6/6/20 Report - Bent, Flattened, Squashed Finds. Another Digging Mistsake. Cristobal Now in Gulf.

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

Bent Coins.

There are always those unanswerable questions.  Maybe they aren't really unanswerable, but they seem that way at the time.

I've long wondered about the many bent coins I've found.   I probably found 50 or so, and most of them were found in South Florida, but that is where I found the largest number of modern coins.  The vast majority were found in the shallow water or low tide zone near the water line.  A lot of them came from areas where I found a lot of coral rocks packed together, which led me to think they might get caught in the rocks and bent that way.  Another possibility that I considered is getting bent in beach cleaning machines, but some of them come from areas where I've never seen beach cleaning machines.

I've found most denominations bent like that, some more bent than others, but looking at the dime above, for example, it would seem to take a lot of force and although people could do it, it wouldn't be easy.

I don't know why someone would bend a coin like that, but there was a superstition that a bent coin could change one's luck.  Another tradition is that carrying a bent coin in a purse would keep the purse full.  And then there were "witching coins" and love tokens.  So I guess there are several possibilities.  Many of the bent coins were found in areas where Santeria and other religious items were occasionally found.

But it isn't only coins that get bent.  On the Treasure Coast I've found other items that are bent, folded or squashed.  For example this United States Air Force ring was squashed.

Squashed Air Force Ring

It is not silver or gold - just some fairly soft metal.

I left it the way I found it for a long time but eventually got curious enough that I tried to open it to see if there were any marks inside, and it broke.  I found no marks due to the heavy crust and corrosion.

Broken Piece of Ring.

It looks like it was plated at one time.  The metal was brittle.

I can't remember if I've found bent coins on the Treasure Coast, but if I have, it wasn't as many as I found down south.  Other bent and folded metals are found on the Treasure Coast in good numbers though.  This year I've found folded pieces of lead and other metals, but they are much easier to bend than coins.

Folded and Bent Dug Metals.

I still don't have my answers.  I don't know how coins get so dramatically bent, and don't know if it is done by man, nature or both.

---


Bill P had an example of the type of mistake I described yesterday.  Here is his.

I remember one (of many)mistakes that occurred while beach hunting. A couple asked me to search for a diamond bracelet they had just lost. I found it quickly but in my haste, cut it in half with my shovel, oops. Needless to say they weren't thrilled about me even though that could have been repaired easily by a jeweler. 

Thanks Bill.

That made me think of chains, which can be difficult enough to get in your scoop, but you can also dig into them.

---

Cristobal sat over land for a few days but is now out in the Gulf and headed towards Louisiana.  Here is what the NHC is saying.

---

We'll have a one or two foot surf for the next few days.  Now we're having some nice big tides.

Remembering D-Day,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

6/2/20 Report - Beach Conditions From Frederick Douglass to Turtle Trail. Tropical Storm Cristobal.

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

Fort Pierce South Jetty Beach.

I took a look at a few beaches Monday.  You can see a couple of them here.

Frederick Douglass Beach Monday.

We have summer beaches now, and it is hot so people are getting in the water more.

Frederick Douglass Beach Near Low Tide Monday.

John Brooks beach looked very much like Frederick Douglass.

Frederick Douglass Beach Monday.

I managed to find a small gold lion pendant.

Gold Lion Pendant.

Tuesday Morning I visited Turtle Trail.  Here is what it looked like.

Turtle Trail Tuesday Morning.

Tuesday the weather was the kind I like - cloudy and rainy.  No crowds - just nature.

There were a few very small cuts and dips.

Turtle Trail Tuesday Morning.

Down around the low tide swash area there was about a foot of fine sand over a layer of coarse shells.  The shell layer contained miscellaneous light trash and a few pennies and things like that.  There were deeper objects, but they were difficult to dig out.

---

About a month ago I did a couple posts on Rolex watches.  There are now a lot of new stolen ones out there.

Last night looter's took $2.4 million worth of Rolex watches from a looted Soho store.

