Capitana crew finds over 350 gold coins on 1715 Fleet Anniversary ..

Well, then you have a good excuse if MD in the wrong places.
 

Well, then you have a good excuse if MD in the wrong places.

Thx, but not going in the water if I am not sure there is no lease, don’t want to get in trouble and not fair to lease holders
 

This video made me a bit nauseated. It notions that the Florida hobbyist has no privileges as compared with the "Mel Fisher" stake claimers on the treasure coast. That coin they found should be freely findable by anyone who is eager to search, not just for the leasers! I believe that historic artifacts in the wild need to be discovered and retrieved; with all options on how to deal with the artifact beholden to the treasure finder. Let Poseidon govern the depths, not Tallahassee! For Christ sake, we're not searching the Pyramids! Florida has gone crazy with its laws on who owns the beach, recalling the new Florida law passed just this 2018 on private beach ownership. I was thinking about getting into the metal detector hobby now that I can afford the equipment in my later years. What an incredible dream that would be to uncover a piece or two of Spanish Fleet gold or silver or an emerald-laden ring not far off the shore and accessible by the amateur treasure hunter\diver\snorkeler\wader! I was excited to try out treasure hunting in Vero Beach, a few hours from my home, for this exact reason. But my endeavor into this adventure has been dashed by its regulations and limited metal detecting zones. Locating the legal jurisdiction is enough of a headache to give up. And just thinking about arguing with a park ranger about the law, to me, is like asking a Fort Myers shrimp fisherman the penalty for early withdrawal of a Roth 401k. I think the laws in this hobby need to be returned to "Finders Keeper." Though, I don't know who is to blame. Irresponsible metal detectorists who leave dig holes or trespass on private property, or the wealthy Spanish Fleet investors, who, more than likely, pay the Florida lobbyists to change the game in treasure hunting to their advantage? These discoveries on Florida's (bully-like) metal detecting regulations seems that the Florida metal detectorists have been robbed of their adventure! The regulations favor the commercial treasure hunters. Like some Silicon Valley start-up, the lessees take investor dollars in speculation of mining for profit and Wall Street returns. How is this historical preservation? There's a lot of control in this Archeological and Historic Preservation Act (AHPA). Let's hope the rules change for the detectorists Hobbyers before all the gold is gone.
 

This video made me a bit nauseated......................

Which video are you referring to?

I'm trying to make sure I understand you correctly.
Are you saying there should be no such thing as an offshore lease? Just a "wild west" scenario of first come first serve?

I think you will get some input.
(for the record, I'm a fairly new shore based detectorist.)
 


Which video are you referring to?

I'm trying to make sure I understand you correctly.
Are you saying there should be no such thing as an offshore lease? Just a "wild west" scenario of first come first serve?

I think you will get some input.
(for the record, I'm a fairly new shore based detectorist.)


Think he is referring to link in post #7. Yep, would be a rodeo out there
 

I hate to say it but metal detecting in state waters won’t get you far anyway regardless of the laws pertaining to leased sites because it is a 3rd degree felony from what I understand to remove anything 50 years or older from state waters and you are not supposed to disturb the bottom (excavate) without a lease anywhere... so yes, effectively the folks we pay to safeguard “our” history it turns out have decided to use the color of authority to make laws that have outlawed finding and recovering our own history... welcome to a “free country”...
 

I hate to say it but metal detecting in state waters won’t get you far anyway regardless of the laws pertaining to leased sites because it is a 3rd degree felony from what I understand to remove anything 50 years or older from state waters and you are not supposed to disturb the bottom (excavate) without a lease anywhere... so yes, effectively the folks we pay to safeguard “our” history it turns out have decided to use the color of authority to make laws that have outlawed finding and recovering our own history... welcome to a “free country”...

Well said Mike, its a sad state of affairs
 

This video made me a bit nauseated. It notions that the Florida hobbyist has no privileges as compared with the "Mel Fisher" stake claimers on the treasure coast. That coin they found should be freely findable by anyone who is eager to search, not just for the leasers! I believe that historic artifacts in the wild need to be discovered and retrieved; with all options on how to deal with the artifact beholden to the treasure finder. Let Poseidon govern the depths, not Tallahassee! For Christ sake, we're not searching the Pyramids! Florida has gone crazy with its laws on who owns the beach, recalling the new Florida law passed just this 2018 on private beach ownership. I was thinking about getting into the metal detector hobby now that I can afford the equipment in my later years. What an incredible dream that would be to uncover a piece or two of Spanish Fleet gold or silver or an emerald-laden ring not far off the shore and accessible by the amateur treasure hunter\diver\snorkeler\wader! I was excited to try out treasure hunting in Vero Beach, a few hours from my home, for this exact reason. But my endeavor into this adventure has been dashed by its regulations and limited metal detecting zones. Locating the legal jurisdiction is enough of a headache to give up. And just thinking about arguing with a park ranger about the law, to me, is like asking a Fort Myers shrimp fisherman the penalty for early withdrawal of a Roth 401k. I think the laws in this hobby need to be returned to "Finders Keeper." Though, I don't know who is to blame. Irresponsible metal detectorists who leave dig holes or trespass on private property, or the wealthy Spanish Fleet investors, who, more than likely, pay the Florida lobbyists to change the game in treasure hunting to their advantage? These discoveries on Florida's (bully-like) metal detecting regulations seems that the Florida metal detectorists have been robbed of their adventure! The regulations favor the commercial treasure hunters. Like some Silicon Valley start-up, the lessees take investor dollars in speculation of mining for profit and Wall Street returns. How is this historical preservation? There's a lot of control in this Archeological and Historic Preservation Act (AHPA). Let's hope the rules change for the detectorists Hobbyers before all the gold is gone.

Mel Fisher and the state of Florida went to court over salvaging of those wrecks. Mel Fisher won, had he lost, the state of Florida would have full posession of those wrecks and nobody would be allowed near them

Would you like to see something like this instead of the leases

Wreck of the HMS Fowey

Legare Anchorage is an off-limits marine zone in Biscayne National Park. Legare Anchorage encompasses an area 2.5 miles square located to the east of Sands Key. You are not allowed to stop your boat, snorkel, dive, fish, or anchor in this area. The only activity allowed is trolling. Check out the chart below for the location of Legare Anchorage. This area is actively patrolled, so don't even think about sticking your head in the water (or even an underwater viewing device);
 

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Freakin amazing coins you gotta be kiddin me
 

AZcoins why are you posting all these replys?
 

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