12/10/18 Report - Always Some Where To Hunt and Something To Find. Don't Overlook Valuable Modern Coin Finds. Amazing Buried Things.

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

One thing I've repeated often is, "There is always some place to hunt and something to find."  That has been as true this year as ever.

It has been a slow year for finding old shipwreck items on the Treasure Coast beaches.  We haven't had any big beach-ripping nor'easters.  We've had a little erosion, but not much.  It was usually a day or two of small cuts that quickly refilled again.

Like I said, "There is always some place to hunt and something to find." My favorite finds this year were from inland hunts, which resulted in a 1914 ten-dollar gold eagle coin, which was my favorite coin find of the year, and a couple dozen Morgan and Peace dollars, which were my second favorite coin finds of the year.

As you know, hunting shipwreck treasure depends on conditions a lot.  Sometimes conditions don't cooperate and you have to be creative, or at least flexible.

There are always the modern finds.  Better beach conditions will definitely help you find more of those, but you can always follow the crowds and pick up whatever was just lost.

Not only were Treasure Coast conditions not good for finding shipwreck treasure, conditions weren't good for finding beach fossils or sea glass either.  Beach fossils are most easily found during the same kinds of conditions that produce shipwreck finds.  Sea glass is most easily found in big shell piles, and there have been few good shell piles this year.

My local bottle hunting spots have not been good lately this year either.  I miss that, because when conditions are right I can take a little walk and often pick up a nice bottle or two.

One of my better glass finds this year was what I now believe to be an antique fly trap (below).

I posted that find before and there were other opinions about what it is, but I recently saw one somewhere almost like it.  I forget where I saw it now, but that one was suspended by a string from the top.

The year isn't over yet, and usually some of the best Treasure Coast beach hunting comes during the winter months, so there is still the possibility of some good 1715 Fleet finds this year.

One thing that I learned more about this year is modern error and variety coins.  That has kept me busy.  I wish I had learned more about that years ago.  I could have inspected many thousands of my earlier coin finds, but the information wasn't so easily available back then.  Now you can find so much more good information on the internet.  You can also get answers to your questions.   I like coincommunity.com, for example.  It is a very active site where many questions are posted daily, and questions are answered quickly.

A modern error penny can be worth thousands of dollars, yet people discriminate pennies.  I'm sure I must have let some valuable ones pass through my hands when I didn't know what to look for.

Just to give a few examples of one type of error -

1. there is a doubled die 2014 penny that can be worth $150,
2. a 1997 penny showing Lincoln with a doubled ear lobe can bring up to $200,
3. a 1995 D doubled die in good condition can be worth $800, and
4. a 1983 doubled die that can be worth over $2000.

I just picked out a few of the more recent ones.  There are hundreds.

There are many other types of mint errors besides doubled die errors.  Here is one that I found on a 1974 penny.  See if you can see it.  It is small.

Here is a closer look.

Notice the depression between the rim and the word "STATES."  That is what is called a strike-through.  A sliver of the rim, called a rim burr, was between the planchet and the die when the coin was struck, leaving the depression.

That is just to give you an idea of a few of the many thousands of valuable error pennies that can be found.  A coin doesn't have to be old to be valuable, but you do have to know what to look for.

Error and variety hunting is much more difficult than I ever expected, but it can be fun and worthwhile.  There is a lot to learn.  It is not easy to correctly identify some of the errors.  It can also be difficult to tell the difference between post-mint damage and a mint error, but you can find the information and get answers to your questions online.

I also got into paper money a bit this year, and have been inspecting the serial numbers.  That is fun and easy.

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Amazing what is buried under out there!

Here is the link for the article.

https://inhabitat.com/man-buries-42-school-buses-to-build-north-americas-largest-nuclear-fallout-shelter/

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According to MagicSeaWeed, the Treasure Coast will see a little bump in the surf on Wednesday.  Here are the predictions.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Looks like we'll have a northwest wind during the first part of Wednesday before it turns south again.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/9/18 Report - Looking More Closely At Common Modern Coin Finds: One Mint Error Example. Beach Cut and Unfilled Holes.

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

Pepper Park North

Photo by Dale J.

Dale J. was at Pepper Park yesterday and saw this old cut.  He said there was a lot of soft sand.

He also pointed out the holes that he filled.

Holes Filled by Dale

Photo by Dale J.

Thanks Dale.

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1984 P Snowing Mint Error.

Can you see a mint error on this dime?

There is one.  See if you can find it.

Here is  closer look at the error.

1984 P Dime Close Up View.

Notice the crown bottle cap like design on the coins rim.  That is not part of the intended design.  It is a minting error referred to as "collar clash."

As you probably know, coins are made using one die to create the obverse impression and another die is used to create the reverse impression.  That is the way it has been done since colonial times.  The big difference now is that the process is mechanized and the coins are not hand struck.

An anvil die is usually used to make the reverse design, and the punch die is used to make the obverse design.  The obverse is the side shown above with Roosevelt on it.

The anvil die is usually on the bottom, and the punch die is struck or forced down on the metal.  In Spanish colonial times, that was done by hand with a hammer.

