigure- will be drilled out leaving a nice,

ment. clean modern looking hole, then a

That reason has been pretty much lozenge the exact same size as the treasure.com

proven by a friend of mine named hole is chopped out of the plug silver

Archie Arbutine from Clearwater, and inserted into the machined hole,

Florida. Detectomr Ealekc i1n_6gpga. 20n13e.iandrd p1erfect plug that can

Archie was a big dealer in Civil be silver soldered in place with a

www.LoswtTwrwe.aLsousrteT.rceoamsuNree.wcoslmetteJru1n1e-2210-1177 917

The hole had been pushed as you can lay hands on.
A good selection of rubber and an
through the metal versus drilled.
eraser are nice, too, and will come in
This is a prime type to repair, handy a lot more than most people
think when finishing the surface of a
but after receiving the half in the repaired coin.

mail I was also able to discern Water is a great facilitator of
repairs and none should be spared
that it had been holed with a throughout the repair process.

square nail, which spoke vol- If you use any cleaning solvents
be extra careful to always keep from
umes in itself. open flames and other sources of
combustion, while always working
I decided to keep the coin in a well ventilated area.

as it is because I do not have Perhaps almost as important as a
torch are your magnifying viewers,
another example of that particu- like a lighted binocular headpiece,
10 to 30 power.
lar method of holing, obviously
When undertaking the repair of
early. coins a lot depends on your patience
and your general ability with hand
Another type of coin damage tools.

is the bent or folded coin. I think One thing is sure, you are doing
a service to the future by repairing
Some damage to coins cannot be repaired, most of these are the results of damaged coins and if the time is
as in this railroad track find. kids playing with hammers and taken you will become adept at many
shop vises. aspects of coin repair, even develop-
ing your own specialty methods,
An interesting addition to this making your pieces works of art in
their own right.
minimum of effort. type of damage has been on the
Good luck and I will look for you
The finish of a plugged hole is all increase, and those are coins struck in the field.

important, meaning the abrasive pol- with lawnmowers. Sources:
“Holed Coins: A Bridge To the
ishing steps at the end of the repair A lot of these coins are not worth Past,” by Bill Gallagher
“Preservation of Coins and
will make or break the repair. fixing and the older types cannot Medals,” G. Welter
“Sustainment Metallica,” by Bill
As the coin heats during these really be straightened without caus- Gallagher.

final processes it will lose its soft- ing permanent damage to the design, Here is a European coin find with a
reaction shell that was partially chipped
ness through a phenomena called though as an exercise in metal off when the coin was struck with a dig-
ging implement.
work hardening. repair the endeavor is a worthy one.

When good buffing steps take Practice does make perfect.

place, the metal plugging a hole is Some ancient coins can be unfold-

literally smeared with the polish- ed to good effect because of their

ing tool (felt bullet) across the lines rarity.

of the hole itself, making the hole Unbending or unfolding coins

invisible. once again requires our friend the

When done right this type of pro- annealing torch.

cess is a true work of art in every Unfolding should be taken in steps

sense of the word. so that only a small bit of unfolding

If there is enough detail on a coin takes place for every annealing.

to warrant its repair, then you can put Though not entirely fruitless, this

dollars in your pocket this way. procedure is arduous in the extreme

Note the 1824 Bust half dollar and creates fatigue damage to the

in the picture. I bought the coin off metal as a matter of course.

eBay for $40 (delivered!), believ- Nylon grips are the order of the

ing that I could plug the hole suc- day, or some other material that will

cessfully and then realize closer to not damage a coin as it is slowly

full value on the coin when sold as unfolded.

repaired. Once it goes beyond half way

This is always a fine line judg- unfolded, then wooden hammers and

ment, because repaired coins will wooden chisels can be used to strike

not sell for what an undamaged coin the coin between annealing, also

with the same detail will sell for, so straightening it.

repair is not always a sure win for Some other tools required by the

the craftsperson. coin repair specialist are a set of

I noticed one thing of importance wooden dowels and hammers, a raw-

about this 1824 half that made me hide mallet or three, and even bone

jump for it: the blob of metal that tools like points and bars.

had been displaced during the holing Various work surfaces make life

was still intact - all the original silver a lot easier, and as many types of

was still there. abrasive/polishing buffs and bullets

180 LOST TREASURE NJeuwnesle2t0te1r711-21-17

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Winners!

