Treasure Set in Stone UPDATED X-RAY PHOTOS

[1liquigirl]

Gambling in Atlantic City is a thing of the past. You'll make out better on the shoreline. I run with a Garrett Ace 250 and came back with this and a few pieces that I think are bayonets, various sand pennies and the mouth of an 1800's amber brown whiskey bottle. It stormed with thunder and lightning the night before, and the surf was really pounding. The beach opened at 6AM and out I went. I turned the stone over and there it was, a chain and a shiny silver coin sticking right out at me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and after the shock wore off, you should have heard me whooping it up. I put it in my bag with the shells I had been collecting prior. I didn't care at that point about breaking any of them, to me I don't think I'll ever find anything better. About a minute after I put it in my bag, an ATV cop went by me, and I ecstatically said "Hi" to him. It was probably pretty out of place, but I couldn't help it. I held onto that bag like my life depended on it all the way back to the hotel room, to show my sleeping partner the treasure I had truly found. I wonder how long it takes to embed coins and chains in to sandstone? More than 30 years, I'm sure. We didn't head straight home, we went to a friend of ours that owns a stones and gems shop. He'd never seen anything like this before. He told us that as is, we are looking at a value of at least $400. We plan to get the stone X-rayed at some random dentist's office to see if there may be a pendant or even a gem on the chain and if we're lucky, there may be more coins. There is an indent in the rock underneath the area that the coin is showing that could have held another coin, it is completely round and about the size of a dime. There's alot of MDing that goes on along the shores of Atlantic City and alot of iron content out there, so I bet this stone could possibly have been overlooked by others more than once. I want to get all of the sand removed that is concreted on this coin, but I'm afraid to hurt it in any way. I carefully removed some of the grains of sand with a razor blade and I am sure I didn't scratch it. It is just enough to see that some letters are still present, but not enough to identify them. I refuse to do anything more to it. I trust someone out there can get it clean. The chain located in the top left of the stone in picture one and on my finger in picture two is handmade, the ends of each link are wrapped over the next loop. It is non magnetic, but has been tested for 14 ct gold and dissolved right away at our local jewelry store, so it's more likely to be bronze. A few more links are showing on the other side of the stone from where it hangs out on the other, so most of the chain could be wrapped up inside the stone. I live in Central Pennsylvania and I doubt there is anyone around here that could identify this coin, it it thinner and smaller than an American Dime, does anyone have any suggestions on who I should take this to?

Update: Update: For the latest info on where we are at in research and IDing this coin, and it's continuing story, check out my post of the same title under Today's Finds. It's been pretty popular, and I'm proud to call you all my friends. I will continue to check this post for possible IDs and suggestions. Thanks to all.

We have used Goo Gone and the sink spigot for two days (alot longer tonight than the last). It's is showing a spot in the middle of the coin it hadn't before, but not much more. We used aluminum wrapped around the coin with baking soda and hot water for about 5 minutes, it didn't help much. We're hoping to find a dentist to do a water pick trick on the coin, although none of the dentists we have called wanted to even do an X-Ray. The X-ray photos were taken at a veterinary hospital and I paid $105 dollars for them, even though I had volunteered for them back in high school. The iron has blocked the view of the inside pretty well on the larger side of the stone, but, I hope you all enjoy them. Heard back from the head of the Earth and Mineral Science Department. He gave me an e-mail address for a lady in the Anthropology Department. She has lived in Florida and has worked with shipwrecks. Just waiting now to hear back from her. Thanks for the five coin rating, on the this forum, but to see how this is progressing, the best place to go is in Today's Finds forum under the same title name. It goes to show you, that everyone wants to find treasure, but the time and effort it takes to ID and find it's place in history, takes alot of work and patience. No one sees that in the beginning, then you find something good. Please, any other suggestions would be appreciated.

[BuckleBoy]

Can you post a better photo of the stone with the coin in natural light outdoors on a sunshiny day?

Sounds like a great hunt! I'm interested in seeing better photos of the coin.


Best Wishes,


Buckleboy

[1liquigirl]

So sorry about the quality of the photos, we're forced to use a cheap cell phone camera. Looking to borrow a good digi in the next couple days and will post more photos then. As for the sunshiny day? I live in dreary central PA, I'll do my best on that.

[BuckleBoy]

So sorry about the quality of the photos, we're forced to use a cheap cell phone camera. Looking to borrow a good digi in the next couple days and will post more photos then. As for the sunshiny day? I live in dreary central PA, I'll do my best on that.

LOL! I live in Louisiana now, which is the land of sunshine--and intolerable heat. I'd take dreary PA over the oven of the south anyday.

Best Wishes,


Buckleboy

[Tuberale]

I've been hoping someone would be able to see enough of the writing to make out what it is. The thinness suggests it might be an early Spanish silver coin, but that wouldn't usually be so uniformly round. Sure is set in stone, so to speak.

[1liquigirl]

At work today, I ran into a nice gentleman who works with the Earth and Mineral Department at Penn State (got his phone number). He told me not to take this stone to Russ, the head of the department, because he's too busy. That must be why he hasn't called me back. I am hoping to get it into them Wednesday or Thursday for some tests. I'll let you know any new news as soon as I do, keep watching all. And thanks for all your help so far.

Update: We realized there's something loose inside the stone. On the thick part where the chain presents itself outwardly, even when the chain is held down motionless, it rattles when you shake this piece!!!

I know what this is, it's a lost city of Atlantis baby rattle!

[1liquigirl]

Okay, all. Here you go, X-ray photos. Weird stuff inside.

[HISPAN]

One of the coins seems a Spanish silver real, but we need better photos.....congrats for your treasure.
Greetings!

[1liquigirl]

I was up all night sleuthing and searching, zoomed in on this pic and found a matching chain! Same type of links with the two ends wrapping over the next loop and it looks to be made of the same material too. The chain could be much older than the item and put on as an afterthought. Hard to say. Dated mid century, and the seller of this item on E-bay is in Tom's River, NJ. Not too far from Atlantic City, so it could be more than just a coincidence. Great to find the chain in use for something other than flushing toilets! Will have the macro pics downloaded Monday, the latest, Tuesday.

[1liquigirl]

We may never know the true identities of any of the items this stone contains, all of these items probably originated from all over, but regardless, coin identification will happen. I spoke with a gentleman that works with the geochemistry department. I sent him an e-mail so he can see the story, the pictures, the x-rays, the posts within the Today's Finds forum here on TNet. He said that this department should be able to help with our sand concretion problem on the coin. We just may get the ID on this coin we've all been waiting for. Thanks for watching!

[SouthJerseyJim]

Ohhh. I have to disagree on that chain they look nothing alike! The one you have has large oblong links. That one the links are symetrical and smaller. Cmon and get that hammer out!

[1liquigirl]

Jim, you know I'm not busting it open. We all want to see what's in there, but I'm not gonna do it. There is one oblong link in my chain from being pulled on in the rolling surf (Don't pull my chain ) on the other visible link it's perfectly round. I should contact the seller to find out the size of the links, I guess.

[1liquigirl]

For the latest information everyone, bump to Today's Finds Thread http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.....tml#msg2549191

[Drt Dvl]

its a P W N ............"plumbers worst nightmare"

[1liquigirl]

This Mish Moshery goes to show one man's trash becomes another man's treasure