Two Pieces of Copper Sheeting Found Recently on Treasure Coast Beaches.There is a small piece of copper sheeting from a 1715 Fleet wreck that is for sale on eBay. I didn't think it would get a bid, but it has two bids already.
I point this out because a lot of people only look for coins or gold and silver artifacts. Some people tend to disregard other things they find that actually have value even if they don't realize it.
The item on eBay is item number 320717272415. You might like to read the listing. It has documentation on where it was found and who it was found by. It is the provenance, as they say, that makes the item more valuable.
I recommend keeping all unidentified items, even if they are as uninspiring as a piece of copper sheeting. If you read about the fossil bone that I mentioned yesterday, it was sitting in a collection gathering dust for a long time before the carving was discovered. Then it became world famous. If the carving wasn't noticed and studied, it would have been just another old bone, worth nothing.
Keep unidentified finds. Eventually some information might pop up that will give you some important clues about the item or the shipwreck that it came from. Take unidentified items out once in a while and look them over. Sometimes a proper cleaning will also turn up marks that will help you identify either the item or the date and source of the item.
If you can document the item to a particular shipwreck site it will have value. Someone will find it interesting and maybe you can create a nice display for it. Don't be too quick to throw miscellaneous artifacts like that away.
The larger sheet in the photo above is much larger than the one listed on eBay. The smaller sheet on top has a square nail hole, which provides a clue to its age.
Carefully inspect all artifacts for any marks that might provides some information.
Kovels Komments reports, A Minneapolis bottle collector, Mary Shanesy, found a cache of 90 pre-Prohibition bottles when her house was being remodeled, according to a story in Bottles and Extras magazine (May-June 2011). The bottles were hidden in about 1917, just before the Prohibition era (1920-1933). Shanesy had some of the bottles auctioned to benefit the Hennepin History Museum. That evening the crowd at the auction not only watched the bottles sell, but also tasted some gin, brandy, and whiskey bottled before 1911. The bottles sold for extra high prices because the money was for the historical society. What a nice thing for a bottle collector to do.
Did you know you can find unclaimed money. Maybe there is some waiting for you. I found some.
If you live in Florida, here is the link to use.
http://www.fltreasurehunt.org/index.jsp
Some detectors are a lot heavier than others. The Whites Dual Field feels about half as heavy as the Excalibur, for example.
If you want to hunt long hours, you might consider weight when selecting a detector.
Weight isn't the only thing. It is often a matter of weight distribution. If the weight is distributed well, the detector doesn't feel near as heavy.
Of course you can also mount the control box on your belt which can be worth doing.
In the water weight is not as important because the water will carry some of the weight.
There are slings and counter-weights and other approaches too.
One thing you should do is adjust your pole length. Having it either too short or too long will reduce comfort and wear you out.
Take a few minutes to check and adjust your pole length the next time out.
A nice one-of-a-kind medieval silver badge was found by a detectorist in England.
Here is the link to the story.
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/9099072.Metal_detector_s__amazing_find__in_Ribble_Valley_field/
Someone asked me about some legalities. I don't like to comment on legalities, first because I am not an attorney, and secondly because it is difficult to summarize complex laws accurately even when you understand them.
Use you head. Even if you know the law in great detail, you could still get in trouble if some over-zealous official runs amuck. Being right won't always keep you out of trouble.
Do your best to obey all applicable laws, rules and regulations, but exercise a little judgement on top of that.
Don't be afraid to ask the authorities when you have questions. If it is a state or national park, for example, ask first. And do what they say even if it isn't 100% in line with the law.
I often tell people to talk to life guards. They will tell you what they will permit you to do in the area that they control. They will often be very helpful, as will other authorities.
Don't make enemies where you can just as easily make friends.
Treasure Coast Beach Forecast and Conditions.
The wind is till from the southeast and the seas calm. Therefore, there is no change in conditions to report.
The seas will be a little rougher next week, but still calm.
There is nothing to report in the tropics yet either.
The beach is till poor but the water fine.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