Shown are the winners (two are Boy Scouts attending their first Open Hunt) of a year’s subscription to Lost Treasure
Magazine at the recent Lone Star Treasure Hunters Club annual hunt. From left to right: Darin, Nicholas, and Tyger.
12 LOST TREASURE Newsletter 11-21-17

More Good Hunting!

Shown are certificate winners of a one-year’s subscription to Lost Treasure Magazine at the recent
South Eastern Outdoor Press Association treasure hunt.

They are Corie Pressley (young lady), Bobby Dale (gentleman standing), and Jan Robertson.
www.LostTreasure.com Newsletter 11-21-17 13

I have issues! Me too –
But mine are
Lost Treasure
magazine issues –

and they’re GREAT!

The story on the following pages is from Lost Treasure
Magazine and is included as a bonus preview of what

you can expecpt as a Lost Treasure subscriber.

SUBSCRIBE or RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION BY
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Favorite Finds

Shown Are Some
Favorite Finds Made
By Reader Kelley Rea

www.LostTreasure.com Newsletter 11-21-17 15

More Favorite Finds

16 LOST TREASURE Newsletter 11-21-17

More Favorite Finds

www.LostTreasure.com Newsletter 11-21-17 17

THers' News

Matilda Jones with the “Excalibur” sword she found. Photo courtesy of http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/our-region/south-
yorkshire/doncaster/yorkshire-schoolgirl-left-stunned-after-discovering-king-arthur-s-legendary-excalibur-1-8734754

Schoolgirl Stunned mysteriously rose from the water to “She was only waist deep when
After Discovering receive the fabled blade. she said she could see a sword. I
Legendary ‘Excalibur’ told her not to be silly and it was
A schoolgirl could become the Now, some 2,000 years later, sev- probably a bit of fencing, but when
stuff of legend after pulling a 4ft en-year-old Matilda Jones stumbled I looked down I realised it was a
sword from the same Cornish lake across a 4ft long sword in the waters sword. It was just there laying flat on
where King Arthur’s Excalibur was of Dozmary Pool during a family the bottom of the lake.
famously thrown. holiday.
According to local folklore, “The sword is 4ft long - exactly
Dozmary Pool is the spot where She was paddling waist-deep when Matilda’s height.”
King Arthur returned Excalibur after she noticed the blade, which looks
being fatally wounded in the Battle alarmingly like a medieval fighting Legend has it that King Arthur
of Camlann. Matilda Jones found weapon. Ironically, her father Paul first received Excalibur from the
this ‘Excalibur’ sword in the lake Jones, 51, had recounted the story Lady of Lake in Dozmary Pool after
where legend says King Arthur’s of King Arthur to Matilda and her rowing out to receive it.
sword was thrown. sister Lois, four, moments before the
It is said to have been accepted discovery. Paul, of Doncaster, south After being mortally wounded in
by the Lady of the Lake, whose arm Yorks, said, “It was a blistering hot the Battle of Camlann he asked to
day and Matilda asked if we could be taken there so he could return the
go for a paddle. sword to her.

After three attempts, his loyal fol-

18 LOST TREASURE Newsletter 11-21-17

THers' News continued...

