3/26/18 Report - First Investigation Ever To Really Answer Two Big Questions: How Much Is Actually In The Ground As Compared To How Much Will Be Found Using A Metal Detector.

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


Before I get started today, I have to bring attention to the fact that yesterday's Nazi sub story was fake news.  It is a hoax.  Thaanks to those readers who brought that to my attention.

I'm very happy to be able to present an exceptional study today.  You just don't get this kind of information.  It doesn't come easily.  One of the readers of this blog put in a LOT of work and really uncovered some good information - not to mention finds.  Not only was the site thoroughly covered with a metal detector multiple times, but then the entire lot was sifted to locate and record all of the finds that were still in the ground.  Below is what that reader, who chooses to remain anonymous, reported.

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As long-promised, here is my full accounting of using a sifter to search an entire lot.

First, I should give a little background about why I embarked on this project.  I had been using a detector for about three years.   As my skill improved, I had success with repeatedly hunting the same ground, using many of the techniques mentioned previously in this blog.  However, two questions began to gnaw at me:  how many finds remained in the ground despite using all the tricks?  As many have said, no area is truly "hunted out".   Plus, old coins are my priority finds and I just wasn't finding very many.  I questioned whether they simply weren't there or whether they were there, but I couldn't find them with a detector.

I had been searching a small (60ft x 75ft) vacant lot over several weeks where two small houses had been recently demolished.  There had been homes on this lot since about 1910 in a town settled around 1880.  I would expect very little activity at this lot location prior to the first house being built.  I was the second detectorist to hunt this lot.  My fellow detectorist found four silver quarters, including an 1894 Barber, three silver dimes, and a Morgan dollar!  My first attempt with a detector was very brief and I only found a clad quarter and two memorial pennies, which was a very deceptive for actual finds on this lot.  After using the detector extensively, I found the following:   12 silver coins (no Barbers), a couple of Buffalo nickels, 52 wheats and 50 modern coins.   I used every detecting technique and trick I knew and it continued to produce intermittently due to the sheer amount of metal trash.  In fact, five of those silver finds came well into my sifting project as I would occasionally hunt unsifted, but repeatedly detected, territory to break up the monotony.  Most of the lot had a coil over it at least twelve times (just from me), gridding from different directions, using two different detectors (Minelab Safari and Deus) under various detecting conditions.   I would consider myself to be above-average with a detector, but by no means superb.

I decided to use a sifter to find out what I was missing and to pick up additional nonmetallic items like bottles and marbles.  This is my sifter, version 2.0.

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​It was built to be sturdy.  The legs fold up and the top sifting screen can be flipped to dump materials that are too big to pass through the screen.

As a test, I initially picked what I thought would be the best spot for coin finds, based on concentration of previous finds.  I began making interesting finds almost immediately, especially marbles and some coins.  The sifting was very slow at first as my initial sifter could not handle much volume.  I was surprised to find that almost all manmade objects resided in the top 12 inches of soil, usually in the top eight inches.  There typically is a change in color of the soil at the undisturbed level that has not been impacted by human activity.  This level is usually just below a layer of nails and other pieces of iron that I suspect is from the first construction at the site.   If I sifted all the dirt to that layer, I would then use a detector in the hole (don't want to miss a cache), then flip the soil with a shovel for another 8-12 inches and detect again.  Occasionally I found a buried bottle and a few times deeper coins upon turning up the soil.

I worked the site over two years, usually when no other promising detecting sites were available.  I would estimate I spent 60-80 hours, but it might have been more.  I tried various techniques.  I would estimate about half of the lot was sifted and the other half was dug a few inches at a time, detecting both the dug dirt and the newly exposed layer.   I was mainly focused on improved speed (while maintaining confidence that I was missing very few finds) as I tried different techniques of digging, detecting and sifting combinations, but eventually was able to use the sifter as quickly as any other technique or combination.  Pure sifting catches 98% of good finds, in my opinion, although it is still possible to miss some things.

