10/15/16 Report - After Hurricane Matthew Emails and Comments.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com

Erosion Tuesday by Sea Oats Condos
Submitted by Darrell S.

Hurricane Matthew brought high water that hit and eroded the dunes.  Notice when roots are newly exposed.  If the roots are large then you know that they had a while t grow.  Also notice any distinct layers in the sand and what is in that sand.  This looks like it might be some of that fine white renourishment sand.  If you can find places where the erosion was into old sand in some out of the way location, you might still have a chance of finding something old.

Matthew eroded some dunes when it passed by.  Since then the water has been high, but not that high.  As a result, if there was anything that fell out of the cliff face, it could still be laying there (if nobody else has picked it up yet).  On the other hand, sand has built up in the beach fronts.  As a result old items in those areas could have been covered again.

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Despite the fact that much of the erosion that occurred on the Treasure Coast was in renourishment sand, there were still coin lines that were produced at some of the busier beaches.  If you don't know what a coin line is you can search this blog for my discussions.

I received the following email from Sherman W, about a coin line that he found.

Well, my cob found before the storm is a $3 fake. Probably bought at Mel Fishers. If you want pix let me know.

I did a clean up on my coin line today. Another 6 quarters, 14 dimes, 6 nickels and 12 pennies. Funny, at the south end of the line I ran into two other detectors, one had found nothing the other a single penny. All the coins on the whole beach collected in my line? Where did the rings go? I wont go there again for a while, it will be out of my way. One other comment; I think a lot of people do not know how to use their machines properly. I have been detecting for 40 years and have had 8 machines some were not easy to master. I had one that probably did not even pay for it self. I have a couple of inland sites set up for over the winter, not great sites, we shall see. It is not always the treasure, it is the journey. Sometimes the knowledge learned is the most valued. Take care, and good hunting. Sherman

Thanks for sharing Sherman.

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KT sent me an email and concerning the fossil I showed a few days ago, said, ... almost certainly is a horse tooth. if you could show an end on view, it would clinch it. a fossil horse's tooth will show a crenulation pattern similar to a mammoth tooth. i have pulled a bunch of both types from the central Fla phosphate pits in the 1970s.

Thanks KT,

Keep an eye out for fossils on the beach.

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I got an email from Gold Nugget, our friend from North Carolina.  They got hit hard by Matthew.  Hope everyone up there is well.

Here is what Gold Nugget said.

From your 10-13-2016 Post - I liked the Photo on Jupiter Beach To me it look like the Ancient Fluff mud [sometimes pluff mud, TG] from a marsh. To either side where it ends might be a Good spot to detect, The sand should be lower.

Still stuck and can't get to my 1700-1800 site ,Waves are looking good from Nicole.

Thanks GoldNugget,

The beach was at one time far from where it is now.  There were once rivers and marshes and other types of land where the beach is now.  Some of the fossils come from areas like that.

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Hurricane Matthew brought a lot of attention to the Treasure Coast and then passed us by.  I received the following email from Peter H., a detectorist from the UK.  He makes some good points.


I just had a few thoughts. I think the excitement of a storm hitting the treasure coast has got me excited across the pond here in the UK .Its a sort of mini blog about strategy in general...

What do you do after the biggest storm to hit the treasure coast in many years ? Where do you go first? what are the best sites ?what do you go searching for?

If you don't have a strategy and put some thought into it then you could be too late, either the finds will become covered again or someone could beat you to the find of a lifetime.

For a beach detectorist a storm that's about to hit a beach is like Christmas to a young child .Its a time full of dreams ,anticipation,wonderment and excitement but its also a time to get ready, to be prepared and to follow the best strategy to maximize the potential for the best finds.

You can't be everywhere at once so where do you go ?

As an experienced detectorist yourself, you know the hotspots and you know where finds have been found before and that's the key to the strategy.

In the vast majority of cases you will find what you are looking for where finds have been made before .

I guarantee that you have already identified the spots and you have been waiting patiently for the storm to do its work.

I once waited 9 years for one patch to erode and I wasn't disappointed when the storms came but I almost missed out because I got too excited and didn't think straight when I hit the beach.

In this period before the storm I would work out where I really thought there would be the best chance of finds then I would plot them and work out the best course of action to get to them all taking into account distances ,ease of access and the likelihood of competition from others. Of course there are many other factors .Do you go for areas where there are larger 4 reale cobs or areas where there are harder to find smaller cobs?.Do you prefer the chance to find gold instead ? Will the back shore erode out spilling coins or will coins be thrown up from the near shore. Your plan will be down to your personal choice and experience.

Having a strategy means you've got it all worked out before you hit the beach. It means you approach all your chosen spots with a clear idea of what you want and with a clear back up plan to follow .All this planning means you move from one potential hot spot to the other maximizing your time, effort and experience.

Follow your instincts, follow your experience but above all follow a plan and remember to religiously check all your equipment and batteries.!!! - I've made so many mistakes by not checking the gear !!

I enjoy all your posts immensely and I wish you all the best in luck and judgment for the exciting finds that I'm sure you'll make in the coming days and weeks .A storm changes beach patterns around the shores for many weeks so never give up !! I know you've been waiting for this storm for a long time and I know you'll have the best of times.I can't wait to read your posts !!

Best wishes and kind regards,
Peter H

Thanks for writing Peter.  Best wishes to you all on the other side of the pond.

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I'm still waiting for some low tides.  I want to get to some areas where the water has to go down before I can see what is there.

That's all for today,
Happy hunting.
TreasureGuide@comcast.net