Gold Hawg: 1715 Fleet Find

Quote from: capthawk on Aug 17, 2010, 01:06:40 pm

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.

This post--this reply...has made my day. A sincere congratulations for a great recovery. For doing things the right way. And for your honesty, integrity, and determination.

Bravo.

-Buckles