Now for my finds.  As I was gathering the finds for the pictures, I was stunned by the volume of finds when collected together.  I recall there being a lot, but I was surprised by the final totals.  Almost 500 coins were found on this lot by me.  This is a picture of the copper memorial pennies and clad.

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​There was a total of 177 pennies, 20 quarters, 40 nickels and 46 dimes.  This pile includes the coins found from surface with the detector.   There were 173 wheats.

​This next picture is of the older copper and nickel finds.

​ I found three Indian head pennies, including my oldest 1880, one Shield nickel, three V-nickels, and 11 Buffalo.

Next is the picture of the silver coins.

​There were a total of 43 silver coins found.  This picture includes the twelve silver coins found from the surface with the detector.  Highlights include the Walking Liberty half, three Barber quarters and three Barber dimes.  If you count the eight silver coins found by the detectorist prior to me hunting, there were 51 silver coins on this small lot!

I've included a picture of other interesting metallic finds.

​ I found quite a few cufflinks and three silver rings.  No gold.  This picture does not represent, by any means, all the interesting metallic finds made.  I didn't keep the finds separate until I was two thirds through the lot, so they are now mixed in with all my finds.

I thought folks might like to see my nonmetallic finds.  I found 103 marbles, many of which are clay.


​ The majority of the marbles in this picture were found on this lot, but as I mentioned, I wasn't keeping finds separate initially, so I had to add some to give the correct total.  I did keep very detailed records of the number of finds from the site, so the number is accurate.  Also, you can see in this picture some other game piece finds, including lucky number seven billiard ball.  That was a good omen!

Some of my favorite finds are old bottles and I found a bunch.

​This picture probably represents only a third of the bottles found that I kept, but does include my three favorite, which are the old soda drink bottles.

I did not take a picture of the trash, but probably should have.  Imagine a heaped pickup truck bed full and that is likely an underestimate.  There was probably enough to cover the entire lot with a layer, leaving no exposed dirt.  

You might have noticed that my finds with the detector are the more recently lost coins, speaking generally.  This has held true at other sites.  My focus is finding old coins.  Old coins are deeper (no surprise).  Once you start sifting, you can reach those older coins that were masked by trash or out-of-range of the detector.  Sifting finds are definitely skewed older.

I've concluded that sifting can be very productive when choosing the right site.  In my opinion, the best sites are newly scraped, tons of trash (old rusted bottle caps are best indicator of good kind of human activity), old bottles or glass, and marbles.  If I find a few old coins with the detector, I then know there is much, much more in the ground.

Some might ask if I was just fortunate on selecting my first sifting spot.  I wondered also if that may be the case.  However, it has proven not to be.  I've extensively used the sifter at three other sites with many other finds.  A different lot is approaching fifty silver coins in total, only ten found with my detector from the surface!  Sifting is definitely not for everyone, as it is undeniably hard work.  However, it brings out the archaeologist in me and I like seeing all that human activity has brought to the area.  

When I started this project, I sought to answer two main questions:  how much was I missing and are there old coins in the ground where I search?  The answers:  a lot and yes!

Hope this helps.  

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Thanks much!  That is a tremendous help.

There is so much information in that report, I'll take a few minutes and look at some of the numbers to help you sum things up.

The study was conducted on a small residential lot in a working class 20th century Florida neighborhood.  The lot size was approximately 4500 square feet and the lot was occupied for nearly one hundred years.

About 500 coins total (detecting and sifting) was found by the reader.  That would be about one for every nine square feet or one square yard.

43 silver coins were found by the same reader.  That would be one for little more than every 100 square feet.  Counting known silver coin finds by one other detectorist, it would be more like one for every 90 square feet.

About one in ten coins found on this lot inhabited during most of the 20th century were silver.

Despite detecting the lot at least 12 times, only about 20 percent of the coins found on the lot were found by detecting.  The remainder were found by sifting.  Just over 30% of the silver coins found, were found by detecting.

On a home site you have to take into account the massive amount of junk and masking that occurs on a homesite.

You can't do that kind of study on a beach because the beach will change daily.

As approximate as those numbers might be, they might also give you something to think about.

You might want to read the report over a few times, especially if you detect residential lots.