Here is the link.

https://nypost.com/2020/06/01/looters-swipe-2-4m-worth-of-watches-from-soho-rolex-store/

By the way, if you are wondering why the police aren't doing much to stop the rioters, looters and Antifa trouble makers, it is because a lot of them are from well connected political families that support Antifa.  For example, the son of former VP candidate, Tim Kaine, is a member of Antifa, and Mayor de Blasio's daughter was recently arrested during the riots.

---


We have a new tropical storm in the Gulf.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

It looks like it will head towards Louisiana.  I doubt that it will affect us much.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

5/15/20 Report - Tropical Storm Could Be Developing. A Few New Treeasure Coast Beach Finds. The Role of The Beach Detectorist.

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

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

 Gradual development of this system is
expected, and it will likely become a tropical or subtropical storm
on Saturday when it is located near the northwestern Bahamas. Later
in the weekend and early next week, the system is expected to move
generally northeastward over the western Atlantic... See nhc.noaa.gov for more about that.

---

Yesterday I looked a few beaches and did a little quick check at one beach.  As I mentioned yesterday I found a couple pieces of what I think is old lead.  Those finds gave me a clue that despite the relatively sandy conditions, shipwreck finds are not too far off.

Piece of Folded Lead Found Thursday.

In the past I talked about what I called "signal finds."  They are finds that are most valuable as clues or signs of conditions or nearby treasures.

When I looked out this morning and saw the nice rainy weather, even though I wasn't planning on going out until evening, I decided to go to the beach.  I like rainy mornings and staying out of the hot sun.

So when I got to the beach, conditions didn't look any better than the day before.  In fact, there was more sand.  Overall conditions were worse.  I would estimate that in most places there were inches of new sand.  Nonetheless, yesterday I had identified one area as a good possibility and focused on that area after doing a general quick check of a wider area.

When I hit the newly targeted area, I got additional encouraging signs.  First a small corroded bullet showed up.  It was not a old shipwreck item, but still somewhat encouraging.

Next I found a nearly dissolved piece of iron, then another piece of lead, which was folded up when found, then a shipwreck spike, and then a tack (photo below).

Friday Finds.

I was most surprised by the spike.  And to make it more surprising, it was found in one of the most heavily detected spots of the entire Treasure Coast on a day when there was no big improvement in conditions.  I saw two people metal detecting that area just yesterday, and that is no small target.  I could understand the tack being missed, but not so much the spike.

Anyhow, no big finds.  I guess if it was on Oak Island, the spike could be the subject of hours of excited hooplah, talk and speculation, but no big deal for the Treasure Coast.  Just a pleasant day of metal detecting.

---

People who metal detect search for different reasons.  Different people search for different kinds of objects.  What a person searches for depends upon a variety of factors, including where they are and what kind of objects can be found at a location, but it also depends upon personal interests.

Some detectorists search for coins, others for modern jewelry, others for hoards, others for gold nuggets and others for shipwreck artifacts.  Those are just a few examples.ind

Different kinds of finds can be treated differently.  Coins can be either spent, sold, made part of a collection, or in the case of those that might be corroded or badly damaged recycled for the metal content or simply thrown away.

Jewelry finds might be returned to the original owner when that is possible, sold, or kept and worn.

The Treasure Coast is known for its shipwreck related finds, including both coins and artifacts.  In the case old coins or artifacts, the role of the detectorist might be seen as finding or recovering the item, but the detectorist's role might involve much more.

After the find, there is the cleaning and identification.  Every detectorist wants to know more about their find.  In the case of a coin, that might mean identifying the mint and date, but it can involve much more, such as the shipwreck it came from, if it did indeed come from a shipwreck, as well as the method of manufacture and other details of its history, use and cultural significance.

The primary role of the detectorist is often discussed as finding or recovering items, but that might be only the first step of a long series.  Some items, depending upon the type of the item and it's condition and significance, might be passed down as a family heirloom for generations or become part of a collection or museum display.