lower Bedivere cast it into the water An image shot from a remotely operated underwater vehicle shows a spare parts
and the Lady of the Lake’s arm rose box from USS Indianapolis on the floor of the Pacific Ocean in more than 16,000
to receive it. feet of water. Photos courtesy of http://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/wreckage-found-
uss-indianapolis-sunk-japan-worst-us/story?id=49313017
The pool, in the civil parish of
Altarnun on Bodmin Moor, was said ther, all the way to the east coast of Submitted by David Hyde.
to be bottomless until droughts in Africa.
1859 and 1976 dried it out com- Wreckage Found
pletely and revealed it is, in fact, and This was impressive enough, but of USS Indianapolis
shallow pond. Chinese merchants had traveled this The wreckage of the USS
far before. What was even more Indianapolis has been located, more
And Matilda’s dad reckons the impressive about these voyages was than 70 years after it was sunk by
sword is probably only around that they were done with hundreds of Japanese torpedoes during World
30-years-old. “I don’t think it’s par- huge ships and tens of thousands of War II.
ticularly old,” he said. “It’s probably sailors and other passengers. Microsoft co-founder Paul
an old film prop.” Allen announced recently that the
Over 60 of the 317 ships on research team from his company,
Courtesy of http://www.york- the first voyage were enormous Vulcan, searched 600 square miles of
shirepost.co.uk/our-region/south- “Treasure Ships,” sailing vessels ocean using information discovered
yorkshire/doncaster/yorkshire- over 400 hundred feet long, 160 feet by a Navy historian who found
schoolgirl-left-stunned-after-discov- wide, with several stories, nine masts records of the last recorded sighting
ering-king-arthur-s-legendary-excal- and twelve sails, and luxurious state- of the Indianapolis.
ibur-1-8734754 rooms complete with balconies. The sinking of the Indianapolis in
July 1945 was one of the worst naval
Submitted by Len Myers. The likes of these ships had never disasters in American history.
before been seen in the world, and it Torpedoed by a Japanese subma-
Hunt For Lost would not be until World War I that rine after delivering atomic bomb
Ship Heats Up such an armada would be assembled components, the ship sank in only
During an epic naval battle again. 12 minutes, so was unable to call for
between Chinese and local forces distress or deploy lifesaving equip-
off the coast of Sri Lanka more than The story of how these flotillas ment, according to a Navy press
600 years ago, a massive treasure came to be assembled, where they release.
ship laden with gold, precious gems went, and what happened to them is Only 316 members of the crew
and religious artifacts was scuppered one of the great sagas - and puzzles survived while the other 880 sailors
and sank to the bottom of the Indian - in world history.
Ocean.
According to the history books, Courtesy of http://afe.easia.colum-
the vessel (or vessels - no one knows bia.edu/special/china_1000ce_ming-
for sure exactly how many ships voyages.htm
might have sunk) was part of the
fleet of Chinese admiral Zheng He,
one of the greatest maritime adven-
turers of all time.
From 1405 until 1433, Chinese
imperial eunuch Zheng led seven
ocean expeditions for the Ming
emperor that are unmatched in world
history.
These missions were astonishing
as much for their distance as for their
size. He traveled all the way from
China to Southeast Asia and then on
to India, all the way to major trading
sites on India’s southwest coast.
In his fourth voyage, he traveled
to the Persian Gulf. But for the three
last voyages, Zheng went even fur-

www.LostTreasure.com Newsletter 11-21-17 19

THers' News continued...

Talia Rappa and Skyer Ashworth turned summer bargain shopping at a Titusville Thrift store closeout into the stuff
of NASA collectors’ legend when the central Florida college students paid 20 cents each for five rare NASA flight suits that
experts say could be valued at $5,000 each or more. Photo courtesy of https://www.clickorlando.com/news/investigators/thrift-
shop-bargain-hunters-find-rare-nasa-flight-suits

and Marines died either when the The research team will continue or more.
boat sank or after spending days in to survey the site in collaboration “They were kind of in a weird
the water. with the Navy but the location will
not be released, according to the corner,” Rappa told News 6. “He
Survivors from the Indianapolis Navy. (Skylar) pulled them all out at first,
told harrowing stories about the days then brought the whole handful over
they spent in the water after the ship It is being treated as a sunken to me.”
sank. war grave and the team will work
with the Navy on plans to honor the The five blue NASA flight suits,
Former Marine Corp. Edgar families and the 22 surviving crew along with a white “control suit,”
Harrell told the Indianapolis Star that members. were in the bottom of a plastic bin
many of the survivors were hurt, tucked under some forgotten winter
badly dehydrated, and that some Courtesy of http://abcnews. sweaters.
were killed by sharks. go.com/amp/US/wreckage-found-
uss-indianapolis-sunk-japan-worst- According to experts at the
The story has inspired several us/story?id=49313017 American Space Museum, the astro-
books and movies and was the sub- nauts’ names and flight dates on the
ject of a speech by Robert Shaw’s Thrift Shop Bargain white labels seem to match the time
character in the movie Jaws. Hunters Find Rare astronauts George “Pinky” Nelson,
Flight Suits PhD, Robert A. Parker, PhD, and
Allen’s research team found the Talia Rappa and Skyer Ashworth Charles D. Walker, a payload spe-
wreckage 18,000 feet underwater turned summer bargain shopping at cialist, flew shuttle missions between
in the North Pacific Ocean using a a Titusville Thrift store closeout into 1983 and 1985.
specialized submarine-like research the stuff of NASA collectors’ leg-
vessel and has located several other end when the central Florida college At first, experts thought Nelson’s
historic ships. students paid 20 cents each for five flight suit, a 38 small, was worn
rare NASA flight suits that experts by Florida Senator Bill Nelson, but
Allen has been called one of the say could be valued at $5,000 each further investigation showed Senator
world’s top philanthropists for his Nelson didn’t fly a shuttle mission
contributions to research and conser- until 1986.
vation, according to his website.