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The front is coming through and the wind has changed.  The surf will build to up around seven feet tomorrow.  There will be two or three hours of north wind in the early morning hours.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

1/11/18 Report - Finds: Sight and Otherwise. Dutch Warship Found. One Reader's Success Sifting For Silver.

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

14 Inch Spike Found On Treasure Coast Yesterday

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Divers in the blue waters around the Yucatán Peninsula have discovered three historic treasures: a sunken lighthouse and the remains of an 18th-century Dutch warship and a 19th-century British steamer, according to Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

The battered wrecks were found near the coastal town of Sisal, Mexico, a modern beach destination that was once a bustling port in the 18th and 19th centuries...

Here is the link for the rest of the story.

https://www.livescience.com/61378-shipwrecks-yucatan.html

I've long suspected that old wrecks could be responsible for the shape of some of the Treasure Coast.  The wrecks were covered with coral and then in some cases, sand.

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A couple days ago I was talking about a couple kinds of sloth.  One reader responded to that post as follows.

After spending a few hours on the sifter today, your entry resonated today!

I am on a new site or at least a new site using the sifter.  It was a small lot with the house removed two years ago.  I hand dug, then detected, repeat, most of the lot as it was extremely trashy, with good success:  tons of marbles and at least 13 silvers, including some barber dimes.

There was a fifteen foot wide stretch at the front next to the sidewalk that had a very overgrown Camphor tree that I did not work.  Finds had diminished as I approached anyway so I wasn't too worried about it.  A week ago they cleaned all of it up and it has perfect sifting soil (mainly, no grass) so I decided to give a sample of it a shot with the sifter (after hitting with the detector and finding nada, I might add).  I might have sampled the best spot that first day with 19 marbles and a Merc and some wheats, but the finds have continued.  I've spent about ten hours and have two Indian head pennies, two V-nickels, 10 or so wheats, war nickel, two mercs and, the highlight, an 1892O Barber quarter.  I should also include the 40 marbles.  If you want to build a marble collection, sifting is the way!  I probably find 200 a year, including a bunch of clay, using the sifter.

Now I regret not sifting the entire lot, just digging.  I'm sure I missed some dimes, nickels and probably IHP's.

Anyway, not many want to hit sifting hard.  It is a lot of work.  But if you want to find the older coins, do it!

Thanks for all your blogging efforts.

Russ

Sifting isn't easy.  Most people won't put in that kind of work, but if you do, you will definitely find things that you would miss with a detector - including coins.  Did you catch how much he found with the sifter after having used his detector first?

Thanks for sharing Russ!

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I often visually scout areas before deciding to detect.  Good sites will often show evidence that something might be there and maybe even give you a good idea of the kind of things that might be there.

I decided to check out at a spot along the Indian River Lagoon, and found the two following items.  They were both sight finds.  I consider eye-balling to be a speciality of mine and enjoy finding things that way.  These two items aren't worth much but they do tell me that the area is probably worth checking out with a detector.

Cork Top McCormack's Bottle.

Even if this bottle was in great shape, and it isn't, it wouldn't be worth much, but it does tell me that some older things might be found in the area.

Vintage Earring.

This earring, like the bottle above, was a sight find.  Both were found in an eroded area.  The area was eroded much like the near ideal cut that I talked about a couple days ago.

The earring tells me that there might be some more jewelry in the area,

Such sight finds are common if you know how to read sites.

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We're supposed to have a 4 - foot surf and a south wind today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/4/16 Report - Sifting for Treasure.

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

When you metal detect it is not surprising that you find mostly metal.  There are a lot of other things you could find.  Some of those might be interesting or valuable.

I do a lot of eye-balling, both when detecting and otherwise.  As a result I find a good variety of things that are not made of metal.

If you think there might be things worth finding that are not made of metal, you might consider sifting.

Sifting is sometimes done on shipwreck sites.  That can result in finding things like emeralds.

I know of one sifting project that was conducted on a home site recently.  Finds included a lot of vintage marbles.

I've done some sifting in the past.  I once posted pictures of a very portable home-made sifter that I used.  It is easily carried in the car in case it is needed.

