11/21/19 Report - Lot of Modern Coins On Some Treasure Coast Beaches Despite Lack of Cuts. Shipwreck Survivors Repurpose Spikes. Ancient Village Found.

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

John Brooks Beach Thursday Morning

I took a look at a few beaches this morning on South Hutchinson Island.  They all looked pretty much the same.  No cuts anywhere.

Blind Creek This Morning.

The beaches seemed to be back towards the west a little but were smooth and fairly mushy in most locations, with some firm spots, mostly near the water.

Walton Rocks This Morning.

I found a lot of modern coins scattered over two beaches - maybe thirty or so, and a ring.   I'm often surprised by how much is out there.

I wasn't much interested in finding modern change but thought there might be something more interesting since there were so many coins.  The coins were packed closely together though.

One thing about when there is a lot of targets, even if they are junk targets, it tells you something about the distribution of things.

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Here is an interesting story from a web site I don't know much about.

I’m now convinced that if you want to find the remains of ancient civilizations, the fastest, surest way to do so is to start building a road. Anywhere will do. Just grab that shovel out of the old shed, say out loud “I am now building a road,” and start digging. Chances are you’ll find a 10,000-year-old village. It just keeps happening.  Either that or a school, but a road is easier for a single determined person with a shovel.

The latest ancient village discovered accidentally is in Northampton, Massachusetts. Construction workers excavating a site for a new roundabout discovered arrowheads, spearpoints, knives, and other tools. A private archaeological company, Archaeological and Historical Services Inc., was called in to excavate and analyze the site. Experts now believe that the site dates back to the early archaic period between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago. According to senior archaeologist David Leslie, sites from this period are “incredibly rare,” and this site represents a discovery of importance to understanding the development of the region.

Here is the link for more of that story.

https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2019/11/construction-workers-find-incredibly-rare-remains-of-8000-year-old-village-in-massachusetts/

Thanks to Dick H. for that submission.

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A few days ago I was talking about broken shipwreck spikes.  I provided my thoughts why so many were shipwreck spikes were broken.  Ron J.  referred me to an article, Search for the Lost French Fleet of 1565 (Canaveral National Seashore 1970-1971, by Douglas Armstrong), which says that spikes were saved, modified and used by shipwreck survivors.  That certainly makes a lot of sense and might account for bent, broken or otherwise modified spikes. Below is a brief excerpt.

It seems clear these spikes were being modified to make tools needed for survival or trade, including hammerheads, points, awls, chisels, and drills. In addition to tool making, these metalworkers were also making jewelry, almost certainly for trade, as they appear in styles (pendants, beads, plummets, etc., many fashioned from reworked French coins) that would have been appealing to the local Indians.

Image from John De Bry
as shown in OceanExplorer.noaa.gov link below.

And below is the description of the items shown in the photo above.

Iron artifacts recovered from the Armstrong Site that were salvaged from wreckage and modified by 1565 shipwreck survivors. At left, there are four examples of ship’s fastener heads which have been cut from their shanks by saw or chisel. Many examples were found, and they for the most part represent debitage from tool making using a forge and tools. Some could have been meant to form hammer heads by insertion into the striking face of a wooden mallet. At right are partially intact ship’s spikes. Each displays clear evidence of using a forge to heat and then tools such as saws, hammers, chisels, anvil, and clamps to remove stock iron for use in constructing new tools. 

And here is the link.

https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/14lostfleet/background/survivor/survivor.html

It could certainly be that some of what I thought were broken spikes were modified by shipwreck survivors to create tools or other useful items.

Thanks to Ron J. who hopes to get in some good metal detecting when he arrives in Sebastian from Stuttgard Germany in a few days.

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Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

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

7/30/18 Report - One Find. Database of Ancient Finds. How To Identify Valuable Modern Coins.

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

1899 Barber Dime
Found on the Treasure Coast

Silver 19th century coins are often heavily worn like the one shown above.  It seems they were kept in circulation a long time.  As you might guess from its appearance, although it is a Treasure Coast find, it was not found on the beach.  