20 LOST TREASURE Newsletter 11-21-17

THers' News continued...
Rappa, a junior at UCF studying Submitted by Len Myers. unearthed near Hadrian’s Wall, com-

astrophysics, told News 6 she has plete with extraordinary military and

always been fascinated with space Lost Secrets of First personal possessions left behind by
travel and would love to be par1t_o2f page SRtoanmdaarndSDoildggieerrs cToolor.qxd 3/19/20s1o2ldi1e1r:s37anAdM thPeaigre f1amilies almost

the MARS mission. Fight the Barbarians 2,000 years ago. A treasure trove of

When the 20-year-old looked at Archaeologists are likening the thousands of artifacts dating from

the suits close up, she admits her discovery to winning the lottery. A the early second century has been

“jaw dropped.” Roman cavalry barracks has been excavated over the past fortnight.

Ashworth, 24, who was recently

accepted into a college aerospace

program at Eastern Florida State STANDARD

College, told News 6 the space pro-

gram is in his family DNA.

“My parents worked NASA com- DIGGING TOOL

munications with the shuttle pro-

gram,” he said, “and my grandfather

even worked communications with This Fine Digging Tool $51.00
the shuttle.”
is Made of Aircraft
“It just blows my mind,” Ashworth

said, “It (the bin holding the suits) Quality Steel, Heat

was under two other big totes, I Treated and Tempered.
moved them off to the side and I’m

digging through a whole bunch of

sweaters and stuff, and I found the

white one with the patch just kind of

laying there.”

Chuck Jeffrey, a member of the

board the American Space Museum

in Titusville, and an avid NASA col-

lector, purchased the fifth flight suit Plus you get a handy Cadorra Belt Holder
worn by STS-9 Astronaut Dr. Owen with plastic insert to carry the standard
Garriot.

Garriot, an amateur ham radio digging tool. The belt loop is 3 1/2”

operator, is known as the first man in

space to communicate via ham radio

with people across the globe while TREASURE HUNTERS DON’T
aboard the Columbia STS-9.

The students plan to offer the suits MISS A DEAL LIKE THIS!!!

at a special auction conducted by the

American Space Museum. Made in U.S.A.

A tentative date for the auction * Cuts through

was set for November 4.

Some of the proceeds will be any roots
donated to the museum, while the

other funds will be used for the * Digs through
Rappa and Ashworth’s college

tuition. any type of ground

For more information about the

museum and the auction, go to http:// * Ideally suited for Metal

spacewalkoffame.org Detecting, Camping,

Courtesy of https://www.clickor-

lando.com/news/investigators/thrift- Nursery and Landscaping
shop-bargain-hunters-find-rare-