Any time you have a good heavy concentration of interesting items, you might try sifting.  You'll discover things that you would otherwise miss.  You might discover stone tools such as arrowheads, wax or clay seals, fossils gems, or even gold that is so small that it could easily be missed by a metal detector.

There were times when I sifted a beach instead of detecting it.  I had a sifter that could be pulled through the sand.  It picked up everything large enough to not fall through the wire screen.  It picked up pull tabs as well s coins and things, but you could easily pick up the coins and good things and dump out the junk.

Sifting can be a good choice when there is so much trash that detecting is impossible.  That can be the case around picnic tables that are surrounded by a carpet of pull tabs, bottle tops, tin foil, etc.

It can also work well around walks, driveways and fences where it is impossible to detect.

Sifting can be done a variety of ways.  You can use water to more quickly wash materials through the screen.

I plan to make a video of a small sifting experiment to show you in the very near future.

If you are a water hunter, a floating sifting screen can be useful.  It is easy enough to make one, and it can be a quicker than using a hand scoop.  The water speeds up the process.

The first fossil that I ever found came up in a scoop when I was digging a target in the water.  I didn't know exactly what it was at the time but kept it until I found out what it was.

You can buy sifters if you want, but they are easy enough to make.

Simple Portable Sifter

This is as simple and inexpensive as it gets.  All you need is four pieces of board and some chicken wire.

The way it is you can roll it up for hiking.

Just two more boards and you can make it rigid.

Add some styrofoam and it floats.  Add legs or a tripod if you wish.  

Remember, if you want to find things there might be methods that are more effective than using a metal detector and picking them up one at a time.

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You might have noticed that I added a poll to the blog.  I appreciate your participation.

I have some more polls planned, but wanted to get this information first.  All responses are anonymous.

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On the Treasure Coast the surf will be smooth Monday and Tuesday.  It is a little cooler.  Very nice weather.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/4/15 Report - Sifting A City Lot: Case Study. 2000 Year Old Figurine Found By Detectorist.

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

Coin In Sifter.
Photo by Russ P.

When I started metal detecting I had a White's metal detector that I ordered from a Sears and Reobuck catalog.  I started finding coins on the beach and gradually learned to find more and more.  After a while I decided to get a water proof detector.  It was a Fisher Aquanaut 1280.  I started finding silver and gold rings.  I thought I was doing pretty good.  As I mentioned at least one time before, at first I thought that men lost a lot more jewelry than women.  That was because I mostly found larger rings.  Later, after I turned my discrimination down, I learned that women lost nearly as many rings as men, but I had been missing a lot of the smaller (and more valuable) rings because I was using too much discrimination.

Of all the things I've learned over the years, that was one of the most important.  You can go on a long time without knowing what you are missing.  You'll usually never know what you missed.  You can find a lot and still miss a lot.

It is easy to miss the most valuable targets.  Valuable targets can be rare and not identified by any target meter.  And you probably won't know where they will fall on a discriminator.  And the closer you are to the limits of your detector, the less reliable the readings will be.

A target laying on the surface can often be easily identified, while the same target at greater depth might not be correctly identified.

One of the most important things is being where there is a lot of good targets.  That goes without saying, but some people put a lot of emphasis on the detector they use but fail to really analyze sites and where things will or won't be.

Obviously there has to be something under the coil before you can detect it.  As a result, I put a lot of emphasis on site analysis - I think more than most detectorists.  I'll talk more about site analysis some other time.

If you want to know what you are missing, here is one way to find out.  It isn't easy, but it is one way to know - if you really want to know.

Here is what Russ P. said.

Sifter On Site
Photo by Russ P.

I was going to wait to send in the details of my sifting experience until I completed the project, but, since it is a recent topic, I thought I'd send in some pics now.

I've been using my sifter for a few hours at a time whenever I don't have a promising spot with the detector.  The lot I search is a small one where there was an old house that at one time housed a neighborhood bar.  At least 20 silver coins have been found at the lot, including a Morgan dollar (the morgan not by me, dang it).  There is an extreme amount of junk.

