I found something, still not sure what.

[sprice]

Ok guys, I'm not a treasure hunter, but a couple weeks ago we found what appears to be a gold/bronze/brass rod sticking out of a charred piece of wood. If I find out what it is, where would I go online to find out if it's an artifact that I can keep or if it's something that I may need to turn over to someone else?

 

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[Noodle]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

Let's summarize:

1. A gold rod through wood
2. Jeweler wants to claim taxes on it
3. Four shipwrecks in the vicinity.
4. Two of the ships were burned.
5. All four ships are claimed by the government.
6. All ships are Nationally Registered.
7. Get a lawyer

A gold rod through wood?

Possible sources for said "gold rod" through wood are government owned and nationally registered.
Jeweler wants $$ to check gold content, explains tax-claim with it.

Hmmmmm.

Ain't gonna touch this one... :P

 

[guzz1]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

I would think, And I could be wrong But if it washed up on the beach and and someone found it,, its there"s kinda like , finders keepers .. but to be on the safe side , I would consult a lawyer before I would do anything impulsive, Just to cover your buns , You Know what I mean. good luck . let us know how you make out ..... guzz1

 

[Korban]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

Tell everyone its bronze and keep it hidden away for awhile. Dont take it back to the jewler. Im sure theres other ways to tell if its gold.

 

[allen_idaho]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

A gold rod? That doesn't sound right. Are you sure it isn't brass or bronze?

 

[taropatch]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

A gold rod? That doesn't sound right. Are you sure it isn't brass or bronze?

My initial reaction too

 

[steve71]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

WHY TAKE IT TO ANYBODY?UNLESS YOUR GOING TO SELL IT.IF YOU THINK ITS GOLD TAKE IT TO A PAWNSHOP THEY WILL TEST IT FOR FREE.KEEP IT AT HOME AND DO RESEARCH YOURSELF ON WHAT IT IS.

 

[G.I.B.]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

Florida Law Chapter 267 can be located at: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0267/ch0267.htm



In part, you will be interested in (since you asked about the legality of it all)



(3) "Historic property" or "historic resource" means any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, object, or other real or personal property of historical, architectural, or archaeological value, and folklife resources. These properties or resources may include, but are not limited to, monuments, memorials, Indian habitations, ceremonial sites, abandoned settlements, sunken or abandoned ships, engineering works, treasure trove, artifacts, or other objects with intrinsic historical or archaeological value, or any part thereof, relating to the history, government, and culture of the state.



267.13 Prohibited practices; penalties.--

(1)(a) Any person who by means other than excavation either conducts archaeological field investigations on, or removes or attempts to remove, or defaces, destroys, or otherwise alters any archaeological site or specimen located upon, any land owned or controlled by the state or within the boundaries of a designated state archaeological landmark or landmark zone, except in the course of activities pursued under the authority of a permit or under procedures relating to accredited institutions granted by the division, commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, and, in addition, shall forfeit to the state all specimens, objects, and materials collected, together with all photographs and records relating to such material.



(c) Any person who offers for sale or exchange any object with knowledge that it has previously been collected or excavated in violation of any of the terms of ss. 267.11-267.14, or who procures, counsels, solicits, or employs any other person to violate any prohibition contained in ss. 267.11-267.14 or to sell, purchase, exchange, transport, receive, or offer to sell, purchase, or exchange any archaeological resource excavated or removed from any land owned or controlled by the state or within the boundaries of a designated state archaeological landmark or landmark zone, except with the express consent of the division, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, and any vehicle or equipment of any person used in connection with the violation is subject to forfeiture to the state if it is determined by any court of law that such vehicle or equipment was involved in the violation. All specimens, objects, and material collected or excavated, together with all photographs and records relating to such material, shall be forfeited to the state. The court may also order the defendant to make restitution to the state for the archaeological or commercial value and cost of restoration and repair as defined in subsection (4).

 

[The-Bone]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

how's about a picture? would love to see what this looks like....secondly, i would either melt it down or cut it up and sell it that way....it will do you a hell of a lot more good than some fat cat in the state.

 

[pollibr]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

sounds like it might me gold that might have been contraband illegally brought on the ship, probably painted black to look like a nail and hammered into the wood on the ship. this happened quite a bit so taxes would not have to be paid on the gold being brought on to the ship.....Check with Bob Weller, I bet he can give an explaination on it, I believe I read somewhere in one of his books that this was a practice done on the 1715 fleet.

