Red Maine Coast Beach Sand Lighthouse Pendant

One day at the beach when I was four, my mother sifting through the sand, pointed out the streaks of red in the sand and said you know where you find red sand there’s buried treasure. We were sitting on a beach at Richmond Island and although she didn’t know it at the time, in the potato fields just above from where we sat – a clay pot was found in 1855 struck by a farmer’s plow. The pot contained 21 gold coins and 31 silver coins. The coins were from the early 1600s and are theorized to be part of Walter Bagnell’s Treasure. Walter Bagnell was Richmond’s first permanent resident. The Maine Historical Society is the protector and preserver of Bagnell’s Treasure today.

The red sand is its own treasure as it is almost pure miniature gem garnet, tiny garnet crystals in red, pink and burgundy.

Red Sand Beach

Many have come. Many have seen, and many are unaware that on this Maine Coast Beach is a small area, 20’ x 50’, of almost pure garnet sand, fine microscopic crystals of red, pink, burgundy, almost pure garnet sand. On the day we visited we found these five rocks. Someone had written with a sticky substance, honey sugar water or something (just guessing), then poured red garnet sand over the rock.

Heart

An Eternal Spiral

The Letter M…a clue to who was here?

“We Saw Whales!”

…There is indeed treasure on this red sand beach.