I enjoy sifting, though it is labor intensive and certainly not justified economically. But the thought of missing finds with a detector, despite every effort, bothers me.  With the sifter, I can find everything interesting in the area sifted with 98% accuracy, I'd guess, including some neat nonmetallic items like marbles, bottles, etc.

I was really curious just how much is missed with a detector in a junky lot.  Most of the area has been covered by two detectorists.  I personally have covered the areas sifted using every search technique I could think of with two different detectors.  Plus, several inches of soil were removed when the house was demolished.  Surely in such a setting not much would be missed, or so I thought.

I have made some neat finds.  I have found probably 20-30 marbles, some neat bottles, including two soda bottles from the 1920's or so, and many coins, including two silvers.  I have only sifted 10% of what I intend to complete.

To give you an idea of how much is missed with a detector, in the picture I sent showing an excavated hole of approx 6x5feet I found 25 coins, including a clad quarter and three wheat pennies.  I found an undated Buffalo nickel in the adjacent excavation several days before.  I did excavate another 4 inches deeper from what is shown in the picture.  Needless to say, I am shocked by the sheer number of coins missed due to a combination of depth and masking, though masking mainly to blame at this site.  Many of the coins found are in the first six inches of soil.

The second picture shows a wheat penny on the sifter.

Love the recent posts about the West Virginia path.  You've touched on the path before, but I could envision the solitude amongst the serene and beautiful surroundings especially well.  You don't have to find anything for that to be a special day, but it always helps!

Russ P, 

Great email Russ.  I'm really glad you sent it in.  That is a lot of work, but you really found out what was still there after a lot of detecting.   You now better idea of how things can be missed.

Knowledge is power - if you use it well.  Now you really know.

As you state, sifting is labor intensive.  I don't think I have to tell anyone to use it selectively since there are not too many people who will ever try it anyhow.

Most of the flint points and items I showed the other day were found by sifting. Once a precise spot was identified as the result of systematic site analysis, a small (4 by 4 foot) area was sifted with very good results.  The key is to identify a small area where there is a high probability of success.

I think it is a very good idea to use sifting for site analysis too.  Get a sample or a few samples, then  you can determine if it might be worth continuing.  When not sampling it is important to narrow down the location for more intensive efforts.  It is much like prospecting and mining.

I want to emphasize one thing that Russ said.  He said, Needless to say, I am shocked by the sheer number of coins missed due to a combination of depth and masking, though masking mainly to blame at this site.  Many of the coins found are in the first six inches of soil.

Some people might not care what they miss.  Some people might not have any idea how much they miss.

I always advise making decisions strategically.  Strategic decisions are based data and information.  Strategic decisions are informed decisions that take a variety of factors into account.

To make strategic decisions, you need to have a clear idea of your own goals, what you are willing to do and what you are not willing to do, the probability of success (however you define that for yourself) and what the costs are.

Thanks for the report Russ.  That provides a great case study.

And don't forget, there are places where detectors aren't allowed.

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2000 Year Old Figurine
Of Mercury Found By Detectorist
Photo obtained from the
Culture24 link cited in this post.

Dog walkers and metal detectorists help archaeologists to record 1,000 finds in Yorkshire.  That is the subheading of the article found through the following link.

http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art527888

In the same article the Finds Liaison Officer of the York Museums Trust said, Every year thousands of archaeological objects are discovered... While the majority of these come from metal-detector users, we also see many finds from people field-walking, gardening, renovating houses and even those out walking particularly inquisitive dogs.

Continuing, the article says, The 1,000th officially recorded archaeological find of the year in Yorkshire is a mercurial one. Registered on May the 15th – the day of the festival of Mercury – a 2,000-year-old figurine of the Roman god, found by Dave Cooper while he was metal detecting in a field near Selby, is a remarkable reminder of Roman times.

That article acknowledges how much detectorists contribute under the PAS.






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Did you notice what I showed of my finds from the West Virginia outing, included examples of four different types of finds?  They included (1) lead shot, (2) iron axe, (3) silver coin and silver jewelry and (4) arrowheads and other non-metallic items.

