ANA Summer Seminar 2006

This year Augi Garcia attended the “Ancient History through Coins” seminar. The seminar took an in-depth look at a dozen or so important events in Greek and Roman history through the coins that memorialize them.

The classes included Early Greek colonization, the Olympic Games, the Peloponnesian War, Alexander the Great's battle with King Poros, Hannibal's invasion of Italy, Sulla's occupation of Rome, the murder of Julius Caesar, the Battle of Actium, the conspiracy of Sejanus, the burning of Rome under Nero, Rome's Jewish wars, Hadrian's travels, the insanity of Commodus, the abdication of Diocletian and the adoption of Christianity by Constantine the Great. The only prerequisite for this class is a love of history and ancient coins!

The instructors for the classes were David Vagi, author of Coinage and History of the Roman Empire; and Kerry K. Wetterstrom, editor and publisher of The Celator. (Photos by Augi Garcia )

Salvaging Spanish Sunken Treasure 2006

“THE AMERICAN DREAM” Salvaging Spanish Sunken Treasure 2006, This summer Jorge Adeler, President of Historic Real Treasures and Augi Garcia went to meet with Frogfoot and his Cove in Lake Worth, FL, Bob Weller has been conducting these seminars on “Salvaging Spanish Sunken Treasure,” fro over 12 years, opening the door to those who have hoped one day to become involved in the American Dream. The seminar is designed to “show the way.”

The seminar included a wonderful visit to the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet shipwreck sites and the McLarty Treasure Museum as well the Mel Fisher's Museum, and then a Sunday shallow water dive on Spanish shipwrecks in the Florida Keys.

The Thursday-Friday classes were at The Weller’s Cove in Lake Worth, and guest speakers included some of the prominent names in the salvage community, including Goin “Jack” Haskins, a classic on treasure recovery and Seville archive information, Ernie “Seascribe” Richards, from EN RADA Publications and the best newsletter about shipwreck and Spanish colonial coins you will ever read, and Burt Webber that discovered the famed Spanish Galleon Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion.

Session II: John Brandon also took part of the 2nd seminar, giving a first-hand accounting on the 1622 and 1715 fleets. Tracy Bowden, a good friend of Ellie's and Ernie Richards recovered the two "Quicksilver Galleons" (1722) and is currently holder of the lease on the "Concepción" (1641) He replaced Burt Webber for the 2nd seminar. Note: at the second session the group spent over 6 hours diving at the 1733 wrecks site, amazing and spectacular trip.

(Photos by Augi Garcia and Rob Weller)