Gold Hawg: 1715 Fleet Find

GatorBoy said:
I would sure love to see the entire collection of gold found on this site all in one place!
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You and me both Gator Boy ..have to find a news clipping I have of I think 40 pounds of gold in a 1980s season. Douglas (NCB) is an amazing site. My first impressions of the 1715 Fleet were the finds from this area.....before I started would see john Brandon at his round table near the window in Harbor House Ft Pierce some of you will remember stacks of coins , and the show and tell of gold. Harold and Moe and Wellers ...it was the place of the "carpet of gold" and the first time I saw the Gold Reliquary of Harold's I could not believe the weight, the feel. To see it all would be something. A collection of photos would be something too. Should be worked on.

I don't know what's in our future. I know that golden bird from Douglas looked me in the eye and I will never be the same.
 

Well said..
You are part of a very blessed and small group to have been a part of that in person.
That's the stuff lifelong inspiration is made of.
I've made some finds in my time but reading your account of the Pelican and thinking about the "carpet" of escutos gives me chills.
From before and including Mel Fisher ..to your mother and yourself.. now BootySalvage and everyone in between it would be an awesome and staggering display.
Something I'm sure many would pay to see.
 

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I was able to see Brandon's loot in 1981. Bear with me but it is an interesting story...

While THing since 1967; I eventually, hooked up with a detecting friend who visited detector mfgs. out west. He established a So. Fla. distributorship for many major brands... Mostly, he sold detectors thru mail order and at weekend shows. For awhile I also sold detectors through his distributorship but, I was more interested in hunting at Sebastian area and for relics. Over a period of 4 years I was able to assemble a list of hobbyists who resided in Dade & Broward; and sometimes, we'd call everyone together for a weekend search at some old park or school. Taking this list, I started a metal detecting club in Broward County; eventually getting state not for profit corporation status as we donated to restore a few historic buildings and we were used by the county on city digs, donating interesting finds to their museum. Also in our membership were divers who were working wrecks in south Florida. I becoming a certified diver in 1975 thru NASDS, attempted to work with the divers but it was kept quite secretive among a group who also represented the Underwater Marine Archeology Council for Broward Co..

I quit my non-profit organization in the late 1980's after my detecting friend passed at the early age of 39. At that time I was asked to first serve as an advisor for archeology; and eventually, an archeologist for the county. I accepted, but truly wanted to serve on the Marine Archeology council. Hence, I passed the torch of selling detectors through the club and through distributorship to another friend Kevin Reilly. He started a detector shop in Pompano Beach. I closed out the N.P Corp. status at the same time as some members chose not to donate their time for the museums goals and for preservation and we had fewer and fewer volunteers showing up for these projects. Kevin became president after I became less involved. Eventually, he moved the club to Pompano Beach and renamed it the South Florida Treasure Hunting Club. It still exists today but no original members other than me are still around.

Anyhow, I, with permission from the county, held first meeting in the Broward Co. Red Cross building on the west side of I-95 in 1981 and here we began the club. I assembled 40-45 members, including divers. For a draw, I called Mel Fisher and asked if he could bring some items to display and give a talk. He was busy looking for some wreck and had to cancel. However, Taffi called me and said she would send John Brandon instead. John showed up with two or three divers and he scattered across the table many gold doubloons; gold chain; and, a few emeralds ... if I recall correctly. Also, he had silver reales and some nice artifacts from the wrecks. It was a pile and it was a rememberable meeting -- more for some than others. Because, why he was displaying all that valuable treasure in the meeting room, someone was outside in the parking lot stealing batteries from several of our vehicles. It was the last time we held meetings at that location. Some of those local divers present, including Mr. Singer, went on to survey Broward Co. shipwrecks for the county, diving on the Gil Blas and I believe, pretty much getting involved in the groundwork for the 1986 shipwreck symposium.
 

Good stuff.
I love hearing about our local guys..and gals... I wish I had been involved back then..things were so different.
 

Awesome Find ! Wow ! What wreck site was the bird found on, does anyone know ? WOW !
 

UPDATE: The other wing of the pelican has been found! Closure that is 10 years in the making.

Ropefish posted this on FB. Congratulations to Henry Jones, Tracy Newman, Brian Fisher and the crew and principals of the M/V Perfect Day.

Pelican.jpgPelican wing.jpg

 

So coool....how incredible is that !!
 

capthawk said:
Let's just say I have been a little too excited to write more - in fact hard to take photos when you are still shaking!

I found it south of Ft. Pierce inlet at the Douglas Beach site - one of the shipwreck sites of the 1715 Fleet disaster. 16' of water, sand bottom.
It was the 4th hole of the day. top to bottom vis (a joy in itself). "Gold Hawg" C-11 is a 30' West Coast Fisherman built in 1963.
Some of you might remember her as Frank Petersen's "Boca Chica" C-50. Run a 3208 Cat diesel - 375 Hp. Dry stack so can't hear yourself think. Mom helps topside, and I do the diving. I'm in and out between blowing to position the boat so use a hookah hose on a tank - keep six in a rack. Aquapulse AQ1B detector.

