Piece of Bahamian 8!! Pirate pillar dollar !!

[Blak bart]

Huh...where to start ?
Ok...here we go. ....I work on a fishing boat, and every year we go to the Bahamas blue marlin fishing....I travel all over the islands as a fishing mate on a beautiful 55 foot sport fish !! So when im not fishing im swinging the detector on some of the most remote beaches on the planet. So much maritime history has been ground up on the rocky shorelines, and deserted beaches that it blows ones mind. This year I got out about 6-8 times on 2 separate islands....I have great permissions here and grew up part time in the bahamas, and part time in the fl.keys, so know some history and have a few spots worked out pretty good. This year was no different and I managed a badly beaten but still cool 8 reale....I believe it's a pillars and globes, Mexican mint ?76?....1766...was my guess. There was also a beautiful floral pattern gold gilt button, and an awsome commerative medal from the "British empire exhibition" 1924....a real gem of a collector piece ! Some of these finds come from a shipwreck camp, and stories of a solid gold baby spoon being found spured me to search for it....there was a nice chamber stick candle holder at the site, and I think I'm in the right spot !! A plated spoon, hinges of different types, black glass rum and onion bottle parts, a silver cameo ring, small cuff button with stone, British/bahamian copper pennies and half pennies, ships spikes, and lead sheathing with bronze nails, etc.etc.etc!! Let me post some pics, and I'll try and edit some there's alot to show and tell !! And the fishing was great too !! Wooo hooo !!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire_Exhibition fascinating reading !!

Rough shape, but cool as sh.t !! 176? Something spanish pillars and globes 8 reale, piece of eight, pillar dollar, etc.etc.etc
My pirate pillar dollar.....no reasonable explanation as to why, and how these coins got on this remote bahamian beach !!

Pirate captains gold gilt jacket button !!

Cuff button with paste stone...pirate button 🤣😂☠️

Chamber stick, decorative hinge,lead sheathing with copper nails still intact, spike.

I'll post more pics on the next post.

 

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[E-Trac-Ohio]

OUTSTANDING !!!

 

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[Blak bart]

British Empire Exhibition - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

There is a bunch of info at this link, and the incredible amount of time, money ,and effort that England put into this empire exhibition was just crazy.....amazing read, and even more amazing this medal was found in a rock pothole covered in sand with a chamberstick candle holder on a deserted bahamian beach !!

 

[Blak bart]

OUTSTANDING !!!

Thank you E-Trac !!🫡

 

[xr7ator]

I couldn't drill it. If I had to wear it, I'd have a bezel made.
So over the top cool, Bart. Thanks for sharing and LUCK next time out.

 

[FLORIDA KEYS PIRATE]

@FLORIDA KEYS PIRATE what's been shakin bro !! Your back.....was wondering what's been happening with you.....I had some great bahama trips !! Hoping to do some serious hunting....my friend finally got his permits in February!!

What's happening Bart ?
I took almost a year off of treasure hunting , and spent it off-roading. Good times , but now I'm starting to get the itch again ! Gotta find that GOLD ! Congrats on all of your recent finds ! Some amazing stuff. You're living the lifestyle most of us wish we could ! Good for you ! Keep on hunting , I can't wait to see what you find next !

 

[TooManyHobbies]

Very cool, but I've seen better stuff.

Oh wait, the better stuff were your finds too.

Great weather, great fishing, great detecting. Nice niche you've found there.

 

[Blak bart]

I couldn't drill it. If I had to wear it, I'd have a bezel made.
So over the top cool, Bart. Thanks for sharing and LUCK next time out.

Yup....I was quickly put in my place.....most people say put it in a bezel so that's what I'll do. Gotta start saving up gold bands for mount material !! Good luck in the summer waves !!

 

[Blak bart]

What's happening Bart ?
I took almost a year off of treasure hunting , and spent it off-roading. Good times , but now I'm starting to get the itch again ! Gotta find that GOLD ! Congrats on all of your recent finds ! Some amazing stuff. You're living the lifestyle most of us wish we could ! Good for you ! Keep on hunting , I can't wait to see what you find next !

Excellent to see you back hunting.....heading to sand bar this morning....maybe the tourists left some gold out there ?

 

[Blak bart]

Very cool, but I've seen better stuff.