nasa-flight-suits

www.LostTreasure.com Newsletter 11-21-17 21

THers' News continued...
The artifacts survived because
Photo courtesy of https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/sep/09/hadrians- they were concealed beneath a con-
wall-lost-secrets-roman-vindolanda-unearthed crete floor laid by the Romans about
30 years after the barracks was aban-
The find is significant not just As well as other weapons, includ- doned, shortly before 120.
because of its size and pristine state, ing cavalry lances, arrowheads and
but also for its contribution to the ballista bolts – all left behind on The concrete created oxygen-
history of Hadrian’s Wall, showing the floors – there are combs, bath free conditions that helped preserve
the military build-up that led to its clogs, shoes, stylus pens, hairpins materials such as wood, leather and
construction in AD122. and brooches. textiles, which would otherwise have
rotted away.
The barracks pre-dates the wall: Sections of beautifully woven
the Romans already had a huge mili- cloth have also been unearthed. They Birley said:
tary presence in the area, keeping the may have come from garments and “The swords are the icing on the
local population under control. have yet to be tested. cake for what is a truly remarkable
discovery of one of the most com-
“The native Britons took an oppor-  The barracks was discovered prehensive and important collections
tunity, when the emperor Trajan died beneath the fourth-century stone fort from the intimate lives of people
in AD117, to rebel,” says Andrew of Vindolanda. Photograph: Sonya living on the edge of the Roman
Birley, who heads the archaeological Galloway Empire at a time of rebellion and
team. war. What’s exciting is that [they]
There are also two wooden tablets are remarkably well-preserved …
“The soldiers stationed in the covered in marks made in black ink. There is a huge range of stuff – their
north before the wall was built They are thought to be letters, but hair combs, pots, wooden spoons,
became involved in fighting and their contents have yet to be deci- bowls, weapons, bits of armour, and
were very vulnerable. The evidence phered as they were rushed into a their cavalry bling.
we have from this [find] shows the conservation laboratory to ensure “Even for us, it’s very unusual
incredibly rich and diverse lifestyle their survival. to get things like complete Roman
these people had.” swords, sitting on the ground in
The barracks, which dates their scabbards with their handles
Archaeologists stumbled on the from AD105, was found beneath and their pommels. We were slightly
site by chance and have been taken the fourth-century stone fort dumbfounded by that. Then, to find
aback by finds in a remarkable state of Vindolanda, south of Hadrian’s another complete sword in another
of preservation. Wall near Hexham, Northumberland. room next door only two metres
away, two wooden swords and a
These include two extremely rare It is one of the site’s earliest bar- host of other cavalry equipment, all
cavalry swords – one of them com- racks. Hadrian did not begin his in beautiful condition, is just terrific.
plete, still with its wooden scabbard, 73-mile defensive barrier – to guard “Archaeologists would never
hilt and pommel – and two wooden the north-western frontier of the expect to find a Roman cavalry
toy swords. One has a gemstone in province of Britain from invaders – sword in any context, because it’s
its pommel. until 122. like a modern-day soldier leaving
his barracks and dumping his rifle on
the floor … This is a very expensive
thing. So why leave [it] behind?”
Moments after being uncovered,
the strap junction still shines because
of the airless conditions in which it
was preserved. Photograph: Sonya
Galloway
He recalled feeling “quite emo-
tional” over the discovery:
“You can work as an archaeolo-
gist your entire life on Roman mili-
tary sites and never expect, or imag-
ine, seeing such a rare thing, even at
Vindolanda. It felt like the team win-

22 LOST TREASURE Newsletter 11-21-17

THers' News continued...
ning a form of archaeological lottery, completely free of corrosion. Quite why so much valuable
and we knew we had something very The strap junctions are preserved material was left behind has yet to
rare and special before us.” be discovered.
so beautifully, he said, that they have
Archaeologists lifted up a piece all their alloy links – incredibly rare One theory is that the barracks
of concrete flooring while exploring survivals. was abandoned in a hurry. Birley
the foundations of the fourth-century said:
stone fortress. Much of the pottery has graffiti,
from which the archaeologists hope “There was strife. This is the pre-
They were struck by a layer of to work out the names and stories of cursor to Hadrian coming to the UK
black, sweet-smelling and perfectly some of the people who lived here. to build his wall. This is the British
preserved anaerobic soil in an area rebellion. So you can imagine a
where it was completely unexpected. The discovery is all the more emo- scenario where the guys and girls
tional for Birley, as his archaeologist at Vindolanda are told: ‘We need to
Hidden in this soil, they went on father, Robin, headed the team that leave in a hurry, just take what you
to find, were the timber walls and discovered the famous Vindolanda can carry.’ If it’s your sword or your
floors, fences, pots and animal bones writing tablets in 1973. child, you grab the child.”
from the abandoned barracks.
The new tablets may give further Courtesy of https://www.the-
To their astonishment, excavating insights. They are letters either sent guardian.com/uk-news/2017/sep/09/
about 3.5 metres down, they uncov- to, or written by, the people living in hadrians-wall-lost-secrets-roman-
ered eight rooms, with stables for those buildings. vindolanda-unearthed
horses, and living accommodation,
with ovens and fireplaces. Birley said: “So, as a collection of Submitted by Len Myers.
stuff, it doesn’t really get better than
They believe that the base was that. Some of the documents will Hurricane Irma Uncovers
home to more than 1,000 soldiers hopefully give the names, the char- Rare Canoe in Florida
and probably many thousands more acters, what they’re thinking about, Hurricane Irma is believed to have
dependants, including slaves. what they’re doing.”

