8/20/15 Report - Nine 8-escudo Royal Beauties From Mexico. More On New Treasure Coast Discoveries. Brent Brisben on Fox News.

Written by the TreaureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachereport.blogspot.com.

Newly Found Royals
Photos submitted by Captain Jonah Martinez.

Here are nine newly discovered royal beauties for your viewing pleasure.  Mostly dated 1711, but also a a couple 1712s.  All are mint marked OXMJ, as I hope you can see.


Here is a Fox News Video interview with Brent Brisben, co-founder of 1715 Fleet Queens Jewels, talking about the new finds, which besides Royals, also included 300 2-escudos as well as other denominations.  I showed some of those yesterday.

Brent Brisben Being Interviewed On Fox News
Source: link immediately below.

http://my.xfinity.com/video/treasure-hunter-finds-over-1m-in-gold-coins-off-fla-coast/508582979985/Comcast/Today_in_Video?cid=hero_sf_TIV

As exciting as all that is, you might wonder what all of that has to do with the beach hunter.  People will get excited and get out on the beach wanting to find gold coins, but not a lot has changed for the beach hunter since the big find.  Beach conditions remain unchanged.

Beach hunters have been marching up and down that beach just yards away from where those coins were found for months now with little result.  Think about that.  Think about how close all that gold was. So close and yet so far.  The Capitana guys weren't a hundred yards off-shore. These finds were made in just a few feet of water in front of the beach.

Metal detecting, like horse-shoes is a game of inches.  As much as we love our super detectors, coins have to be right under the coil, and not only that, they can not be down very far under the coil.  You can miss a coin by an inch one way or another, either being to one side or down too deep.

Did you ever imagine that there was so much treasure so close to where you were walking?  Those things have been out there for three hundred years.  Some people have said, its all gone.  There's nothing left.  How wrong they were!

The main point for the beach detectorists is that you never know what is just below your feet or just a little over to one side or another.

Don't forget.  This isn't the norm for the salvage crews either.  This is a BIG hit.  It was years in coming.  It has been a long time since anything like this.  It took perseverance.  It took work.  There have been many hot frustrating days and dry holes.  Then the big hit.

It makes it all the more special that it doesn't happen all the time.  It is so hard to come by and so rare that the celebration is that much greater.

We don't have their feelings.  We didn't have their experience.  But we can relate to it in one way or another.  And we can all share in the celebration.

We all know what it is like to work and work and work with little to show for our efforts, not knowing when we might finally hit the big one, and then one day, there it is.

Let us all celebrate work and the human spirit, Let us all celebrate adventure and life itself, as we go through the ups and downs of life.  Let us all learn the lesson of perseverance too.

I've said before in this blog that there is a lot of treasure under the sand right in front of the beach. Some day we'll have a storm like the famed Thanksgiving Day storm that I wrote about a few months ago, and beach conditions will change.  The beach will be littered with coins.  Maybe you'll be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

Not all of the coins will be gold or old.  But when discovered they will all be a part of the adventure and become a part of someone's life.

You might remember when I posted an ad for Captain Jonah in this blog before the salvage season began when he was looking for one more diver.  He found that diver through this blog.  And that diver, who had contributed to this blog from time to time before that, got to be a part of this big find. I'm really happy for that diver.  And I'm glad that this blog played some very small part - as infinitesimally small and remote as it was. And I'm happy that the captain and crew of the Capitana just became a big part of treasure history.

We are all fortunate to be able to see these newly discovered historic coins.  Thanks for sharing guys!

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Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Romans 12:15.

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Don't forget to look at yesterday's post if you didn't see it.  More coins shown there.

The Atlantic is heating up.  Besides tropical storm Danny, there are two other disturbances.

Keep watching Danny.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/19/15 Report - YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS! New Treasure Finds From The Treasure Coast - Just Released.

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

New Treasure Found On The Treasure Coast This Year
Photo provided by Captain Jonah Martinez of the Capitana.

I think I mentioned in one post recently that the salvage crews on the Treasure Coast were doing better than any year going way back to the eighties. Here is what I was talking about.

I had to hold onto the pictures until they were released. Now I'm able to show them.

