My name is Chip Kirkpatrick and I live in NE Florida. Last week I was curb strip hunting across from an 1820s house in Amelia Island with my Garrett AT Pro with a 5x8 coil. Recently I had harvested a skeleton key, brass buckle and a minie ball from this spot and around the corner came an 1858 Seated Liberty quarter, 1829-1837 Capped Bust half Dime and an 1875 Shield nickel. I got a strong penny signal and proceeded to chase it. Numerous square nails got in the way but I kept pursuing. At 8 inches deep I went through the oyster shell layer. In the 1800s, the rich black soil created a drainage problem. But a local oyster cannery donated a mountain of oyster shells and they were spread across the surface everywhere. In time they sank or were covered but anything below them is generally Civil War era or older. Finally about a foot down I pulled out a rusty round object. I wiped off some of the dirt and rust and flipped it over.. OH! MY !! LORD!!!! I was looking at the ceramic face of my third found pocket watch. But this one was very different. Through the dirt I could see round green objects at the hour markers. Brilliant green. EMERALD green! I wrapped it up in a cloth and drove to the Amelia Island Maritime Museum and presented it to my buddy, Billy Taylor, who is the Director. Billy is extremely knowledgeable in the local history and all thing maritime including pirates and their treasures. Billy cleaned the dirt and rust away and announced the stone are truly emeralds. He also noted each stone is outlined in gold and the minute marks are tiny gold dots. He described it as an exceptional find. This is not my best find ever. But it’s close!!!

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