The Romans had covered over A Cypress Dugout canoe found by Randy Lathrop by the Indian River after
this early barracks with concrete and Hurricane Irma. Images: Randy Shots, courtesy of http://www.ancient-origins.
heavy clay foundations before build- net/news-history-archaeology/hurricane-irma-uncovers-rare-native-american-
ing another above it. canoe-florida-008809

At Vindolanda, garrisons would www.LostTreasure.com Newsletter 11-21-17 23
arrive, build their forts and destroy
them when leaving.

Birley said: “We have got succes-
sive barracks above them, some of
which are also cavalry, but they’re
much later and not preserved with
anything like the range of material
that has come from within the anaer-
obic conditions. What you’re seeing
here is the full range of stuff, and all
those little details that normally rot
away completely.”

Cavalry swords are very rare,
even across the north-west provinces
of the Roman empire, he said, partly
because they are so thin. “They’re
very light, a couple of feet long,
designed to slash somebody as
you’re riding past, with a wickedly
sharp blade and a point.”

Other finds include copper alloy
cavalry fitments for saddles, strap
junctions and harnesses.

They are in such fine condition
that they still shine and are almost

THers' News continued...
unearthed what could be a centuries- but is most often dugout and bark truck and we struggled to get into the
old Native American canoe along the styles. Indians built these birch-bark back of the truck. It weighs almost
Indian River in Florida. canoes by trial and error. 700 pounds, but to me, it might as
well have weighed 1,000 pounds. It’s
The canoe was discovered by Once they discovered a working been water soaked for years.”
photographer Randy Lathrop who form of the boat, it has not been
happened to be riding his bike along improved much.   In the meanwhile, Lathrop had
the river. contacted the Florida Division of
Most Indian canoes were light- Historical Resources before some-
While Hurricane Irma was merci- weight, small, and fast, though the one could mistake it for debris and
less with many parts of Florida, it Iroquois built their canoes at lengths throw it away.
may have accidentally unearthed a of 30 feet.
“hidden treasure” a wooden Native Sarah Revell, a spokeswoman
American canoe that could be hun- These were used to hold up to with the department, stated that the
dreds of years old. 18 passengers or to help move mer- 15-foot-long canoe could be any-
chandise. where from several decades to sev-
Randy Lathrop, a decorated art eral hundred years old.
photographer, was on a bike ride An advantage over a row boat is
to witness with his own eyes the while in a canoe, you face forward “Florida is a treasure trove of
damage that Irma caused to his in the direction of travel. unique history and we are excited
coastal community of Cocoa, east about the recent discovery of the
of Orlando, when he noticed the odd Canoe designs varied from tribe dugout canoe,” Revell told ABC
object on the banks of the Indian to tribe but each canoe took quite a News. “As we continue to evalu-
River. bit of talent to produce. ate and learn more about the canoe,
our goal is to ensure it is preserved
“As soon as I saw it, I knew Some were sewn together while and protected for future generations
exactly what it was,” Lathrop told others used spruce gum for caulk- in the local community and across
ABC News of his rare discovery. ing. Carving was essential and some Florida to learn from and enjoy,” she
“Any time we have any kind of a burned the inside of the canoe to added.
storm, certain parts of our coastline help it become waterproof.
are just swarming with [people with] Lathrop posted Facebook photos
metal detectors because they under- Soon after discovering the rare that were shared by nearly 75,000
stand that items wash ashore after canoe, Lathrop sent a text to a people — and sparked online specu-
hurricanes,” he added. friend who specializes in underwater lation as to the canoe’s age.
archaeology, and he responded with
“I can look across the river and equal astonishment. H Ultimately, Duggins said radio-
see the launch pad and the vehicle carbon-dating results should be fin-
assembly building. It’s a real con- e asked his friend to bring his ished within the next few weeks.
trast,” Lathrop told ABC News of truck to transport the canoe to anoth-
the area where the canoe was found, er location. “Plans and logistics for the canoe’s
which is steeped in Native American long-term conservation and public
history. The narrow boat (15 feet in length display have not been finalized,” she
and weighing almost 700 pounds) told ABC News.
Canoes were the main form of proved difficult to secure.
transportation used by Native Courtesy of http://www.ancient-
American tribes living near rivers, They struggled with it, not only origins.net/news-history-archae-
lakes and oceans. because of its weight, but also the ology/hurricane-irma-uncovers-
bad weather wrought by Irma. rare-native-american-canoe-flori-
The construction and style of da-008809
canoe varies from region to region, “It looked just like a log,” Lathrop
told ABC News. And added, “My Submitted by Len Myers.
main concern was to secure it from
harm’s way. I was able to go half a
mile away and get my friend with a

