🥇 BANNER Does Coral beep? yes, when its full of coins!!!

[BVI Hunter]

Could'nt work out why this lump of coral (in 2 ft of water) at the beach kept "hitting"?

brought it home and it started to fall apart in my bag - WOW!!!

just need to identify them and work out how to save / clean them

any ideas

thanks!!

 

[WilliamH]

USVI?

United States Virgin Islands

 

[DFW_THer]

By the way, the bidding war did not go on for "29" times. I think with all the left bids they received before the auction, he opened it up at something like $20,000. With so much interest, I think it quickly moved up to 50K, and then as bid increments are increased at that level there was probably only 5 at the most still bidding. Though, I did not watch the auction live, my partner did. I was busy and forgot what time it was going off. Also I really did not put a lot of interest in it due to the low pre-auction estimates. My business partner was watching live on the computer, while I was puttering around the store dealing with a customer, and he used to have a nasty habit of not saying anything till the auction ended. When it did, he said the Deskey sold for 10K, and I was okay that's real good. Then he said x 11, and I was like, what the f--K did you just say? And he goes it sold for 110k. That's when I flipped out. It wasn't till Monday (sale was Saturday) that we found out the actual price was 115k. Needless to say, we don't buy lottery tickets, we go to estate sales.

I love everything about this post. I also love seeing something that honestly looks like junk being bid up to 115K. Thanks for the info and I'm glad you posted it up. People seem to like concrete evidence around here...

 

[BVI Hunter]

United States Virgin Islands

I am in the British Virgin Islands

 

[Jeff95531]

I am in the British Virgin Islands

TMI BVI, TMI lol

 

[BVI Hunter]

TMI BVI, TMI lol

even more confused now!!

 

[WildDigger]

even more confused now!!

TMI means to much info

 

[Jeff95531]

BVIHunter? Just get back there, do what you did and find that rotted chest! You are running out of time due to the storms you know are coming!
I'm just saying, in my humble opinion. Go get that silver! I'm sorry, did I say that? Well I meant it! Most amazing thread of all time btw.

 

[BVI Hunter]

TMI means to much info

Ha! Cool!
All these letters confuse me, especially as its been so long since I lived in the "real world"!!

 

[BVI Hunter]

BVIHunter? Just get back there, do what you did and find that rotted chest! You are running out of time due to the storms you know are coming!
I'm just saying, in my humble opinion. Go get that silver! I'm sorry, did I say that? Well I meant it! Most amazing thread of all time btw.

Have not been back to the site too much, as I don't want to draw attention to it - its a very small island that no one has reason to go to (not god fishing, quite barren, not tourist activities, rocky with little beach etc)
I have pulled up some musket and flintlock pistols parts, as well as more shot and canon balls, plus a few items I don't want to reveal just yet.
I have started plotting these finds on a GPS, and have mapped on Google Earth, a distinctive "line" of finds, heading in a curve toward a small lagoon / bay.

In talking to the old locals etc, one or two said they used to swim there as kids while there fathers were fishing and they talk of seeing "the big occurs"......

(I have not spelt that right, its a creole word which roughly translates into PEN*S) but asking others it seems they have seen something man-made on the sea bed but cant say what it is.

Its too deep for me to snorkel or free dive, and I need to get out there without drawing attention to it, once I get my PADI this month.

I'm thinking its a canon.

 

[WildDigger]

I hope it is a canon. That would be cool. Hope you find more treasure there also.

 

[soakednova]

Any update with getting them separated successfully?

 

[huntsman53]

I am glad that I found this Thread and may still have time to offer some advice! IMHO, you should seriously and quickly seek out some legal advice, the laws concerning salvaging a shipwreck, filing a claim on the wreck as an unknown (name to be determined later) to secure the soul rights to it's salvage from the beaches out to a mile or even more if you think it is needed and look into security to protect the wreck, what it was carrying and the salvage operation. I spent 6 years in Key West with my job and knew Mel Fisher personally as well as his wife and one of his underwater salvage photographers (sold him my' maroon/red 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix). If you have been in contact with anyone with the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum or their' salvage operations, I can't understand why they would not advise you of doing these things. If you don't, a Salvage Company can come in, file claims and take everything right out from under you! The next thing you have to worry about is when the wreck is identified, is whether or not Spain will file a claim demanding that everything that was found concerning the shipwreck be returned to them, with the old argument that Spain never abandoned the wreck because they did not know where to look.

Anyway, super nice find, congrats on the Banner and I hope that you are able to salvage and keep or sell the entire contents of the wreck!


Frank

 

[BVI Hunter]

Any update with getting them separated successfully?

still in a clump - and for now will leave them that way - maybe these will be my reminder of how it all started!!!

 

[BVI Hunter]

I am glad that I found this Thread and may still have time to offer some advice! IMHO, you should seriously and quickly seek out some legal advice, the laws concerning salvaging a shipwreck, filing a claim on the wreck as an unknown (name to be determined later) to secure the soul rights to it's salvage from the beaches out to a mile or even more if you think it is needed and look into security to protect the wreck, what it was carrying and the salvage operation. I spent 6 years in Key West with my job and knew Mel Fisher personally as well as his wife and one of his underwater salvage photographers (sold him my' maroon/red 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix). If you have been in contact with anyone with the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum or their' salvage operations, I can't understand why they would not advise you of doing these things. If you don't, a Salvage Company can come in, file claims and take everything right out from under you! The next thing you have to worry about is when the wreck is identified, is whether or not Spain will file a claim demanding that everything that was found concerning the shipwreck be returned to them, with the old argument that Spain never abandoned the wreck because they did not know where to look.