Brent Brisben, co-founder of 1715 Fleet Queens Jewels LLC, showed some of the finds on CBS News this morning.  Congratulations Brent!

Here's the link.

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/spanish-gold-coins-worth-millions-found-off-florida-coast/

Can you imagine how excited the divers were when they saw the glitter of gold on the bottom.

I remember when I got the picture of all the musket balls.  I thought, they are close.  I was right.

You'll undoubtedly see more on the news in the coming days.

Another Picture Of The New Treasure Coast Finds.
Picture provided by Captain Jonah Martinez.

You can see all denominations in there.  And look at the big 8-escudos and Royals.

These are just the first of the pictures that I will post.  There will be more.  I'll have some bigger closeups and other nice views and details.

Captain Jonah picked the hot spot.  Way to go Captain!

Thanks to Captain Martinez for sharing the pictures, and congratulations to the crew and all who were lucky enough to play a part in this great find!

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Tropical Storm Dan.

We now have a tropical storm.  It looks like it will become a hurricane.  It is headed towards the Carribbean.  It is too soon to tell if it will come our way.

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The most expensive single-car collection ever sold during one auction fetched more than $67 million, showing continued strength in the collectible car market.

Twenty-five cars, all owned by an anonymous Florida collector, were sold Thursday night by RM Sotheby's in a standing-room-only sale as part of the Concours d'Elegance auctions and shows in Pebble Beach, California. The sale total beat the previous record for a collection from a single owner of $65 million...

Here is the link.

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/14/most-expensive-car-collection-sells-for-67-million.html?cid=moneymod_sf_PebbleBeachCars

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From SedwickCoins:

 World and U.S. Coin Auction #18, which will be our THIRD LIVE PUBLIC FLOOR sale, to be held as usual at the DoubleTree by Hilton at Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, Florida. The auction will take place on October 29, 2015, with lot viewing, educational talks and dinner on October 28 and lot pick-up and numismatic forum breakfast on October 30. SAVE THE DATES!

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/18/5 Report - Finally New Developing Tropical Weather To Watch. Civil War Ironclad CSS Georgia Being Raised.

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

We finally have some weather to watch.  This area will most likely become a named storm.

I've been saying how unusual it has been to have such a small surf for such a long period of time.

According to NOAA, a cyclone will most likely be forming in the Atlantic (80% chance).  That is the first in quite a while.

Weather.com says, The month of August is typically active in the Atlantic, averaging about two named storms annually (1851-2014).

It's not very often we go through an entire August without a single active named storm. In fact, the last time it happened was 18 years ago in August 1997. Before that you have to go back to 1961 to find an August with no named storms.

Thanks to goldnugget for initially alerting me to this development.

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I received information on the token I posted yesterday.

The information shown here come from the follwoing numista.com web site.

http://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces69237.html

Mitch King mentioned that the center was punched out when used.  I saw an example on eBay without the center, so that must be right.

I haven't yet seen a date for it though.  It seems to be general purpose and must be modern or current.

Thanks much to Mitch King and Penzfan for the information.

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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — After 150 years at the bottom of the Savannah River, the armored skeleton of the Confederate warship CSS Georgia is being raised to the surface one 5-ton chunk at a time.

Navy divers who began working in late June to recover cannons, unexploded shells and other artifacts from the riverbed finally started midweek on their last major task — retrieving an estimated 250,000 pounds of the Civil War ironclad's armored siding.

Here is the link for the rest of that story.

http://news.yahoo.com/divers-raise-wreckage-confederate-warship-5-ton-chunks-145026321.htm

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New pictures of amazing new gold finds on the Treasure Coast will be released later this week.  You won't want to miss that.

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We have a slight bump in the Treasure Coast surf today, but not much.  Keep watching for Dan to develop.

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/17/15 Report - Detecting With Beach Movements. Mystery Token. Marks On Silver Cross.

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

Markings On A Found Silver Cross.

Can anyone help me identify the markings on this silver cross.  If you can idnetify them please zip me an email.

The cross is about one and a half inches high.  I think it had a loop for a pendant.  The loop is missing.

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Found Token

This token appears to be copper or brass and appears to be just a touch bigger than a quarter.  It is the same on both sides.

