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Miniature urn’s owner a mystery
Paul Dragos and his metal-detecting buddies have unearthed some intriguing items on their treasure hunts — a $30,000 diamond-studded men’s Cartier watch in the sands of La Jolla Shores, a 1904 Liberty Head “V” nickel at a Del Mar beach, a toy train engine dating from the 1890s found near an old house in downtown San Diego, an iron sphere resembling a miniature cannon ball in Julian and a 1732 Spanish coin at a former desert trading post. But nothing prepared the hobbyists, who belong to the San Diego Coinshooters club, for the discovery by one member at Mission Beach the week before Halloween. Buried under six inches of sand in a few feet of water was a small, sealed metal canister. It appeared to be a miniature urn. The following inscription was etched on it: “RIP Millissa-Rae Brown 10-1-79 — 9-5-08 My Mom — Our Sissy” Dragos searched the Internet in a futile attempt to locate someone named Millissa-Rae Brown. Convinced that the canister contains human remains, he has left it sealed. “It is on the end of a key chain,” Dragos said. “My guess is that the person who lost it had kept it with them as a memento.” It also could have been tossed into the ocean as a way of scattering ashes, he surmises. But before dropping it back into the sea, he wants to contact the owner to make sure that is what he or she desires. “We just want to do the right thing,” said Dragos, who can be contacted online at sdcoinshooter@gmail.com . Club members have a policy of returning all traceable items. They often run “Found” ads on Craigslist, conduct online searches and contact schools to identify owners of class rings bearing initials. They also offer free searches. Three weeks ago, a woman was frantic when she contacted the group after losing her 10th anniversary ring bearing 10 diamonds at La Jolla Cove. Beachgoers, who were helping her sift through the sand, gave Dragos a standing ovation when he arrived with his metal detector. “I felt like the cavalry coming to the rescue,” said Dragos, who found the woman’s ring within five minutes. Club members are able to locate owners for less than 20 percent of their discoveries, said Dragos, an electrical engineer for Sony. A man’s diamond ring, appraised at $6,000, was unearthed two years ago at a Coronado beach and never was claimed despite inquiries at the Hotel del Coronado and on Craigslist. Dragos said he is in a quandary over the canister. “If a family lost this, we want to try to get it back to them, but we’ve had no luck.” he said. “Any help finding the family would be greatly appreciated.” Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune >>> Discuss (0 comments) <<< Back to news portal |