Anyway, super nice find, congrats on the Banner and I hope that you are able to salvage and keep or sell the entire contents of the wreck!


Frank

Many thanks Frank, for the very good advice!

I hear what you are saying and take it on board (no pun intended!) I have taken some legal advice, which needs to be handled carefully here, being such a small community etc, and have a trustworthy professional doing some research on this potential area / ships lost etc.
Early indications indicate that this bay / lagoon would have been the ideal sheltered spot to head for shelter in a storm etc??

As a footnote; I did contact the Mel Fisher office early on, but no one returned my emails? I have now had to proceed down another path.

also, not just the Spanish to consider, but French & Dutch too!

thanks again - more updates to follow hopefully!!

 

[BVI Hunter]

Picture Update

some other items found along the "trail"

Plan to get out with an underwater camera this weekend...

View attachment 815952View attachment 815953View attachment 815954View attachment 815955



The glass is very thick and obviously handmade.
iron "shackle" and hand made nails.

 

[screwynewy]

I have to admit that I am quite jealous of your treasure hunting opportunity. It's not everyday that you find an early shipwreck site to hunt. Please continue to post updates and picture of your finds. It is the closest I will come to being able to hunt a site like this one. Good luck!

 

[BVI Hunter]

I have to admit that I am quite jealous of your treasure hunting opportunity. It's not everyday that you find an early shipwreck site to hunt. Please continue to post updates and picture of your finds. It is the closest I will come to being able to hunt a site like this one. Good luck!

Thanks!
Its not confirmed yet, but I am quietly excited about the possibility.....

 

[huntsman53]

Many thanks Frank, for the very good advice!

I hear what you are saying and take it on board (no pun intended!) I have taken some legal advice, which needs to be handled carefully here, being such a small community etc, and have a trustworthy professional doing some research on this potential area / ships lost etc.
Early indications indicate that this bay / lagoon would have been the ideal sheltered spot to head for shelter in a storm etc??

As a footnote; I did contact the Mel Fisher office early on, but no one returned my emails? I have now had to proceed down another path.

also, not just the Spanish to consider, but French & Dutch too!

thanks again - more updates to follow hopefully!!

I was and am only glad to help! I would hate to see a Salvage Company come in and take everything right out from under you after all of your hard work and finds! By just contacting some of these, you might have opened the door for some to start snooping, so beware.

The research is the really hard part in determining what ship the wreck may be! However, some of the Ships Logs from that time period may indicate one or more possibilities as most of the Ship's Captains would log entries as to seeing a specific ship or ships headed to safety during a storm that was never to seen or heard from again. Although I am no expert, the coins appear to me to be of Spanish in origin but I can see why you might want to consider French & Dutch ships as well since the square bottomed bottle is clearly a 1700's Dutch Rum Bottle. However, in the 1700's, it was not uncommon for a Spanish Galleon Ship to stop in a port and take on plenty of stores of good Rum or find these items on a Pirate Ship! A friend of mine in Key West found and collected dozens of these same bottles with the square bottom and if you find a neck from one or more, they will have a round seal where the neck and body of the bottle meet which can be identified if they are in good enough shape. Also, I wanted to point out that from the amount of finds and the variety of objects that you have found, there is very little doubt that these came from anything other than a shipwreck!

I will truly keep my' fingers crossed for your success and patiently wait for the story and more pictures of your shipwreck find! Take care, be safe & vigilant and good luck!


Frank

 

[BVI Hunter]

I was and am only glad to help! I would hate to see a Salvage Company come in and take everything right out from under you after all of your hard work and finds! By just contacting some of these, you might have opened the door for some to start snooping, so beware.

The research is the really hard part in determining what ship the wreck may be! However, some of the Ships Logs from that time period may indicate one or more possibilities as most of the Ship's Captains would log entries as to seeing a specific ship or ships headed to safety during a storm that was never to seen or heard from again. Although I am no expert, the coins appear to me to be of Spanish in origin but I can see why you might want to consider French & Dutch ships as well since the square bottomed bottle is clearly a 1700's Dutch Rum Bottle. However, in the 1700's, it was not uncommon for a Spanish Galleon Ship to stop in a port and take on plenty of stores of good Rum or find these items on a Pirate Ship! A friend of mine in Key West found and collected dozens of these same bottles with the square bottom and if you find a neck from one or more, they will have a round seal where the neck and body of the bottle meet which can be identified if they are in good enough shape. Also, I wanted to point out that from the amount of finds and the variety of objects that you have found, there is very little doubt that these came from anything other than a shipwreck!

I will truly keep my' fingers crossed for your success and patiently wait for the story and more pictures of your shipwreck find! Take care, be safe & vigilant and good luck!


Frank

many many thanks for your advice and words or wisdom!

 

[Uncle Jeff]

I will tell all my friends. Ah Yes, BVI Hunter, I knew him before he became famous