Items that are published in one form or another, can entertain and inform many people.  Both trivial and more significant finds can add to the overall knowledge base of individuals and contribute to the knowledge of the society.  Digital communications have made it possible for the regular citizen to become broadly informed and contribute to the shared experience and knowledge of societies and cultures.

The beach detectorist does not find undisturbed sites with items preserved in context.  Rather they recover "isolated" finds that were not preserved in context.   That is one thing that differentiates the beach detectorist from the archaeologist.

Beach detectorists save individual items from the dynamic and corrosive salt water environment in which will gradually deteriorate or quickly be destroyed by natural forces.  The challenge is to not only to recover items that have survived up to that point, but then to clean and conserve them and glean whatever can be known about them.  The next step is to share the knowledge and pass the items and knowledge down to future generations.

---

A year or two ago I thought my detecting days were over, but my back has been holding up well this year so far, so  I'm just happy I've been able to put in a little detecting time without any big problems.


Today the surf is supposed to be four to seven feet.  The same tomorrow.  We might get a change in wind direction though, which could help.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

5/14/20 Report - Tropical Storm Forming. Beach Conditions Around the Treasure Coast.

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

Turtle Trail Beach Thursday Morning.

It looks like we could get our first tropical storm of the year before long.  More on that later.

I took a look at a few beaches.  At Turtle Trail this morning, there was a little erosion, as you can see above.  Just the top of the bags was showing.

There was a flat area in front of the beach that had mostly aluminum bits but also a few pieces of lead.  The biggest piece of lead I got was a small strip, maybe two inches square if it wasn't folded.

Turtle Trail Thursday Morning.

The flat wet area is where I was finding most of the targets.

I dug a few small holes just to see how deep the orange sand was and found that it was more than a foot where I checked, but I didn't get all the way down to it.

As I was leaving, I saw Warren doing a few test holes.  He mentioned that the orange sand was down about 18 inches at one location.  That is about what I would expect when just the top of the bags are showing.

The parking lot at Seagrape Trail was still closed.

Ambersands Beach Thursday Morning.

Here is what Ambersands looked like.  I didn't check it with the detector at all.

Over the past couple of weeks, if anything, it has deteriorated a little.

Ambersands Beach Thursday Morning.

Wednesday evening I took a look at John Brooks.  It was much like Turtle Trail, with a small cut pretty far back on the beach and a lot of sand out front.

The cut at Turtle Trail was fresher, and the bar in front of Brooks was wider.

John Brooks Wednesday Evening.

John Brooks Wednesday Evening.

Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday

Photo by SuperRick.

Rick lost his controller for his XPDeus, so if anyone finds it, let me put you in touch with Rick.  Here is what he said.

While there I lost my controller for my XPDeus that came off my chest high holder that was Velcroed on and I was using the controller for my pin pointer!

At the time I was using my Equinox 800 to hunt with down in the wet so if you hear of anyone finding a controller I lost it!

Frederick Douglass Beach Wednesday

Photo by SuperRick.

Rick found on cheap ring on the day.

---


As I said, a tropical storm is forming down south.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

According to the NHC,  Environmental conditions are expected to become conducive for 
development, and this system is likely to become a tropical or
subtropical depression or storm this weekend when it is located near
or north of the northwestern Bahamas. The system is forecast to
move generally northeastward over the western Atlantic early next
week. Regardless of development, the disturbance is expected to
bring locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds to portions of
southeastern Florida and the central and northwestern Bahamas over
the next couple of days...

The beaches are not too far off now. If we can get some good direction to the wind and swells, we could get some nice finds.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

9/26/19 Report - Karen Turns Our Way. Software Update for Equinox. Metal Detector Maintenance.

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

Tropical Storm Karen and Hurricane Lorenzo

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

We have two systems in the Atlantic to watch now, although neither is likely to affect us much, but they weren't sure about Dorian and Karen has already made a turn.

Projected Path of Karen.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Karen, which was heading north/northeast, has made a turn and is now heading west towards the Bahamas.  They are still saying she isn't anything for us to worry about.  That doesn't necessarily mean she won't eventually send us some nice surf.