Oh wait, the better stuff were your finds too.

Great weather, great fishing, great detecting. Nice niche you've found there.

Planning a return trip this summer....I have never had more than a couple hours to hunt the spot....would love to spend a few days there !!

 

[Bamasteve]

Awesome finds Bart, your islands hold more treasures than the ones I’m able to get to.
We’ll be headed back to the keys in late August for our 30th anniversary and I plan to sneak some morning hunts in before Mrs. Bama gets up.

 

[Blak bart]

Thank you steve....maybe we can hook up this time....I like morning hunts !! I should be around in August unless they say come help us in the bahamas !!

 

[Slickduster]

I'm thinking 🤔 of doing what many would consider the unthinkable......drilling a hole in that sucker (old school style) so I can ware that pirate coin !! Or maybe let my son ware it !! Or someone !! Its just super cool with its worn look and just the one little window of details !! This coin brings emotion to me because of the absolute mystery of how so many different types of coins ended up here. And the absolute raw beauty and remoteness of the spot !! Its that dream of a treasure island type local that we've all imagined finding treasure at !! Pounding surf, sand dunes and rocky cliffs, tropical vegetation and crystal clear water !! Treasure island !!

I’d pound a hole in it for sure and do just what you said, Enjoy it or pass it along!

 

[Blak bart]

I’d pound a hole in it for sure and do just what you said, Enjoy it or pass it along!

I'm still thinking about just a nice gold shackle with a stone, put right through a hole in the coin.....almost drove to my jeweler to see if he has one on hand this morning. I'd probably use the same type shackle and pin that my piece I ware now has....the nice 1733 pillar dollar !! No bezel......straight through the old pirate coin !!

 

[Blak bart]

Some beautiful pieces I have had made !!

 

[Blak bart]

And I just tapped the bottom of the old chamber stick so I can fasten a base on it, and re use it. I'm super excited about this project and have a design or 2 in my head using repurposed metal detecting finds !!

including this one !!

 

[2Peas]

WTG Bart. Beyond amazing finds. Sounds to me like you need to start a group expedition trip to some of those islands. I'm in.

 

[Blak bart]

WTG Bart. Beyond amazing finds. Sounds to me like you need to start a group expedition trip to some of those islands. I'm in.

Friends have permits after years of no, no, no, the bahamas is slowly issuing a few permits....I hope to be involved someday soon. 🙏 in the meantime I may return for vacation to some of these spots !! Im lucky to have grown up in the islands 🏝....such a blessing!!

 

[Blak bart]

I'm looking for the perfect ships spike for a handle on my restored/repurposed chamberstick....this would be finds from the same hunt !! Maybe a nice bent spike would be better. Already fastened to an old lid/cover to something. Now the finger hold !! It will hold a candle 🕯 now !!

 

[PetesPockets55]

I always start to drool looking through your threads!! Congrats on another great set of finds. Love that "eclectic" brass candle stick.

... This coin brings emotion to me because of the absolute mystery of how so many different types of coins ended up here. ....

That seems to almost be the definition of a pirate cache. Accumulations of coins from so many different vessels/nations before going down for the count themselves.

Thanks pepper she's beat up, but comes from the same cache as my gold Portuguese avatar coin. I'm figuring 10 feet or less.....its been an incredible cache of coins wit cut pieces, Portuguese gold, spanish pillardollars, and spanish portrait coins !! These caches on beaches with high surf yield there coins slowly, but steadily......the easy coins that lay flat are picked up or buried deep. The coins that are under light sand are trapped in beach rock, and tummbeld into holes and crevices.....extraction took 10+minutes, and several different tools including a Hatchet to break rock, and fracture stones. After a few blows the soft beach rock can start to be removed. The surf packs the stones on top of the coins in cracks and crevices and the signals are faint if the coins are on edge.....many coins remain and are on edge !!

Pirate plunder!!!!

I was wondering about the extraction process in that porous rocky terrain. Scoops are almost useless, aren't they? I figured there had to be more than one piece that would have been wedged in tight.

The piece that really grabbed my attention was the hinge. I was hoping it might be like the one in this link.

 

[Tnmountains]

Treasure net members never cease to amaze me with their adventures and treasure!
Great write up Bart. I think you are part pirate!