I'd also like help in identifying it.  Thanks.

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The above illustration shows the shallow water area and a front beach.  I wanted to discuss detecting in the shallow water a bit today.

I put the orange lines in to divide off some areas.  From left to right, you have the deeper water outside the bar, then the bar, then the dip inside the bar, and then the slope.

You'll often read or hear people say different things like, Check the dips in front of any cuts.  Nothing wrong with that. It is good advice.  I'd check that area if it looks promising, just like I would check any area. The dips will be good sometimes, but sometimes not - depending upon what is going on. Its a very dynamic system and the best thing is to be able to read the flow.

It is never a bad idea to check any area.  But checking doesn't mean spending a lot of time.  Check and make a decision base upon what you see.

Checking can help you not only determine if there are any targets there, it can also help you determine how things are moving.

A couple of thing you might want to learn is what kind of material is in the dip and how much of it there is.

Some types of areas definitely produce much more than others.  No doubt about that.  No area produces all the time though.  And spots will change between hot, neutral and cold, and sometimes very quickly.

Any one of the four areas I mentioned above can be the best place to hunt. Those areas are always changing.  They change as the tides go in and out, and they can change whenever the wind and waves change.

A local thunder storm might not last an hour, yet it can change the situation substantially.  A thunder storm can pass by, whip up the waves and create small cuts in a matter of less than an hour.

There are changes that occur over decades, years, months, weeks, days, hours and even minutes.  The past couple of years, for example, we've been in a sustained period of small surf, and the beaches have changed, but mostly in one direction.   What we've been seeing is a bit unusual.  I've never seen such a long period of time with nothing but small surf.

Even within that time, though, there have been times when things changed significantly on a very short term basis.  One day the front slope was loaded with coins.  The next day that was entirely changed.

My main point today is that things change constantly.  Maybe not large changes, but changes that affect where you will want to spend your time.

The area outside the bar might be the place to be at times.  That would be when swimmers have been hanging out and playing on the bar before the bar moved in.

The bar will move in and out.  I like to check the side of the bar that is losing sand.  For example, if the bar is moving in, check the outside of the bar.

When the bar is moving in, if it goes on long enough, the dip will eventually get filled and objects in the dip will get covered up.

There are times when the dip is a good place to find things like watches.  That often occurs when there coarse shell sand and lose material filling the dip and the coins and similar things are covered up.

The dip can get really good when the front of the slope is cut away and things are dragged down into the dip, especially when the sand gets moved out to deeper water.

Recently on the Treasure Coast, and I'm sure neighboring areas to some extent, there has been very little movement and change.  Things have remained relatively stable for quite a while.  Despite how stable things have been there have been times when certain areas got hot for a short time.  There have been days when it was best to detect the wet beach and other days when the zone just in front of the breakers was good.

It is a dynamic thing.  Don't get stuck in a rut. It's more of a dance.  Get in tune with it and move with it.

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I'll probably continue with this some other time - maybe tomorrow.

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/16/15 Report - Why An Artifact Is More Than An Artifact.

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

Did you ever wonder what it is about treasure hunting that makes it so fascinating?  Even people that have never done it find it interesting.  It is the subject of books and movies, and young children play games and seek pirate treasures.

 I find myself wondering why I like to watch Diggers and those goof-ball guys digging up mostly rusty junk.  It isn't really any great drama, yet I enjoy watching it.

First off there is the element of discovery and surprise.  Those are basic.  The youngest child gets excited playing peek-a-boo and shows joy when things appear.  Some of my earliest memories involve going out to see if the chickens laid any eggs to gather.  The same thing for wild strawberries and other fruit.

There is very little that could have more survival value.  Maybe it is a part of our DNA.

I found an interesting article on the CRUX web site.  I feel like just pasting the entire article, but that wouldn't be right, and also I want to add my own comments.

The article starts off saying, The exhibit "Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology" at the National Geographic Museum until Jan. 3, features 100 carefully crafted film props alongside real archaeological finds.

There’s the golden Ark of the Covenant from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" — the model for the container that housed the Ten Commandments, complete with two winged cherubs as described in the Old Testament.

There’s the cup representing the Holy Grail from "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade."

