Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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Dug Copper Coin That Has Been Corroded To A Fraction Of The Original Thickness.
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A few days ago I started a series of posts on factors that can make it difficult to tell the age of a dug item from the amount of wear and corrosion. The first thing I talked about was crusts that form and can protect an object from corrosion, even on a salt water beach. Today I'll post the second part of the series showing that items can corrode very quickly or slowly, removing surface detail and making it difficult to tell the age. Below are two examples.
At the top of this post is shown a copper coin that is almost paper thin. Originally it would have been as thick as a modern penny. Can you tell what it is? Below is front of the same coin.
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Same Coin Shown Above.
Top and bottom clipped by photo.
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You can still see the profile of Lincoln. It is a Lincoln penny. But the back shows that not only is it a Lincoln penny, it is a memorial penny, which tells you it is no older than 1959. If it is copper, as it appears, and not zinc coated, it would be roughly 38 to 60 years old, despite being much more heavily corroded than many copper coins that are much older. If I could not make out the Lincoln profile or the Lincoln Memorial on the other side, I would have no idea how old this coin might be. It is remarkable that with so much of the coin gone, you can still see the shadow of those features.
Here is another one.
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Another Very Thin Dug Coin.
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This one is a mercury dime in similar heavily corroded condition. Mercury dimes were made from 1916 - 1945, therefore this coin would be older than the penny shown above even though it is every bit as corroded.
The mercury dime is thinner than the half reales that you will find on the beach.
I have found shipwreck silver on the beach that is this thin, but I don't know if the thin silver was a reale or not. I suspect not.
Silver dimes seem to corrode differently than reales. Just an informal observation. Heavily corroded reales seem to be more flaky or something. Dimes seem to have a fairly distinct appearance even if they are almost corroded away.
My point today is that it is difficult to judge the age of an item by the amount of wear or corrosion, and that coins and other things will corroded very differently depending upon what they are made of and where thy have been. Coins can be extremely worn and still be what we might call modern, while very old coins can at times be found in very nice condition.
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Seagrape Trail Saturday
Photo by DJ
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I hadn't seen the beaches in the Vero/Sebastian area lately so I was glad to get these photos from DJ. There are few cuts to be seen anywhere.
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Turtle Trail Saturday
Photo by DJ
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Turtle Trail Saturday
Photo by DJ
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Wabasso Still Closed
Photo by DJ
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I'm expecting Wabasso to open again January 20, or maybe 21. It looks like the equipment is ready to leave.
Does anyone know where that renourishment sand came from?
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Treasure Shores Saturday
Photo by DJ
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Ambersands Saturday
Photo by DJ.
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Ambersands lost a lot of renourishment sand so far this year. It would be nice to see the old sand start to show.
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Ambersands Saturday
Photo by DJ
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Thanks much DJ.
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I received a couple emails concerning the big back flender or float that I showed yesterday.
Bruce B. said, I saw that fender floating in the surf back on December 27th. I looked up and found Yokahama Fenders that can be even bigger than that one, link attached. It was then a few hundred yards south of the beached sailboat.
Seems like it had only moved about a mile north in three or four weeks.
Thanks Bruce.
Ron J. said, That big black finder looks to me like the floats that are used for the sand pump pipes and dredging operations as barriers. They would have steel cable attached to each end. I saw that at Sebastian Inlet and in the ICW as part of the marking of the keep out zone.
My best beach find so far this year was a fishing knife in the soft sand saving someone's feet from a cut and I will use it too!
I think that is probably what it is. Thanks Ron.
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The surf is down to about three feet today. It will remain that way for a few days, and then next week might increase again.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net