In this condition it might be worth around four dollars.  If it was in much better condition, it might be worth over a hundred dollars.  That doesn't seem like much when you consider how long it was lost and the difficulty of finding one in the field.  

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Here is an interesting British metal detecting club web site including a database of interesting ancient finds.  There are many individual finds along with some hoards.

http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/H/hoardandtreasure.htm

I think someone sent me this link back a while ago.  Sorry I forget who now.

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I found a very good pdf document about how to identify valuable coins.  You can find them in pocket change or in your goodie box.

Here is the introduction just to give you an idea what it is about.

Almost everyone has a box, can, jar, or piggy bank full of spare change. Who knows what treasures might be found in this change? And how do you tell the difference between ordinary change and a collectible coin? Is it possible to find something worth more than face value? Yes, it is! Even better, you might be able to make some money from your pocket change.

Numismatics is the study and collection of various forms of money throughout history. It is an intriguing and rewarding hobby. Numismatists can do well given the opportunity by examining many different coins to notice differences — including comparisons among coins with the same denomination. There are subtle variations — even among coins with the same year and mintmark — and recognizing these distinctions can pay off handsomely.

A numismatist becomes skilled through years of study, but eventually the effort becomes worthwhile and it’s possible to find real treasures in your change. New collectors may become discouraged if they don’t make exciting finds right away, but patience has proven to be a valuable trait toward becoming a successful collector. Many treasure hunters say it’s not about having the treasures, it’s about finding them – the thrill of the hunt.

The guidelines provided here are intended to assist the beginning collector.

Here is the link if you want to read the rest of the 26 page document.
https://www.money.org/uploads/treasures/TreasuresPDF.pdf

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The mind is amazing thing.  There are rare occasions when you can recall the smallest details from the most distant times.  As crazy as they might seem, dreams seem to play an important roll in taking you places in thought and feeling that you don't normally go in normal waking consciousness.  I often awake and see things differently or feel differently about things after reflecting on my dreams.  Sometimes I'm motivated by dreams, like when I wake up from a dream of finding a lot of treasure of one type or another.

Last night I dreamed I was at grandmas house, where I spent my first five years before my dad and mom built their own house.  It has been a long time since I was there and grandpa and grandma are long gone.  Grandpa and grandma were there, of course.  I hadn't seen them in quite a while.  A couple of their friends that usually visited on holidays were also there and sitting on lawn chairs in the back yard, as they often did.

It wasn't one of those real crazy dreams - just a nice visit with the past and some of the people I miss the most.  It was a little strange - but not very, as dreams are judged.  More than anything, it brought back memories.   It is surprising how much detail is stored away deep down in your brain somewhere.  You normally just can't recall a lot of what is there.

As I entered their house, I went to turn on the light over their driveway.  There were two light switches beside the cellar door.  At first I hit the wrong switch and the cellar light came on.  That is the exact position where those two switches actually were.  I remember that now even though if you asked me before the dream, I would never have been able to remember that.

So what does that have to do with treasure hunting?   No matter what the task is, you have more knowledge than you realize.  Some of it is unconscious.  You can use that.  Some people call that intuition.  It is based upon unconscious or subconscious knowledge.  There is a difference between the two, but that isn't important now.  My point is that your dreams can provide deeply moving experiences and provide greater access to knowledge and provide insight and intuition.  And secondly, you probably know more than you think you do if you can only access it.

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Nothing new with the beach conditions.  I'll keep watching for storms or changes.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

10/26/16 Report - One Exceptional Four-Reale. Beaches This Morning. Increasing Surf.

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

Nice Four-Reale
Find and photos by Darrell S. 

This is not a new find.  Here is what Darrell said about it.

... My machine was still on and started screaming! I thought scrap iron or aluminium, but to my surprise was a beautiful 4 reale. I showed to some local gurus and they believed it was shaped as if snipped off a bar or strip. Many square shaped coins have been found, but not showing both edges of a bar or strip. There is a faint "4" right of the shield on edge of coin. It is so smooth it is hard to see unless up close. 