One of the big differences between Spanish colonial cobs and modern coins is that the minting process now involves a third die.  The third die is the collar.

The collar is a circular piece of hardened steel which acts as the wall of the coining chamber, which provides the impression for the uniform circular outline around the coin. As its name implies, the collar prevents the striking pressure from spreading onto the flange. Apart from preventing imperfect strikes, the impression on the coin's edge (either as a recess or raised inscription) deters forgery or clipping (an illegal paring of metal from the circumference of the coin). The dies impress the various designs and devices on the obverse and reverse for the coin while the collar forms the edge of the coin. The collar, which is five-thousandths of an inch larger in diameter than the dies, is mounted on springs which allow slight vertical movement...

(Source: https://www.fleur-de-coin.com/articles/coin-striking)

A collar clash represents damage to the rim gutter of the die from contact with the collar. It shows up most clearly in reeded issues, where it takes the form of serrations along the top or the edge of the design rim. In an off-center strike, a collar clash will appear in the form of parallel grooves in the “slide zone”.

Collar clash is far more common on the hammer die. It occurs when a temporarily misaligned hammer die collides with the top of the collar and/or scrapes along its working face...

(Source: http://www.error-ref.com/collar-clash/)

The collar clash is shown on the obverse of the dime above.  It would therefore have been created by the hammer die.

Here is a picture of a die with notches on the edge.  That damage to the die was caused by the die clashing with the collar.  Those notches would then be transferred to the coin when it is struck.  That is what happened to the dime shown above.

Die Showing Damage Caused by Clashing With the Collar.

Source: See Error-Ref.com above.

There is a lot more to be seen on a modern coin than the date and mint mark.  Besides the intended design of the coin, you will also often see mint errors.  Some mint errors, such as collar clash, are fairly common and not worth anything.  Other errors are highly collected and can increase the value of a modern coin to millions of dollars.

It can be worth picking up pennies and other small denomination coins if you inspect them carefully and learn to identify valuable errors and varieties.

One of the biggest differences you will see between Spanish colonial cobs and modern coins, is the edge.  Modern coins have the finished round edge, perhaps with reeding or other designs features, because of the collar.

In addition to the possibility of finding a valuable a mint error or variety, you will also learn things from modern coins that can be applied to your understanding and appreciation of Spanish Colonial coins.  There are differences, but there are also many similarities.

It wasn't until rather recently that I began to inspect my coins for mint errors and varieties.  I don't know if I ever spent valuable coins.  It is certainly possible.

I have found a variety of mint errors.  Most have no value or very little value, but one was the first documented example of its kind, and is listed on an online error reference database.  

It is not as easy to find a valuable mint error.  Valuable examples are rare.  And some errors and varieties are difficult to correctly identify.  Like anything else it takes study and practice, but the results can be gratifying.

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The surf predictions do not look as encouraging as they did a little earlier.  Now it looks like we'll only be getting three to five feet.  We are supposed to have a long period of north winds either.  Don't expect much improvement in overall beach conditions.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

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What is your all-time favorite coin find?  

Send me a photo of your favorite and tell why it is your favorite.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

7/3/18 Report - Shipwreck Awarded To France. The Search After The Hunt. 17th Century Mexico Devotion.

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

What Is Wrong With This Penny?

You don't have to look very close to see that the last digit of the date is almost invisible.  You'll see oddities in your finds like that if you pay close enough attention.  

The coin could have been damaged in circulation, but in this case the explanation seems to be that grease accumulated in the part of the die where the "1" was engraved.  In the coin collecting community, this penny would be called a greaser.

Here is a closer view.

Missing Date Digit on Penny Find.

It is possible to find valuable error coins.  This one isn't valuable, but it is a bit of an oddity.

Searching for error coins can be both fun and profitable.

You might not pick up pennies, and if you do you might not pay any attention to them, especially if they aren't old, but if you learn what to look for, you can add a whole new dimension to your finds.

I recently found a mint error coin that was listed as the first known example of its kind.

Mint errors can be difficult to identify, and it is easy to mistake coin damage for a mint error.  Like most anything worth while, it requires study and practice.  I just got into it more deeply in the last month or so and have to rely extensively on the opinions of more informed people.

After you find something, that is the end of one hunt but the beginning of another as you search to learn more about the find and its significance.

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According to The Record, June 29, 2018, the wreck found by Global Marine Explorations and thought to be

French explorer Jean Ribault’s flagship, Trinité, was awarded to France by a U S Magistrate, Judge Karla Spaulding.

It appears that the State of Florida will excavate the wreck in cooperation with France.

Here is that link.

Trinité shipwreck awarded to France - News - The St. Augustine Record - St. Augustine, FL

Thanks to Brain B. for the link.

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The second most popular image of Mary in Mexico, second only to Our Lady of Guadalupe, is the statue of Our Lady of St. John of the Lakes. In the early years of the 17th century, the holy Franciscan missionary Fray Miguel de Bolonia brought the statue to the village, then known as San Juan Bautista Mezquititlan, which was inhabited by the Nochiztleca tribe. Depicting the Immaculate Conception, it soon became a favorite of the Indians and was the center of their devotion. It became known beyond the village during the year 1623 when, according to an early legend, a spectacular miracle occurred...