Predicted Surf for the Fort Pierce Area.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

As you can see the surf is supposed to increase next week.  Unfortunately I'm not seeing any north winds to go along with it.

---

Several people notified me of the 2.0 software update for the Equinox detectors.  I'll include the note from Joe D. because he added some other useful information, including his experience with the update.

Here is what Joe said.

   I hit Carlin Park today after a quick look, just before low tide! I really liked what i saw, and hunted multiple lines from dune cut to water line! And also amongst the rocks! I love hunting here when this much is exposed by the weather! Although there were some mushy spots, there was plenty of areas to search!  

    On the not to love side, there were few good targets! A lot of minute can slaw, and probably 50 pull and pop tabs! I was mostly aware of what the targets were, but dug everything anyway to reinforce 

sound differences! I pulled a few coins in the rocks that were near cemented in, and had to work to get out! But nothing old! Still and all, l still like it there!

     I got a notification from Minelab of a new software update! This was the first update since I've owned this machine! The process was fairly quick once i figured out where to find it on the site! It was listed under the specific detector, not the main page! 

    I also took the time to disassemble and clean my detector! I've used it a lot lately so the need was there to check out all the parts! I had noticed that the plastic arm cuff was creaking a lot when detecting, and i thought it may break a few times today! (Really the only cheap part) I added a temporary fix until i get a new aluminum Jeff Herke cuff from Steves Detector Rods; that i ordered today! I've emailed Steve several times in the last several days, and he was extremely helpful, and accommodating for the order!

     I also checked the silicone seal that i installed a few months ago in the handle, and cleaned before reinstalling! Its doing a great job keeping water and sand out of that area! Well worth the money! 

    The cleaning process reminds me a lot of cleaning my rifles!  I got nailed by a few carbon fiber strands from inside the shaft sections, but now I'm ready to go again! 

     Also, i pull the coil cover off and wash the coil out after every beach run! It can build up a lot of sand there, as well as the lower section of the shaft, which can clog and hold water and sand! Some people hate coil covers, but i would not hunt without one! Or my coil would be destroyed by now!

    I will send a few pics, as always!

 Joe D.

Thanks Joe, and thanks to all of those who took the time to notify me of the update.

Here is what Minelab describes as the benefits of the update.

Difficult ferrous targets — the common enemy for all detectorists. That is until EQUINOX. Hit the download on our EQUINOX update to make those pesky bottle caps, rusty nails and other falsing targets a thing of the past. Fire up the Minelab Update Utility and you’re on your way. It’s simple. You’ll experience the enhanced Iron Bias feature, improved EQUINOX 600 backlight and much more.

Improved Iron Bias

Iron Bias has been enhanced with the addition of a new Iron Bias settings profile. The original EQUINOX Iron Bias 'FE' settings will still be available, but there is now the option to switch to the new Iron Bias 'F2' settings, which have an improved capability to reject a much wider range of difficult iron targets, including bottle caps.

EQUINOX 600 Backlight Brightness

The EQUINOX 600 now has the ability to adjust the backlight brightness to an additional 'Low' setting that matches the minimum setting on the EQUINOX 800. This 'Low' brightness is ideal for detecting at night and in low light conditions.

And here is the link for the update.

https://www.minelab.com/usa/equinox-software-update-2-0?fbclid=IwAR3QcyFBFqKsq-uzIG0tAhWewoMFjvKAP2DCuqhRGGIrzB7cR2GZG9i4L9g

I really didn't have much trouble with iron or other trash using the Equinox 600.  I've discussed the reasons for that in the past.  It is more the possibility of skipping gold than hitting trash that bothers me.  There are a variety of ways of staying away from or identifying iron.  Sometimes you don't want to skip it though.

I think I'll quit there today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/14/19 Report - Tropical Storm Humberto and Higher Surf Predictions. My Second Field Test With The Equinox: Finds and Thoughts.