Cannot say who bought it, but Kenny made several copies. This was the actual coin before sold. I thought would be cool to take with the book. Kenny didn't remove the material in the bottom left hand corner when he made copies. We believed to have been part of a bag coins were in!!!

That is one very interesting coin Darrell!  Thanks for sharing.

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Surf This Morning Just Before Low Tide

Last night the wind was blowing pretty good.  The surf was supposed to begin increasing today as you can see from the MagicSeaWeed predictions.  You can see the surf as it looked this morning in the picture above.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

Tomorrow the surf is supposed to be up to 5 - 7 feet.  We're supposed to have a few days of 4 - 6 foot surf after that.  The problem is, at least for the next couple of days, that the wind and waves will be coming directly from the east.  There are still places where the beach is eroding, such as around inlets or other obstacles to the natural flow of sand.

This afternoon I tested one swimming beach that was producing tons of modern coins - so many that with the incoming tide there was no time to get them all, so I actually started to pass over obvious coin signals.  I expected nothing exciting nothing but modern coins, but I was surprised to dig a wheatie before I shifted strategies.  I didn't look at them when I was at the beach.  I just stuck them in my pocket as fast as I could.  I wasn't expecting anything even that old.  It was a 1940 penny, so maybe I'll have to take another look at that beach.

I did find one gold band in a hurry, which is what I was trying to do when I decided to skip targets that sounded like coins or junk.  I seldom do that, but this time just had a short time to work as I got there late and the tide was already coming in.

Wreck Beach This Morning Before Low Tide.

You can see the mushy front beach in the above picture.  The wreck beaches along South Hutchinson Island aren't doing much right now.  Modern coins can be found at various places.  The water did not get as high the past few days.

That is all for now.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/2/14 Report - PCGS Top 100 Modern Coins, Century of Gold & Silver Prices, National Geographic's 10 Fascinating Metal Detector Finds

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

Hundred Years of Gold and Silver Prices.
Source: http://www.macrotrends.net/1333/gold-and-silver-prices-100-year-historical-chart

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One of the pages provided by the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) web site, is a page showing what they consider to be the top one hundred modern era coins.

Here is the intro.   The modern coin era began in America in 1965, the first year the U.S. Mint produced copper-nickel "clad" coins as replacement for silver coins, ending an unbroken, 173 year tradition. For many collectors, this was the death-knell for collecting, as the coins would no longer have any intrinsic value and mintages would be huge. Collectors perceived the modern coinage as a vast desert of ultra-common, mundane, unattractive and boring coins. So without further adieu, here is the TOP 100 MODERN COINS.

http://www.pcgs.com/top100/details.aspx

While many of those are so rare there is very little hope of finding one, some are possible.  It is always good to be aware of coins that could be worth considerable more than face value. 

Really inspecting coin finds can add both fun and value to the hobby of metal detecting.

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Gold prices moved sharply lower Tuesday, giving back nearly half of the prior session’s gains and returning to below $1,200 an ounce.

Gold for February delivery dropped $18.70, or 1.5%, to end at $1,199.40 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange

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If you want to get the most out of your gold finds you need to sell at the best times.  The price of both gold and silver has varied widely over the last hundred years.  (See chart above.).  Silver has gone up and down pretty much along with gold and both have huge spikes that would be very difficult to time.

In the early eighties the Hunt brothers monopolized the silver market.  You can see on the chart how it peaked at over $110 per ounce and then plummeted to around $15 dollars an ounce.  Few people that ride an investment to a peak are able to sell while prices are still high.

Over the last few decades the price of gold has been a really wild ride.

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Here is National Geographics list of 10 fascinating metal detector finds.  You won't want to miss this.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/diggers/articles/10-fascinating-amateur-metal-detector-finds/

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It looks like we'll be having a somewhere around a four to six foot surf for a few days on the Treasure Coast.  The trouble is that the wind will be mostly out of the East.  I'm not expecting any real improvement in beach detecting conditions for a few days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net