Here is the link for more about that.

http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/abbott/140220

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What would you do with bunches of miscellaneous foreign coins?  Any and all ideas wanted.

Happy hunting,

TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/17/15 Report - Have You Dug Error Coins? What You Should See To Know. More On The Neustra Senora de Encarnacion.

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

Example of Double Die Penny Error.
Photo from the doubleddie.com web site below.

OK, so you think you've looked at all of your coin finds and don't have anything of value.  It might be time for another look.

I just found a web site that might have you going back through your coin finds one more time.  That is what I'm going to do.

I bet you've found error coins and didn't know it.  I bet error coins have passed right through your hands and mine without a second glance.

I've collected a few, but I would bet that most of them got passed along without being noticed.

There are an astounding number or error varieties.  There are too many to remember.

Wexler's Double Die Varieties web site is a great.  Here is the link.

http://doubleddie.com/

After going there go to his "double die" listings.  http://doubleddie.com/228401.html

You'll see great photos of a large variety die errors.

I've picked up a few error coins that I know of.  The only ones that I really noticed when I picked them up were a couple of 1982 pennies.  They both had the same clear error.  That was very unusual.

Here it is.

Dug Error Penny.

You can see why I noticed that as soon as I picked it up.

Most coin errors are much more difficult to see.  Much of the time magnification will be a big help.

I'll bet you have found some though, whether you know it or not.

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I'm glad I have my little Celestron handheld microscope to help me quickly go through bunches of coins.  It is quicker and easier than using a loop or magnifying glass.

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Here is more on the Nuestra Señora de Encarnación, a colonial Spanish ship known as a nao, that sank in 1681 during a storm at the mouth of Panama’s Chagres River.

http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/mysterious-caribbean-shipwreck-identified-150515.htm

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On the Treasure Coast it looks like the surf won't be changing much for a week or so.  We do have a nice negative tide now though.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

7/23/14 Report - Depression Two Moving West. Emeralds Found. Great Tool To Inspect & Photograph Coins For Errors and Grading.

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

Projected Track of Tropical Depression Two
Source:  www.nhc.noaa.gov

What I am most interested in these days is Tropical Depression Two, which is moving towards the west.  It is not expected to become a hurricane in the next few days.  The current track seems to be towards the Gulf of Mexico.

One thing to remember is that it doesn't take a hurricane to really improve beach detecting conditions.   Sometimes a storm that sits off the coast and churns a while can actually do more to create erosion. 


The Mel Fisher organization says,  Our members spent six days sifting through material in search of Atocha Emeralds while enjoying the biggest Mel Fisher Days celebration to date. A total of 18 emeralds were recovered! The emeralds were of varying sizes and shades of green including this beautiful recovery.

I always encourage methods in addition to metal detecting.  Sifting is sometimes a good one. 


In the past I've shown photos of coins and things made with a Celestron Hand Held Microscope.  I really enjoy using the microscope.  Not only does it make good close-up photos, but it is also an easy way to inspect coins and things.

The microscope hooks into your computer using a USB port and the image appears on the computer screen.  You can then capture photos or even videos, if you want to move the object or take videos of a moving object. 

Although it is called a hand-held microscope, it comes with an adjustable stand which can be used to focus the microscope so that you can quickly pass coins and other items under the focused microscope for close inspection.  It makes it easy to see any small markings on rings or other items. And is good enough to make it very quick and easy to detect errors or other small details on coins.

Above is a nice high-relief 1946 Canadian penny at low power.  And here is a photo of the designer's initials found below the leaf on the right using higher power.

The actual computer image is even better than the photos shown here.

The microscope will show very fine details and could definitely help you find errors or grade coins.

I've started a test of the coin cleaning method that I mentioned yesterday and took photos of a coin and medallion before I froze them in water.  I'll take photos of the same objects after they have been thawed and we'll get a good idea of how well freezing worked to clean the coins.


Celestron Hand-Held Microscope Mounted On Stand

Besides inspecting coins you can also inspect other things, of course.  Have you ever had a hard time seeing the marks inside a ring?

You can put a ring under the microscope too.  Move it around so you can see all areas of the inside of the band until you find any marks.

Below is an example showing the marks found inside a silver ring.

I find it much easier to look at items under the focused microscope than trying to look through a loop or magnifying glass.  The microscope has its own variable lighting too. 

If you've tried to use a loop, you know how difficult it can be to stay out of the way of the light while getting a good view.

Marks Found In Silver Ring

One thing I should have added about the Step Search strategy that I described yesterday is that it is very much about identifying and working various layers.  You will often be working through layers.   For example, if there is a layer of surface aluminum, and you are working in a "coin mode" you'll probably being removing items from the second or third layer before the first.  Nonetheless, you should be identifying each layer and the predominate types of items found there and what is likely remaining at each layer.



On the Treasure Coast the wind will be coming from the South for days and we'll be stuck with a one foot surf.  You might like that if you water hunt for recent drops.

The tides are pretty flat now too.

Tropical Depression 2 is still way out there.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net