I didn't know where the National Geographic Museum is, so I looked it up.  It is at 1145 17th Street, NW (17th and M) Washington, DC 20036. 202–857-7700.  It is amazing how hard it can be to find such basic information on otherwise really good web sites.

Sounds like a great place to visit if you are ever in the area.

The article goes on to mention that archaeology students love the Indiana Jones movies.  The curator of the Indiana Jones exhibit said he thought that was because they make people think about the past, about God and the afterlife.

I never liked the Indiana Jones movies myself and don't really know why I don't like them other than perhaps they are too unrealistic.   Maybe I prefer my treasure hunting to be real.  

The Diggers aren't very dramatic, but they are more realistic.  The only thing that puts me off is the antics of the two fellows.  I'd like the program better without all of that..

But is the appeal of the Indiana Jones movies actually that they make you think about the past, God and the afterlife? 

The CRUX article says, “It’s not simply archaeology but the archaeology of the sacred, the idea that once upon a time humans had this immediate capacity to connect with something sacred,” said Manseau, who writes about Jones’ connection to sacred objects in an upcoming issue of the magazine CrossCurrents.  

According to Webster sacred means worthy of religious worship : very holy. : relating to religion. : highly valued and important : deserving great respect.

Before I go any further, I want to say I think Manseau is partly correct.  I want to strongly disagree with one thing though - humans still have the capacity to connect with the sacred - at least some of them.  It is not a "once upon a time" thing for many people.  It is a daily thing.

The article goes on to say, Sacred artifacts also excite people because they lend legitimacy to religious stories, Manseau noted. As much as religion is a matter of faith, he said, these archaeological adventures are at some level quests for proof because sacred artifacts make religion “physical in a way that’s hard to ignore.”

I'll agree with part of that.  Artifacts help people touch the past.  The treasure hunting community acknowledges that.

Besides the elements of adventure, discovery and surprise, it puts us in touch with something beyond ourselves - something bigger than ourselves.

There is also the success and failure thing.  We are rewarded by our efforts, and we enjoy the exercise and we enjoy nature in the process.

If you think about it, many of the things we seek and have an obvious connection with the sacred.  Sometimes it is symbolic.

Almost every cob has a cross on it.  Did you ever think about that?  And U. S. coins proclaim "In God We Trust."  That is so common and obvious that we tend to ignore it.

The "Ark of the Covenant," and the "Holy Grail" are the ultimate artifacts.  They were sought by the Crusaders and Knights Templar.  They are a part of our cultural roots that extend back thousands of years.  They are part of religion, history, and I think they are part of our psyche in a deeper way than we consciously acknowledge.

If you like old, they are old.  They are more than artifacts, they are archetypes.

It is not accidental or insignificant that almost every cob displays a cross.  Nor is it an accident that our coins say "In God We Trust," no matter if you like it or not.

Then there are the crucifixes, medallions and even wedding bands with a sacred or religious connection.

Even the precious metals and gem stones have been used in symbolically.  Gold has long been a symbol for deity because of its timeless untarnishing lustre.  It is no accident that it is used to create sacred artifacts.

Artifacts can touch as deeply.  They defy time.  They can span generations.

As we dig up a find and wipe away the dirt to see what was underneath, the artifacts sing the words of the old hymn Amazing Grace, I once was lost but now am found,

It is often said that Royals were made as presentation pieces for the King.  Frank Sedwick wrote a detailed paper about Royals, and says they were not likely for that purpose.  In fact they may have actually had a church connection like the uniquely shaped heart and animal votive cobs.

I've posted Laura Strolias research on some of the amazing artifacts found on the Treasure Coast including the Pelican of Piety and a gold reliquary pendant.  

In my 11/4/12 post Laura's article said,  Using the visual art of a pelican in piety, whether it was a painting or a sculpture, greatly aided the devout when contemplating the image of Christ on the Cross and his presence in the Eucharist.

In my 8/31/14 post Laura said this about the reliquary pendant.  The Reliquary Pendant found at Douglass Beach is also called a triptych, a term meaning that a work of art is made up of three hinged panels that can be opened for display, or folded shut when desired.  The circular opening on the 1715 reliquary would have held a holy remain behind a piece of rock crystal.  A fabric-covered paste board would have been stitched to the back of it.