Here is a good web site if you are interested in old axes.

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/tools-and-hardware/axes-hatchets

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It looks like we'll be having about two weeks of almost no surf on the Treasure Coast.   Sheesh.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/10/14 Report - Fascinating Newspaper Clipping, Alternative to Metal Detecting, How Objects Sink in Sand & 17th Century Shrine Excavated

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

Super 1918 newspaper article showing a couple of fellows who sifted for treasure on Coney Island, reportedly with enough success to buy cars and houses.

Vintage newspaper clipping submitted by Bill T.
 

I want to blow up a few of these to focus in on them.

First notice how crowded the beach is.  Of course there will be more targets on a more crowded beach.  A lot of targets are required for several things besides simply producing a large number of finds.

If you detect on a beach with a lot of targets you'll learn much faster about target distribution patterns that can be found in the wet sand or water.   On some beaches, like many found on the Treasure Coast, the typical target density is simply too small to be able to easily identify coin lines and holes a lot of the time.  It takes more than one or two targets to make a line or hole apparent.   If, on the other hand, you run into a line with tens or hundreds of targets, the distribution pattern becomes much easier to see.   Not only can you see the where the coins were deposited, but you can also see how the pennies are distributed near the borders and quarters near the middle etc.  If there are not enough targets, that will be impossible to see.  That is just one of the many advantages of learning to detect on busier beaches.

These fellows in the newspaper clipping constructed sifters out of boards and wire.  There are times when you can productively sift without detecting.  Remember, detectors are basically pinpointing devices.  When you have enough target density, it is faster to cut out the detecting.  

Maybe you have heard of the Merkitch sifter.  It is a sifter on wheels with a handle much like that of a lawn mower which you drag through the sand.  You don't dig but sift the sand by pulling or pushing the sifter.  I can tell you it is a lot of work. 

I wonder if these guys were digging for clams or something when they discovered they could find coins?

Remember, there are alternatives to detecting, but it usually takes a special situation and high target density to make all the work worthwhile.

Notice the shells in the sifter with the coins.

Also notice that they are digging right around the post in one picture.

People tend to talk about coins and things sinking, which of course they do, but on a beach that it is not done by gravity alone.

Besides gravity, think about how the sand moves.  I once showed an illustration of an experiment showing how an object steps its way down a sand bank when a current is moving up the slope.  The current removes the sand from the front of the object until enough sand is moved that the object "steps" down the slope.  The object moves in a series of small steps.  When it moves down the slope, it is stopped by sand that has not moved yet.  Then the current rushing around the object moves enough sand that the object takes the next step down the slope.

Water rushes around objects like air around an airplane wing.  That moves the lighter sand away from around the heavier object and the heavier object then descends into the vacancy where the sand was.

Objects sink in sand very much because of the movement of sand, not just the force of gravity on the object.

I showed how that works back in my 3/10/14 post. 

Watch how the currents move the sand when you are on the beach.  Watch how the sand bars move.  It is easy to see that on some of the beaches right now in the shallow water and low tide area.  You can see ripples in the sand and how the sand is flowing.

When the currents are strong enough to move sand but not strong enough to move heavier objects, the objects "sink," if you want to use that word, quickly.

Thanks for sending me the great clipping Bill.


According to the Tampa Bay Times, Rick Scott supports a private funded rail project from Miami to Cocoa that would use existing rails and would later connect to the Orlando Airport.  The paper reports opposition to the project based upon noise and harm to the standard of living on the Treasure Coast.

If you ever traveled by train in Europe you know how convenient that is, and I fail to see how a passenger train would create a mere fraction of the noise of those freight trains filled with gravel.   Personally I'd like to be able to get to the Orlando Airport by rail if it was fast enough.  PBI has few direct flights anywhere anymore.  For me, one draw back of living on the Treasure Coast is the distance to a major airport.

Read it and decide for yourself.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/gov-rick-scott-supports-controversial-rail-project-on-floridas-east-coast/2183293



ST AUGUSTINE — "America's Most Sacred Acre" — the name given to the tranquil, shaded waterfront cemetery and grounds of the Nombre De Dios Mission and Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche — has been the center of activity and attention for six weeks.

