Treasure chest

Blak bart

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2016
18,649
98,278
FL keys
🥇 Banner finds
5
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Mine lab primary fisher secondary
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
This was given to me today. I dont know what to think. This guys grandpop owned holiday isle in the keys. Some treasure hunters owed him money and this was part of the payment. He says his grandpop was given 6 of these chests. This one was the worst of the bunch. One of them came with coins in it. I get to see the coins sometime this week. I saw some very nice cutlasses and swords too. All the good stuff is locked up and put away. I hope to see the rest soon. What do you guys think ? It seems to be partially restored as the inside is copper lined and looks quite nice. One of the other chests has marks on the bottom. I will take pics when I see it photo-152.JPG
photo-151.JPG
photo-150.JPG
All I know is I love it. I will definitely try to preserve it better. Got to put some coins in it.
 

OP
OP
Blak bart

Blak bart

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2016
18,649
98,278
FL keys
🥇 Banner finds
5
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Mine lab primary fisher secondary
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Oops I posted twice. I dont know how to fix that. ??? Here are some other pics of my new chest. photo-154.JPG
photo-153.JPG
 

jeff of pa

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 19, 2003
85,929
59,725
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
even without a treasure inside.
That is cool :icon_thumright:

Thanks for posting it !
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,307
131,905
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well well well... just caught this thread.

Super cool.
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,307
131,905
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Any way I could get some close ups of the hardware... and inside plate ?
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,307
131,905
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
BTW... you might want to know...

This is not a "treasure" chest...
This is what is called a "money chest".
 

OP
OP
Blak bart

Blak bart

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2016
18,649
98,278
FL keys
🥇 Banner finds
5
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Mine lab primary fisher secondary
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
BTW... you might want to know...

This is not a "treasure" chest...
This is what is called a "money chest".

I like money chests too. Ill take some close ups of the hardware and inside in a little bit and post them. Hope to get the story from grandma soon. Cant wait to see the goodies that are locked up. They know how much im in to treasure and could think of no one else who would cherish it more than me. Very nice of them to give it to me.
 

SD51

Silver Member
Aug 24, 2016
4,832
9,957
MI
Detector(s) used
E-TRAC
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Cool... finding one of those and some how getting it back home is on my bucket list! Were there ever pirates in Michigan?
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,307
131,905
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I like money chests too. Ill take some close ups of the hardware and inside in a little bit and post them. Hope to get the story from grandma soon. Cant wait to see the goodies that are locked up. They know how much im in to treasure and could think of no one else who would cherish it more than me. Very nice of them to give it to me.

Hey... a money chest is just as cool as a treasure chest...
Notice the "slot" in the top...
This is indicative of a monies chest.
Able to drop the coinage in without opening.

this type may have been an early collection box... perhaps a tax of some sort... or payments box.
Regardless...
If that thing could talk...heh.
 

ivan salis

Gold Member
Feb 5, 2007
16,794
3,809
callahan,fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
delta 4000 / ace 250 - used BH and many others too
now to find out exactly where those chest came from and the details of those treasurer hunters ...like where they were diving at ect ..or mucking about on land ---where there are some chest there might be more of them they didn't find...
 

OP
OP
Blak bart

Blak bart

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2016
18,649
98,278
FL keys
🥇 Banner finds
5
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Mine lab primary fisher secondary
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks AARC. I thought you might know somthing about it. I wondered about the slot in the top , and dropping money in did cross my mind. The box might not be able to talk , but grandma will have some insight to the origins. One box is marked possibly with east india trade mark symbol. All my info is coming from the grandson. Cant wait to see the others and here wich treasure hunter they got them from. Many treasure boats stayed at there docks during the treasure boom of the 1960's. Grandson says one box of the 6 came with at least 100 cob type coins in it. Treasure boat owed dock rent so paid with artifacts and the coins. Wow!! Only in the keys. !! Cant wait to see the coins. Ill take pics if grandma says I can.
 

ivan salis

Gold Member
Feb 5, 2007
16,794
3,809
callahan,fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
delta 4000 / ace 250 - used BH and many others too
ah the BRITISH EAST INDIA TRADING COMPANY -- OR THE DUTCH ONE ? -- if the "money box" had a slot the locked box might have only had a key to open it in England upon return --think of it -- the trading locations in the Carribean having locked boxes that their daily take for doing business goes into and a ship comes by every so often to pick up the full locked boxes for transport back to England for cashing in and drop off empty ones --sort of like the way armored cars pick up locked money bags from stores and take it to banks these days..
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,307
131,905
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hmmmm...

"One box is marked possibly with east india trade mark symbol" ... now this I have to see.

For several reasons...
ONE... is... They were "flamboyant" per say... in orther words... the crafts and goods associated with their mark were always of "top" quality...
...
What I am getting at is... this chest is of a "crude" nature... "un refined"... and does not really "fit" into the "style".
BUT...
IF,,,
They marked one of these... this would have a "story"... perhaps ? ... get where I am going with this ?

I am dying to see pics of THAT chest. heh
PLEASE > :)
(pretty please)... and close ups *drool*.

Anyway... these (beings there are multiples)... may point to some sort of "collection" boxes...
Like Ivan described is correct.

Hey man... taxes have been around since sheesh...
And they sure as heck weren't "making change" with a box like that. heh

But... who knows... maybe I will dust off some research on this... for I am intrigued ... FULLY.
 

OP
OP
Blak bart

Blak bart

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2016
18,649
98,278
FL keys
🥇 Banner finds
5
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Mine lab primary fisher secondary
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Here are some more pics. photo-161.JPG
photo-160.JPG photo-159.JPG
photo-158.JPG
photo-157.JPG
photo-156.JPG
photo-155.JPG
I dont know it looks awful new inside and I see some small modern type nails. I sure do love it though. Any one is allowed to drop coins through the slot. Ivan thats an awsome picture you paint. I love that scenario. !!! Looksclike somthing was screwed to the bottom of the chest. Bottom has to have been replaced. Maybe its a good fake.
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,307
131,905
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Heh... Copper is like that.
Lasts forever.

Hence why it is / was used.
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,307
131,905
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If this isa fake... its one hell of good one.
 

OP
OP
Blak bart

Blak bart

Gold Member
Jun 6, 2016
18,649
98,278
FL keys
🥇 Banner finds
5
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Mine lab primary fisher secondary
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If this isa fake... its one hell of good one.

Im leaning towards partly restored. Its got me fired up!! Im going to check the cob spot on the king tide we have now.
 

ivan salis

Gold Member
Feb 5, 2007
16,794
3,809
callahan,fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
delta 4000 / ace 250 - used BH and many others too
I'm of the school of real "money" box with repairs made upon it after it was recovered ...looks very legit to me .. multiple boxes could mean the ship was on a pick up route to different east indian trade locations ... to pick up the money made from the trading store locations ..much the way a armored car service --picks up at various stores these days ...the days take in coinage would have been recorded and deposited in the boxes and say every month or so a ship came by and dropped off a fresh empty box and took the box with money along with daily ledgerreceipts back home
 

patiodadio

Hero Member
Feb 28, 2014
578
592
KY
Detector(s) used
Whites 4000D
Garrett ATPro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Looks just like you would expect to see a treasure / money / jewel / chest :notworthy: Looks like the outside has a lot of wear (maybe sand / surf ?) and the inside would still be in good shape if the box was closed. Great find !
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top