It is intriguing to wonder about the final destination of this 1715 reliquary if the hurricane never happened.  Perhaps it was meant to hang in a private chapel of a wealthy household, or near the bedside of a clergy member?  We will never know the answer. But in this modern day of age, we are so fortunate to be able to view an artifact, such as this one, that holds such beauty and significance. 

What I am saying today is that treasure hunting is more than it seems.  It is deeper, more basic and instinctual than we may realize.  And finds are more than objects.  They provide a bridge - not only to a time and place and person in history, but to something deeper in each and every one of us.

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Here is the link to the article in CRUX.

http://www.cruxnow.com/life/2015/08/13/indiana-jones-quest-for-the-sacred/

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I think I should end there today.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/14/15 Report - Ancient Irish Gold Discoveries. El Nino Keeping Hurricanes Away. Fake Cobs. Detecting In The Sewers.

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

Gold Lunula and Disks

...By hammering gold into thin sheets and then forming it into objects such as sun disks, beads, oval plaques, and lunulas, or crescent-shaped neck ornaments decorated with geometric motifs, they created what were to become the most iconic gold artifacts of the early Irish Bronze Age (2200–1800 B.C.). Some 100 lunulas have been discovered by archaeologists, with more than 80 from Ireland alone, and much more early Bronze Age gold has been unearthed in Ireland than in nearby countries...

...Standish’s team conducted lead-isotope and major-element analyses, which measure concentrations of tin, silver, and copper, on more than 50 early Bronze Age gold artifacts to match their elemental signatures to gold sources in Ireland. Surprisingly, the composition of the manufactured gold products did not match any known Irish gold sources, even though there are a number of locally accessible deposits.

The above picture and quotes are from the following web site if you want to read the entire article.

http://archaeology.org/issues/188-1509/trenches/3578-trenches-bronze-age-ireland-gold

Of course you can use the same type of analysis to try to determine the source of the gold in manufactured gold coins too.

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Maybe you've been hearing about El Nino lately.  This year the El Nino effect is unusually strong.

...Forecasts from agencies around the world continue to indicate that this El Niño could be among the strongest ever recorded in the months to come, which will have widespread implications, possibly including keeping the Atlantic hurricane season suppressed. In fact, NOAA just released a forecast that called for a 90 percent probability of a below normal season. It was the highest confidence forecast for a below-normal season that the agency has ever issued, since forecasts began in 1998...

It is also supposed to make for a hard winter up north this year.

Here is a good article abot that.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/08/12/where-are-the-hurricanes-el-nino-keeps-a-tight-lid-on-the-atlantic-season/

It certainly has been a long time without any storms or rough waves on the Treasure Coast.  We might have another winter with very little wave activity.  I don't want any hurricanes but I sure would like to see some nice storms.

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Tony (Penzfan) found these on a beach back in early April.  He says they appear to be replicas.

Although it can be difficult to judge from pictures, I'd also say they are replicas.  First, note the ridges around the outside of the coin.  That is the most obvious thing to me in these pictures.  Also they are very round for Mexico mint cobs, and that is the design.   

Fakes can be disappointing.  I've seen some that are very convincing.  And some that were very obvious.  

Look at any suspicious cobs carefully to see if you can find a small or inconspicuous "Copy" or "Replica" stamped on them.  Sometimes the mark is there, but it can be hard to find.

You can often tell by look if they aren't silver or gold.  Sometimes they will have a layer that peels,  sometimes they will be made of lead or other pot metal.

A gold/silver test kit is always a good idea.  If you don't have one, you can get a jeweler or pawn shop to test items for you.

I can usually tell silver from many other metals by simply rubbing it on a touchstone or something similar.  Some metals will squeak.  Silver rubs more smooth and soft.

There are a lot of fakes out there.  They can be a big disappointment at first, but you can learn to identify them by look fairly well.

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Three men were arrested for treasure hunting in the sewers under New York.  They spent four hours with metal detectors in the sewer system.  There are no details on what they were hunting.

I'd be interested in learning more about what they were up to.

