My first shipwreck coin

[McCDig]

Bound for Philadelphia from Londonderry in 1785, The Faithful Steward ran aground on shoals off the coast of Delaware, just north of the Indian River inlet. Coins from its cargo of 400 barrels of British pennies and half pennies still wash ashore. I found my first on August 17th. It is a George III Hibernia half penny with enough detail to make out a figure facing right on the obverse and the left side of the harp on the reverse. I took it to the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum in Fenwick Island and the curator, Dale Clifton, examined it and authenticated it as from the Faithful Steward wreck. For point of reference, the towers in the second pic are at the bridge over the Indian River inlet.


Have to give a plug for Dale's museum. Check it out. https://www.discoversea.com/
​

 

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[Megalodon]

One of the best things about tnet is seeing the excitement about finds. Some of us have hunted this beach for over 30 years and take it for granted. The posts here recharge the interest and I'm looking forward to returning to the beach this winter.

Smokey is right about winter after nor'easters being the best time.

 

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[McCDig]

Thanks xcopperstax! I hunted about a quarter mile stretch of beach but only gridded a few spots. Had about 3+ hours to hunt.

 

[McCDig]

Thanks Megalodon! Never know what you'll find out there. I'd like to think I could get back there this year, and in the winter as you mention. Tnet is a great forum.

 

[Megalodon]

Thanks Tommy! The only intel I had was to go about 8 to 12 telephone poles north of the inlet. That's about where this one turned up.

sssshhhhhhh......

 

[Megalodon]

Thanks Locke. I read one estimate that the 400 barrels aboard the vessel numbered near half a million. Another estimates total coinage numbering in the thousands.

There's no way it was just a few thousand. I might have seen a thousand removed after a perfect nor'easter in the mid-80's. I argued with my hunting partner for hunting Coin Beach but he wanted to hunt Ocean City. I gave in because he was more experienced with OC. But on the way home, I insisted that we stop at DE and got there just in time to see a Boy Scout troop leaving the beach - and each scout had a 5 gal bucket with coins that varied from just covering the bottom to several inches deep. No detectors - they just walked and picked them off the beach. We hunted from dusk until dark and got about a dozen each. Should have hunted there all day...

 

[Megalodon]

Thanks Megalodon! Never know what you'll find out there. I'd like to think I could get back there this year, and in the winter as you mention. Tnet is a great forum.

The park rents cabins at reduced rates in the winter and they also have educational tours, including shipwreck history, throughout the year.

The first time I hunted there, the wind had blown away a lot of the upper dry sand and, zig-zagging the beach, I found 8 or 9 blackened mercury dimes.

 

[McCDig]

Great story.....

 

[tnt-hunter]

I found one coin from the Faithful Stewart several years ago in the summer. I can’t get down there when the storms hit which is the best time.

Dale is a great resource and has a fantastic museum. The hours are very limited, but he is still an active diver and detectorist. I bought my first metal detector from him 17 years ago. I have been in his back room and he showed me some of the coins he has in his safe. Wow wow wow. He has a fantastic collection and last year he found a cob coin made out of platinum. They do exist and are quite rare. If you are ever in Fenwick Island Delaware you should go to the museum.

Congratulations on your find and keep swingin.

 

[McCDig]

tnt-hunter, thanks for that inside look into the DiscoverySea Shipwreck Museum. I knew Dale had a "back room" there, but I've never made it back that far. About the closest I got to that was one day when we were there as a family, Dale brought out the gold "money-chain" from the Atocha.

 

[McCDig]

Here is the most complete compilation I've found of references to the loss of The Faithful Steward and people affected by this tragedy.
https://notheathersgen.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-faithful-steward-shipwreck.html

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Congrats on the nice finds!

 

[smokeythecat]

The coins are found just SOUTH of the Indian River Inlet bridge all the way north to at least 1 mile NORTH of the Coast Guard Museum. Most are found between the bridge going 1 mile north. It's a LONG walk.

 

[McCDig]

Thanks Professor! Equinox 600 in Beach 1 mode dealt with wet sand nicely.​

 

[McCDig]

Thanks. I was thinking some may have been deposited just south of the inlet. I read a local story of people finding them below the inlet.

 

[Megalodon]

The coins are found just SOUTH of the Indian River Inlet bridge all the way north to at least 1 mile NORTH of the Coast Guard Museum. Most are found between the bridge going 1 mile north. It's a LONG walk.

Its even longer in the wind and rain! LOL - I walked many miles of that shore. Is there any (legal) access south of the inlet? I found the roads to the waterfront multi-million dollar homes there to be all posted. And after a storm, "the man" is employed to protect their property from those they view as looters.

 

[smokeythecat]

And it's even longer during a snow squall where the snow and sand and blowing sideways!

 

[McCDig]

If you are near Rehobeth Beach, DE this week check out this lecture on The Faithful Steward.
https://www.capegazette.com/article/faithful-steward-wreck-topic-aug-29-rehoboth-museum/187103

 

[neodetectorist]

Now THAT is a piece of history. NICE

 

[McCDig]

Thanks Mark. Yes, the ship's demise occurred yet 4+ years before George Washington would assume the Office of President.

 

[dbtweaver]

Here is the other coin found the same day just lying on top of the sand.