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

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com

I'm leading with the surf this morning.  I don't often do that, but the predictions at this point look encouraging.  Not only is the surf supposed to be high, but it lasts for a while.  That is something we've been missing, especially with Dorian.  It would be nice if that is what we get.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

The map is really lighting up.  We now have a tropical storm named Humberto, that is supposed to become a hurricane, however it will be staying out in the Atlantic.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

That doesn't mean it won't sent some surf this way, but MagicSeaWeed is evidently counting on some surf from other sources as well.  We'll see.

From what I've seen of the beaches so far, which is limited to South Hutchinson Island, I'm not increasing my beach conditions rating yet.  The shipwreck beaches that I looked at yesterday showed no erosion.

After looking at John Brooks and Frederick Douglass I looked for a beach where I could get a little productive practice with the Equinox.  The first one I looked was no better than the wreck beaches, but then the next one after that looked more promising.  It had a low scooped out front, so I looked like a good place to get in some practice.

Here is the result of about an hour of hunting in the wet salt sand.

Coins and Small Gold Band Found Yesterday.

I found the coins and ring shown above while only digging three junk targets - a sinker, piece of copper, and a lapel pin back.  As I've always said, targets are not distributed randomly, and if you pick the right areas to search, you won't be bothered by a lot of junk.

The targets were arranged in a fairly narrow line, with one exception.  One of two nickels was found closer to the water than the other items.

Even though I would call it a coin line, the targets were pretty far apart - maybe five to ten yards on average.  Still, by focusing on the coin line I was able to find targets quickly enough to get in some good practice with the detector.

One thing I observed was that the nickels and ring both showed a 13 on the target ID meter.  That is the same number that I've also seen for some pull tabs.  Once again, that points out the danger of using target ID numbers as the sole criterion for deciding whether to dig or not.

In my 9/11 post, I questioned the reliability and accuracy of the target ID numbers.  In the near future I'll have a lot more to say about target ID numbers and making dig/no-dig decisions.

Joe D. offered the following observations.

   I agree with you on the conductivity numbers on the Equinox! I have the 800 that i got in January! I don't pay a whole lot of attention to them! I use the 5 tone setting, and rely more on the sound to locate and identify targets! I'm far from being proficient with it yet, but i like the small targets i can now find, over the Garrett AT Pro! It seems to also do much better in the wet beach sand; less falsing! I also like the Equinoxes DD coil , over the Garett version! Its more responsive! Or maybe the Equinoxes software and hardware make better use of the configuration! I have bought a few accessories for the Equinox; most recently a new telescoping shaft from Detecting Innovations! Now my Equinox will fit into a backpack! I also got a silicone cover and ties that also came with a silicone handle gasket that keeps water from entering the battery compartment! I haven't had it under water yet, but i can probably double my depth safely with these installed!

Thanks Joe.

Joe also sent me a link to a video on target ID numbers.  I'll present when I get into the subject of target ID numbers again.

---

The Atlantic is active now, so keep watching.  I'd like to get some beach reports from the Vero/Sebastian areas.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/13/19 Report - Updated With Beach PM Beach Photos. Tropical Storm Nine to Hit Florida Soon. East/Northeast winds and 4 -6 Foot Surf.

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

John Brooks North Friday Afternoon.

I went out to take a look at the South Hutchinson Island beaches this afternoon.  There was no new erosion to the shipwreck beaches.  You can see John Brooks above and below.

I don't know why the photos are not in color.  I'll try to correct that.

John Brooks South Friday Afternoon.

Frederick Douglass was very similar.  No new erosion.

Frederick Douglass Beach Friday Afternoon.

Frederick Douglass did seem to have a little flat area in front of the beach.

Surf At Frederick Douglass Friday Afternoon.

I went to another beach to give the Equinox its second field test.  More on that some other time.

I'll keep watching for the effects of Tropical Storm Nine.

I'd like reports on the Vero/Sebastian beaches.

------

Source; nhc.noaa.gov

It looks like we'll get at least a piece of Tropical Storm Nine, which is now over in the Bahamas.  

Expect tropical storm force winds and rain this weekend.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

I hope to get out later to take a look.