Here is the link I received from Chris S.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/08/13/sewer-treasure-hunt-flatbush/

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We've been having a lot of thunder showers lately.  Nothing that would affect beach detecting conditions though.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/13/15 Report - Lima 8-escudos: Rare and Not So Rare. Animas River Toxic Pollution. Kudos To Garrett Detectors.

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

1711 Lima 8-escudo Up For Sale On eBay.

You might remember the post I did on 7/28 showing a pile of gold coins found this year by salvors working the Treasure Coast.  I mentioned that I could see some Pillars and Waves cobs from Lima in that group.

A couple days ago I did a post about what is called the Jeweled Cross Series of gold cobs.  Those are early Mexico minted cobs.

Today I'll post a bit about Peruvian gold cobs.  They were produced from 1696 to 1750.  I'll only consider those up to 1715 in today's post, and I'll just consider 8-escudos for no good reason other than brevity.

Of course the first thing you'll notice about these cobs is the nice pillars and waves design.

Compared to Columbian and Mexican gold cobs, Peruvian gold cobs are usually relatively round rather than odd shaped,  well centered, and have a clear date and mint mark.  In general they are well struck.

The mint mark is in the top left and the mint mark top right, and the date is on the bottom row.  That makes it easy enough.

There are some Lima 8-escudos that are very rare and others that are relatively common.

The 1696 H, 1701 H, and 1709 H are the most rare Lima 8-escudos of the period that I am talking about.  H is the assayer initial.  There are only five or so known examples of each of those.

The most common of those up to 1715 are the 1711 M, 1712 M, and 1713 M.  I don't doubt that one of the main reasons they are more common is because those dates would have been ready to be shipped with the 1715 Fleet.







A 1711 M 8-escudo
currently
offered for sale on eBay

I would be surprised if there were none like this in the group salvaged this year.  And maybe there are a even a few of the rare dates.

I think I'll be able to show you more of this years finds before long.

For a good detailed report on Lima gold cobs of all denominations, here is a link to a good detailed report by Sedwick Coins.

http://www.sedwickcoins.com/articles/limagoldcobs.htm

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Since posting about the jeweled cross series of gold cobs yesterday, I've heard from two people who have found one.  I might be able to post a picture of one of those in the near future.

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One of the most scenic train rides you can ever take is the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge railroad.  If you ever get a chance take that train.  It goes past some amazing scenery as it follows the Animas River, which at one point you can see running through a famous gorge just as you enter a tunnel.  Then when you get to Silverton, it is like you just stepped onto a TV set.  The town looks like the old West the way you see it on TV.  You can see the old silver mine right outside of town, and there is still placer mining in the area.

Maybe you've heard about the Animas River in the news lately.  That is the river spoiled by millions of gallons of toxic waste spilled into the river by the EPA!  Yes, it is the same Environmental Protection Agency that is so zealously regulates and fines anyone from huge corporations to small scale recreational miners.  And it was their fault that this horrid mess took place.  They'll pay for some of the damage, but it will come out of our pockets.

Hopefully the beautiful Animus River and other streams downstream will recover quickly.  I can only hope so.  It is a shame to see such beautiful country spoiled like that.  When it gets cleaned up, I highly recommend visiting the area if you never have, and take the train to Silverton.  Oh, and they run a Christmas Special, just like the Polar Express that would be utterly fantastic if you have kids - or not.  When it comes to things like that I still am a kid.

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If you send me pictures or anything by email it would be good idea to if you put like Do Not Post (DNP should do) or OK To Post on the top.  I usually don't post something if I'm not sure about it.  It would just make it a little easier for me if I don't even have to think about it.    Thanks to all.

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Kudos to Garrett Detectors.  I had a problem with a slipping arm cuff.  I called and told them and they promptly sent out a new one, which I put on my detector, and it seems to work find.  Good customer response.

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I watched a Youtube video in which a guy was going to test and compare an ATX and CTX 3030.   After watching about a minute I could tell that the guy didn't know how to use those detectors very well.  Sometimes the detector comparisons you see are worthless simply because the detectors aren't used well.  Some detectors are easier to use than others, but it is very easy to use the ATX poorly.  You can't tell much about a detector if you don't know how to use it.  I can't believe that fellow was buying these high end detectors and was so clueless about how to use them.

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Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net