 

[Glenn-RI]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

I saw a post on another forum where someone said they saw a similar story on the news Sunday morning. They said the story was about someone metal detecting had found a board that supposedly had 4 gold nails. That one was on Plum Island in Massachusetts. No one was able to find the news story and verify it.

 

[Tim Williams]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

Post a picture and let see if some one can identify it.

Don't give it to anyone. Find someone that knows about treasure in your area and ask him. Pay taxes on what! If you sell it yeah!

Tim

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

I would take it to a pawn shop and ask them to check it, or you can also buy your own acid to test it yourself.

The guy who caught worthless Bonds record home run was informed by IRS it was taxable once a value was put on it.

As far as the State is concerned, they believe they own everything that was ever lost, ever found, or will ever be found past, present and future so..............I would remember the military's, "Don't ask don't tell policy"....

Most of our artifacts are buried in boxes, drawers, and so on hidden away from public's view.

 

[Kas]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

Exactly. Test it yourself and don't tell anyone were you find things of real value. If anyone asked where you found it if you go to sell it, say you dug it up in your own backyard and there isn't anymore there.

Another example of why you should keep your finds to yourself.

On a side note, there are laws against removing things from historic sites. What makes you think you had the premission to hunt there in the first place. So, you got away with it. SHHHHHHUSH!

 

[rsc]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

You can buy a gold test kit yourself on E*** for around $20. Then you do not have to trust a jeweler. That way at least you know if it is real or not, and can then decide what to do with it. Thanks Gayle

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

One thing I would never do if anything of a major value is ever found other then on your own property is go to a public board and post it as "I think I found something BIG!!."

Much better to have asked "how can I test something to tell if it is gold"

I don't know if your old enough to remember "Hogan's Heros" but Sgt Schultz said it bestl........“I see nothing, nothing!”


Sgt Schults was Col" Klink’s bumbling, highly unmilitary sergeant of the guard. Schultz is a basically good-hearted man who, when confronted by the shenanigans of the prisoners, will simply look away, repeating “I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing!” or, more commonly as the series went on, simply “I see nothing, nothing!” in order to avoid becoming involved in any way. This eventually became a catch phrase of the series." ........From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Good luck and good hunting............

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

When I lived in Missouri a friend of mine was walking a wide stone stream that flows in and out of a State Park, he was approached by a man not in uniform and asked what he was doing. He told the truth and said he was hunting for artifacts, the man produced a park ranger badge, told him he was on state property and demanded any artifacts he had found.

My friend was walking on land he thought was out of the park, he had a map but no GPS, he did not want to argue it so he took what he had found so far out of his pocket and threw them as far as he could down the stream and told him if he wanted them he had to go look for them like he had.

The ranger got angry, but did not arrest or ticket him as he had nothing on him.

 

[steve71]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

When I lived in Missouri a friend of mine was walking a wide stone stream that flows in and out of a State Park, he was approached by a man not in uniform and asked what he was doing. He told the truth and said he was hunting for artifacts, the man produced a park ranger badge, told him he was on state property and demanded any artifacts he had found.

My friend was walking on land he thought was out of the park, he had a map but no GPS, he did not want to argue it so he took what he had found so far out of his pocket and threw them as far as he could down the stream and told him if he wanted them he had to go look for them like he had.

The ranger got angry, but did not arrest or ticket him as he had nothing on him.

you can look for artifacts on any state federal park as long as you dont take them from there.thats what our parks are for.to look at wildlife and the history of the area.no laws for just looking at them.just cant take them home.fact

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Re: I think we found something BIG!! Plz Help!

"Fact was" he was in a stream on private land that he had permission to hunt that also happens to border a state park, the stream runs through the park.

There are no fences, no signs, nothing that tells you where the state park begins and the private land ends there. There are no roads entering park there, he walked upstream hunting the stream. I know as I have hunted the same stream myself. It is shallow in the summer, many times no deeper then a couple feet in places and hard bottom. He was in the middle of the stream and said he felt he was still on private land but knew it would be his word against the ranger and knew it would be a lost cause to argue.

I know of a county park here that has a natural spring in it, their rules say you can hunt the shore, but you cant go into the water with a detector, but yet there are at least one if not two employees who hunt the water after hours.

 

[allen_idaho]

No uniform, he was bogus. Fake badge.