An Eerie Excalibur Find

[GeorgeinSC]

Went to the beach early yesterday morning. Had some time to kill before the tide got far enough towards low to go wading in the water so I did some clad/ring/etc hunting.

When the tide got down I waded and searched an area between 1/4 and 1/2 mile for one lead sinker, one nickel and one pull tab. So I then hit the wet sand till the tide came back and ran me off.

The eerie find was a tag from a Cremation Center in Pennsylvania. I brought it home to take a picture and I will take it back and sail it further into the Atlantic Ocean on my next visit. It was in the dry sand next to a dune that is eroding. It may have been pushed up the beach the last time the beach was re-nourished.

Lead sinkers were plentiful. I dug 34 ounces of lead sinkers, $6.60 in clad, One Shark Ring (sterling) one junk ring and a Nisson car key. I wish my Excalibur would learn to find gold as well as it does lead.

 

[dewcon4414]

Looks like you were in the ring area with those sinkers....they dont move, but if they do gold will too. Can believe anyone beat you to the gold or they would have dug your sinkers too. Sometimes old fishing holes produce a lot of sinkers.......but few rings.

Dew

 

[Ron from Michigan]

George,nice finds,great collection of sinkers.Thanks Ron

 

[pasttom]

For those who don't know the crematory tags are SS numbered discs that ride with the deceased through the furnace for id purposes. I have found a couple and I know some guys who have found several at the beach we hunt. There is a pier and obviously some are committing remains to the sea from it. Federal laws mandate remains be left no less than 3 miles from land.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I was not aware of that regulation. Only participated in one burial at sea and that was far from land in the South China Sea back in the early sixties. I am willing to bet that at least 90 percent of the people in the United States are not aware of that regulation.

 

[goldnugget]

Keep up the Good work and Finds,goldnugget-Charlotte,N.C.

 

[pasttom]

A Google search brings a wealth of confusion on this subject. While EPA regulations are clear that they ban any less than 3 mile from shore any and all remains distribution cremated or not, there are various state Coast Guards that issue permits for specific distribution events within the 3 mile zone and I found a company that sells distribution services on San Francisco Bay (Robin Williams recently benefited). So while it is clearly not kosher with the federal EPA, it is indeed murky. Also permits and reports may be REQUIRED.

BTW many consider the taking and keeping of the SS cremation tokens in poor taste and/or bad luck. They prefer to 'rebury' them where found. I see this as a matter of personal conscience and choice.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I went back to the area where I found the tag yesterday and returned it to the Atlantic Ocean. It was just not something that I wanted to keep.