Strong classic "beer can" knock your ears out hit in the base of the berm. Hand fanned down about elbow depth between two slabs, v- shaped hole with the berm sifting down to fill it up. Getting louder but real defined. Grey dark sand swirling around and it cleared and I am looking at this beautiful golden bird laying there - on its side with the head up - just perfect and very, very unreal. Going thru my mind was it's a bird, a gold bird, a gold bird lying there - there's a gold bird in front of me and it looked so big under water and so impossibly gold - I picked it up and out of habit swung the loop again and then hey I'v got to go up!

My Mom said she could see the gold shining before I surfaced - my first words were "oh my God is it real?" Always wondered what I'd do if I ever found something really great -I found out - you take it in the cabin - put it in a safe container and GO BACK TO WORK because there is a sudden blast of energy and you feel as if you could hand fan away that 6 feet of sand! Worked the rest of the day, went home tired, got up at 3 am and had to look at the bird again. Checked the weather and swell up.



Took it into the lab Monday. Could hardly tell Bill Moore on the phone what I had found: his work with the database and research was what put me in the right area. He thought we were bringing in a "little" gold piece and Mom walked in with this shining in a plastic mask case!

**** 22K gold, 177 grams - 5 1/2 inches tall***
Likely a type of eagle, with a bold look to the eye. The research has begun - seems the design was to hold something - but what?
A bezoar stone, a type of scented sachet or pomade, oil, incense -- was it a piece of jewelry, an ornament, a religious
item?? The design is so detailed, so well thought out - the legs of the bird pin down into the Fleur -de- lis base with gold pins that
are flared at the bottom -like mini cotter pins - the talons of the bird are crossed (like crossed toes) not bent but crossed! Each support is hinged with tiny gold
pins. One wing is missing - somehow lost in the last 295 years. I hope to find it and perhaps discover what belongs in the center. A ring on top of the neck and also the wing indicate missing chains as well. The search goes on ...

This is why we search - it is a privilege to bring ashore an item like this, to recover it , to bring it shining back into the sunlight, out of the dark sand, out of the surge of the sea, and the rip of the tide - to bring it back to the safety of shore. This I will never forget, this feeling.
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Congratulations on an awesome find!

As an aside note, this post is the epitome of what someone writes when the find is real and genuine.
 

Oh this is good news! :award_star_bronze_1
 

capthawk said:
again thanks for all the replies -

it would be my feeling that the missing wing came off with the other support or "hinge" - as several noted they are not really hinges made to open
but more of a way to assemble the bird it seems. assuming there were chains and there are two remaining mounting rings for such
(the third fastening would have been on the missing wing) - the chain would be apt to tangle or catch and perhaps contribute to the wing
being pulled off.

here are some more photos -this shows the different pattern in the feathers that Gene Lyons picked up as the "wounding" or "vulning" of the pelican's breast


Here is one showing the ring attachment on the head


and one of the back side of the bird as if viewing was desigen to be from the front


will give this link again as it is worth reading on the "pelican in piety"

http://www.ecphorizer.com/EPS/site_page.php?page=902&issue=56

again thank you all - Mom and I both are really overwhelmed with this find - the beauty of it was apparent from the first but the symbolism of the pelican is such a wonderful story, and it is good to know there are so many people out there on Tnet with the same feeling of wanting to know more, of the wonder of what this is and the history behind it - THAT is treasure hunting -

Bonnie
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Great find now complete!
 

I love it when a story comes together! SO COOL! Congrats.
 

Absolutely amazing. Congrats. Im curious, was it found in the same general area as the first, or did it travel far to a new location? Truly amazing to find it.
 

Took this long but sure is a happy ending!
 

I was doing some reading about a year ago and came upon one of these birds in a picture being carried as an incense censer on a stick, I think before a saint's float during a religious holiday. The bird piercing its own breast is a biblical association to the crucifixion. I didn't bookmark it, because I didn't think I would see this thread again. The pelican pierces its own breast in self sacrifice, to feed its young. Its an allegory to Christ's sacrifice, I think.
 

cuzcosquirrel said:
I was doing some reading about a year ago and came upon one of these birds in a picture being carried as an incense censer on a stick, I think before a saint's float during a religious holiday. The bird piercing its own breast is a biblical association to the crucifixion. I didn't bookmark it, because I didn't think I would see this thread again. The pelican pierces its own breast in self sacrifice, to feed its young. Its an allegory to Christ's sacrifice, I think.
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Not 100% match, but it shows that it has been done at least one other time. Being made out of gold, it would be an object commissioned and meant to be used in a large church, perhaps privately during high status, aristocratic church services. Item 878, Kimberly.

https://www.incense-burner.com/index.php?st=c&fig=Bird
 

I have a book called "The Art of Professing in Bourbon Mexico" by James M. Cordova that has 2 references to the pelican as a symbol of Christ. On pages 109 and 115 they reference painted portraits of nuns holding a devotion candle which held a paper representation of the Pelican pecking at its chest. These portraits are now in museums in Mexico. The nun's families had their portraits painted wearing adornment, crowns, jewels as a way of Professing their religious faith.
 

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