2/19/13 Report - The Value of Research After the Find & More

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

Other Side of Same Meg Tooth.

I showed the other side of this tooth that was found by Dan B. a couple of days ago.

Notice the marks and gashes.  I noticed the same type of thing in the previous photo and sent the photo to my fossil expert extraordinaire, Fred D.

Here is what Fred had to say after looking at the photo of the other side.

A rare item but we occasionally find them. Notice the chip on the tip. That is a compression chip caused by the megalodon biting into a hard bone in his prey. The tip turned to powder. Then, because the tooth was probably in the front row, it broke off and into the shark's mouth. The result was the gashes on the sides. In other words, as he chewed his meat to ready it to gulp down, his tooth kept getting in the way of the other teeth, hence the nasty gashes. A rare prize. Anything with a pathologic nature is truly a great find.

BAM! That is magic.

Fred used his expert knowledge to turn that black triangle into a 4-D thriller movie sequence.  Can't you see it in your mind?

My point is that the best part of a find can be what I call the second find -  which is when you learn more  about the find.  The details about an object and where it came from and how it might have been used and how it was lost can add a lot.  Additional information like that can also add economic value to an item.

As Dan, the person who found the tooth, said when he found out what Fred had to say,  Absolutely amazing. Just goes to show that the circumstances of a find or its history can add to the value of a find exponentially. 

That is why you should carefully inspect your finds.  The marks on the tooth that I saw in the first photo made me think there might be more to the story.  Then Fred spelled out that story after I sent the photo to him.

As you can see from the second photo, which Fred did not see, the marks on the second side verifies what Fred was able to tell form the first view.  He is just that much of an expert, but sometimes one view is not enough, even for the experts.  There can be hidden marks or signs that might provide a critical clue.

Some of my favorite posts are stories like this that develop as additional information is added.

Thanks Fred!  I can count on Fred to answer my fossil questions.  And thanks Dan for sending the photos of your find.


If you heard the rumble in the sky Saturday and wondered what it was, it could have been the F-16s sent to chase the unauthorized planes away from where President Obama was vacationing in Palm City.  I heard it and didn't know what was going on until later.


I mentioned the other day that I heard some cars were broken into at beach accesses.  Jeff H. sent an email to tell what he does.  Here is what Jeff said.

Below is something that I made, laminated and put on all 4 of my windows. You can always change the wording up.  I got this idea after some cars in the neighborhood got broken into or stolen! Just one thing that could save some one the grief and dollar.

All valuables and items of value have been removed from

this car due to recent and past break in’s. If you feel it is

necessary to steal, please choose a more profitable

car to steal from. Parking lot camera watch in effect.

That's an idea.   Thanks Jeff.

My favorite is leaving my pet rattlesnake in the car.


Don't expect any real improvement in beach detecting conditions on the Treasure Coast for the entire week. The surf is predicted to be 2 feet or less most of the week.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net