Right now it looks like the wind is East/Northeast and the surf shoiuld be running around 4 - 6 feet.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

I expect to have more for you later, and might be adding to this post from time to time.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

9/12/19 Report - Coil Awareness and Gridding. Could Be New Storm Forming Not Too Far Away.

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

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Here is one to watch.  The one nearest to us will likely strengthen and could become a tropical storm in the next day or two.  I'll be keeping an eye on that one.

--

Detectorists often talk of gridding.  I take that to mean that they thoroughly and systematically covered an entire area inch by inch, not leaving any part of that area uncovered.  Sometimes they don't mean it that way.  Sometimes they mean what I would only call a lose grid, which may not cover every inch but still employs an up and down and back and forth pattern.

Above you see what I would call a grid pattern.  The detectorist would start at bottom right and work bottom to top sweeping the coil right to left and left to right up the first column and then moving over and coming back down the next column, repeating that until the entire area of interest has been covered.

If you have a ten inch double-d coil, each step you take before changing the direction of your sweep should be ten inches or less, otherwise you would be skipping some area in your grid.

When I'm not worried about covering every inch, such as when I am just sampling an area, I might call that a lose grid.  When I do that, I'm OK with missing a little.  I'm just scanning an area to see how promising it might be.

The illustration above is unrealistic in several respects.  First, it would be very difficult to make such perfect straight passes with a metal detector coil.   That would be quite unnatural and would require you to move very slowly, deliberately and unnaturally.  The natural swing would be an arc - not a straight line.

The illustration immediately above is not totally accurate either, but shows what would be a more typical arc-shape coverage pattern.   The red arrows point to some of the ground that is not covered by the detector coil.  If you walk faster and sweep while moving, you'll miss more ground.  It takes a lot of discipline to not miss skip any ground.

It can be surprising to learn how much ground you are missing.  I recommend throwing a target or two over your shoulder and then turn around and detect without looking at the ground.  You might be surprised by how often you miss an easy surface target.  I've demonstrated that to myself on multiple occasions over the years.

In actual practice, if you are holding your metal detector with your right hand, the arc would be tilted more to your right side.

The primary pivot point for the arc of your coil sweep would probably be your shoulder.  Often your elbow will be another pivot point, and also your waist.

If you consider how you actually swing your detector, you would not be walking down the middle of the path covered by your coil because the more of the arc would be to your right if you are holding the coil in your right hand.

The following illustration shows how your sweeps will be more to the right if you are holding your detector in your right hand.  To cover the entire area well, the distance between your north and south paths will not all be equal.  The first north and south paths are farther apart than the first south and second north path because the sweep is longer on the right of the detectorist.

Path Adjusted For More Complete Coverage Without Much Overlap

Here is an rough illustration of what I would consider a fairly normal sweep.

Note how much more of the sweep is to the side of the hand and the greater length of the sweep on the right partly due to the north to south movement of the coil as well as the east west movement.  That can be used to advantage when are walking parallel to a cut.

Of course different people will have a different sweep and may vary their sweep at different times.   I find it useful to be aware of how I am sweeping and will change it for different situations.

By paying attention to the biomechanics, you might be able to hunt tighter, longer, without becoming tired so soon, and [prevent overuse injuries.

There is also the matter of the vertical movement of the coil, which is just as important.  It is not uncommon for people to lift the coil at the end of sweeps.  That can cause more false signals and reduce depth to the extent that targets are missed.

The type of sweep you use is up to you and might change with the situation, but I think it helps to be aware of your sweep pattern.  You might want to take your detector out to the beach and sweep it on the dry sand just to see the pattern you make.

I'm sure nothing I said today is very surprising, but it is one thing to know something and another to apply it.  I have to remind myself once in a while.

--

Terry asked me if that wasn't a Mexico style cross on the reale I posted the other day.  I took another look, and it does seem to be the Mexican cross.  I thought it might be a Potosi reale before taking a closer look.

Thanks Terry T.

---

Keep watching the Atlantic.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net