8/11/14 Report - Two-Box Detecting. Storing & Maintaining Finds. Metal Detecting ID Test. Fossil Sand Dollar. Super Moon Tides.

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

2-Box Detector

If you ever want to hunt aunt Mary's buried silver tea pot, cache, septic tank, or some other larger buried object, you could use a 2-box detector like the one shown here.

The top picture shows the two boxes in closed position for transport, along with the collapsible rod.

The bottom picture shows each of the two boxes, which would go on each end of the length of rod.

You would hold the rod in the middle slightly above ground and when you go over a buried object you will get a signal.

This is one I've used a few times.  One time was to locate a septic tank, which I quickly did.



The link to the story about the old house and silver coins wasn't working for a while yesterday.  I think it is now fixed.

 

Florida heat and humidity can be hard on all kinds of things.  If you like old things, keep them carefully protected. 

You probably already know that if you have iron objects, especially those that have spent time under salt water, they will fall apart unless they are carefully conserved and protected.  Take a look at the old canons in the park along US 1 in Fort Pierce.  They are seriously corroded and damaged.

But it isn't only iron.  If you have fire arms, especially nice old firearms, they have to be properly cared for and maintained.  It is best if they are kept in a humidity controlled environment.  Dehumidifiers are available for gun safes.  You don't want that antique gun to be damaged.

Papers and books do not do well in hot humid Florida environments either.  If you have old maps or books, they need to be kept out of bright sun-light.   Do not keep them in basements or garages either where they will get mold or mildew or in hot attics.  Bugs will also damage not only paper pages but will ruin nice old colorful book covers.  

Leather needs to be maintained too.  It will also mildew.

If you have HO model trains, for example, the band drives will melt in Florida heat.  Rubber parts on anything, including antique cars, will quickly deteriorate.

This is a tough place to keep old things nice.  It is easier in colder and less humid environments.

And one thing I've said before, don't keep finds made of different metals together.  Metals such as silver and pewter will discolor and corrode if they are stored touching other metals.  Silver seems especially vulnerable.  Don't just drop your finds in a box mixed together if you care about them.  It is best to store each item separately wrapped.

I have also found that the more information you store with finds the happier you will be when you dig them out in the future and wonder when and where they were found and what they are.  Don't depend upon your memory.  You might think now that you will remember, but in a few years you might wish you wrote it down.

As usual I'm speaking from experience and have learned most of these lessons the hard way.

If you have some items that you really like but aren't able or willing to maintain properly, you might think about selling them and sending them to a good home.  It can be real discouraging to find out that you let something old that you really liked get damaged by lack of care.

One more thing.  Keep valuable finds and items in a bank safe deposit box.

Here are three I objects I used in a little test.

I used the Ace 250 to detect these objects.

The knife was identified by the detector as iron.

The small vintage toy gun was identified as a penny.

The watch also was identified as iron.

These are the kinds of test that I recommend if you have any interest in detecting items like this.

Do you really want to pass over knives and watches?  That is a question you have to answer for yourself.

Here is a nice fossil sand dollar.  The matrix is still attached to the back.



I mentioned the unusually big tides yesterday.  Sunday was the closest full-moon of 2014.  If you check the tide charts you'll see how big the tides were.

Here is an article about the moon and tides.

http://news.yahoo.com/sundays-supermoon-full-moon-really-super-132856515.html?pt=BureoF3GVB

I'll be checking some beaches after the big tide.   If the water got up to any dunes, that might be interesting.  I don't know if it did.   I can think of one place that I'll check for sure.

The weather coming off of Africa that I mentioned yesterday still has a 10% chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours and is still far far away.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

6/15/14 Report - Capitana Crew Strikes Again, More Finds - Sword Hilt & Silver Plate & Important Tip For Storing Finds

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

Encrusted Sword Hilt Salvaged by Capitana Crew
Photo submitted by Captain Martinez

I showed a number of great finds made by the crew of the Capitana yesterday.  That wasn't the end of it though.  They are making finds day after day.  Captain Martinez send me another email yesterday.

Captain Martinez said, The Capitana boys are on fire!   Just sent in pics a day ago and yesterday hit again with a silver intact full plate. And an encrusted sword handle with hilt. FYI 3 days 3 different spots over a stretch of a mile. So for those who think these wrecks have been picked clean. Lol these wrecks will produce treasure for hundreds of years to come. Thanks for all the support and will keep the pics coming. 

It has been nearly 300 years since the 1715 Fleet sank along the shores of the Treasure Coast, and the residents of the Treasure Coast have been hunting and finding treasure coins on the Treasure Coast beaches for over fifty years now.  Of course there were also those who found shipwreck treasures on the Treasure Coast centuries ago, including Native Americans, Spanish salvors and even pirates and privateers.  There is a long unbroken tradition that continues on the Treasure Coast today.

Silver Plate Salvaged by Capitana Crew
Photo submitted by Captain Martinez

For any treasure hunter, there are those long dry spells.  Maybe they aren't as long as they seem, but they do happen.  With hard work and patience, eventually treasure emerges.   It might come in the form of a crusty lump or a pile of sparkling gold.

The salvage crews have their season.  They primarily work the Treasure Coast during the smooth waters of summer.  Beach hunters have another season.  Their season is Fall to Spring when the seas get rough and sand gets cut from the beach.  And occasionally when there is a big storm during the summer.

I often say there is always some place to hunt and something to find.  Sometimes it is in the water, sometimes it is on the beach, and sometimes it is inland.

The sand keeps moving.  It moves from one place to another.  That is what we watch.  The endless movement of the sands of time.

The salvage crews use their blowers to move the sand.  On the beach, hunters have to wait for Mother Nature to move the sand.

As the sand moves from one place to another, things are uncovered.  The trick is to watch for those windows of opportunity and to be at the right place at the right time.

It has been over five decades now that treasure hunters have been working the Treasure Coast, and treasure is still being found.  As Captain Jonah said, the Treasure Coast wrecks will produce treasure for hundreds of years to come.


One thing that I haven't talked much about that is worth discussing is storage of finds.  We all know that some finds have to be cleaned and some need to be conserved, but all finds need to be stored, either for hours or days or years.

One thing you should NOT do is throw various metals in a pile together.  Different metals will leach onto each other.  It doesn't take real long.  And it happens in dry storage.

If you let different metals touch in storage they will leach and discolor.  Silver seems to be especially vulnerable.

You don't have to worry much about gold or platinum, but be careful about storing less noble metals together.

Three Pieces of Silver Jewelry Discolored
By Touching Other Metals.

This picture shows there pieces of silver jewelry that were discolored by being stored touching other metals.

On the bottom ring you can see where two different metals were touching.  One left a white discoloration and the other a rust colored discoloration.

It is best to store finds individually wrapped.  Junk metal finds are the worst villain.

Coin holders are excellent for coins and other small finds.

Labeling can also be a big help, as well as organization for easily locating items when you want them.




On the Treasure Coast the tides are nice and high. The surf is going to be just a touch higher Monday and Tuesday but back down again after that.

No significant change in beach detecting conditions.

Happy Father's Day,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net