Do You Know of A Treasure
Story Recently Published?
Send Us the Link at managing
[email protected]

24 LOST TREASURE Newsletter 11-21-17

Tip From the Pros

Photos of beach sweepers in action are courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_cleaning_machine
543_ and http://longislandbeachcleaning.com/equipment.html

Just finished reading worshipers) or after a major property.
“How To Treasure Hunt On storm when an abundant amount of Finding out where the deposits
seaweed and trash accumulates at are could save the treasure hunter
Coastal Beaches” valuable time if he or she was
(Lost Treasure December 2017) the high tide mark. to search that area vs walking
I know for a fact that Ocean
and would like to add City, Maryland, with its 10-mile the beach.
another tip for beach hunters. long public beach sweeps every day. As a side note, most beach
Many well used public and Also, many beaches that dot sweepers clean between 2 and 6
even some semi-private beaches the Chesapeake Bay also sweep. inches of sand, so it could pick up
use beach sweepers to clean up Sometimes the debris from
all the debris that seems to find a small beach is deposited various lost items.
on the far end of the beach
its way onto the sand. Hope this helps,
This is especially true after a or a private contractor is Les Glick
used and he deposits all the
big holiday weekend (it’s debris on a corner of his Chestertown, Maryland
amazing how much garbage is Via e-mail
left behind from all the sun

www.LostTreasure.com Newsletter 11-21-17 25

Calendar of Events
This section is provided by Lost Treasure magazine as a
free service for non-profit treasure clubs and organizations.

FEBRUARY 2018 Door Prizes, including gold nuggets, fleet wreck treasure beaches. Will
9th - 11th – Round Rock, Texas. metal detectors and more. For more include a Competition hunt and sil-
The Quartzsite, Arizona, Gold Show information, contact Richard Trusty ver and Reale hunts. Lots of prizes
at the QIA Bldg., 235 N Ironwood, at  QuartzsiteAZGoldShow@gmail. including metal detectors (AT Pro’s,
Quartzsite, Arizona, Friday – com or (651) 587-6136 or (928) Ace 350/400), scoops, headphones
Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sun. 927-5479. You can also log onto the and a lot more. The cost is $125 for
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. $5 Admission is website at QuartzsiteAZGoldshow. the whole day (all hunts) including
good for all three days. Vendors com lunch. No individual pricing. If you
inside and out selling and demon- send payment before March 1st the
strating gold prospecting equipment, MARCH 2018 cost is only $99. The fun starts at 9
nuggets, jewelry, coins and more. 10th – Wabasso, Florida. a.m. See the website for maps, forms
Speakers, demonstrations, questions Treasure Coast Archaeological and more information at www.tcas.
and answers for metal detectors Society’s 31st Annual Hunt. Only us or http://www.tcas.us/tcashunt.
and other prospecting equipment. 5 minutes from the 1715 Spanish htm

E-mail
upcoming
events to
managing
editor@lost
treasure.com

26 LOST TREASURE Newsletter 11-21-17