...

 

All to uncover the foundation and inner walls of what experts say is the first shrine ever built in the New World to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ.

 

Here is the link for the rest of the story.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20140607/ARTICLES/140609779?p=5&tc=pg



On the Treasure Coast we still have a one to two foot surf.  Wind is mostly from the South.  The tides are the slightest bit bigger.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

4/1/13 Report - Jensen Beach Renourishment Project, Beach Sifters & More

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

Jensen Beach
From the Jensen Beach Web Cam

Beautiful, isn't it?   I didn't think I was going to have an April Fool's joke today, but this is it.  I promise you there are no other April Fools jokes in this post.

The picture isn't the joke.- that is perfectly real.  The joke part is saying that it is beautiful.  It is really an ugly eye-sore.   But somebody gets some of our tax dollars out of it and we get new crappy sand filled with iron chips.  And the turtles get a fake beach where they will make nests that will be washed away when we get a few waves.

It seems that there is always one beach renourishment project or another going on somewhere on the Treasure Coast.

I usually get a few notes from new detectorists when there is a beach renourishment project.  One question is if there might be some treasure in the new sand.  My answer, is that it has can and has happened, but usually what you find is a lot of aluminum junk and iron chips from all the pipes and equipment.

I haven't seen where that sand is coming from.  If you go down there and look, you might see the dredging ship some where a mile or so off shore. 

And someone usually asks what those iron chips are.  I already told about that.  They do sometimes visually look very much like cobs at first glance, but your detector will tell you that they are iron.


I recently mentioned the California sewage workers who found $2500 worth of gold jewelry that was pawned.  Here is what one of this blog's readers said.

In Florida, I once worked for several years at environmental firms which designed and water and sewage treatment plants. At the headworks of a sewage treatment plant is a screenings structure that sifts out debris from incoming unprocessed sewage. These screens and rakes must be cleaned periodically. The workers who clean these have found many items--both interesting and strange, and they find jewelry. I imagine the latter can provide them with a good bonus.

There was one beach in South Florida where they used a beach cleaning machine.  It sifted the top layer of sand to pick up the trash.  I suppose they still use that machine.  The machine would occasionally pick up gold chains etc.

That brings up another thing.  You can construct a Merkitch sifter.   Merkitch (if I correctly remember the name) is the last name of a fellow that once published plans for a beach sifter in a small paperback treasure hunting book probably about thirty or forty years ago.

It basically had too big wheels in the back, a frame enclosed in wire mesh except for the leading edge which was open and had a metal lip, and a handle similar to a lawn mower on the front.

Instead of detecting for targets, the idea was to simply pull the sifter through the sand on the beach, stopping occasionally to see what if any items remained in the sifter. 

It actually worked.  I constructed one and used it.  It would pick up coins etc. from the top two or so inches of sand.  It was one heck of a lot of work though, and was not worth the effort on most beaches.  It could be worth the effort on beaches where detecting is not allowed and where there is a high density of targets.

It is also worth-while when a known target that is difficult to detect is in a small well-defined area.

Some thin gold chains are very difficult to detect, but sifter pick them up well.

I've said this before, but for very thin gold chains, a rake properly used can be more effective than a detector.


Back in 2012 a $3 million gold nugget display was stolen from a California court house.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/3-million-in-gold-nuggets-stolen-from-yreka-courthouse.html

http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Historic-gold-stolen-from-Siskiyou-courthouse-2976527.php

Notice the famous 28 oz. nugget in the photo sometimes called the "shoe" or "slipper."

In yesterday's news, the suspects were identified.  You can probably find that link if you want.


That reminds me, have the thieves who stole a gold bar from the Mel Fisher Museum in Key West been found?


On the Treasure Coast the wind is now coming from the south again.   And for a few days will have a very small surf - down around 1 foot.   Beach conditions for finding old shipwreck items on the beach are poor.

Low tide will be around 6 PM. 

Hope you had a Happy Easter.
TreasureGuide@comcast.net