5/31/13 Report - Treasure Coast Beach Detecting Conditions Upgraded to a 2.

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


Yesterday I told you that I was upgrading my Treasure Coast Treasure Beach Detecting Conditions Rating.  I needed to look at more of the beaches before I put a numerical rating on it.

Yesterday I had a hard time deciding if it should be a 2 or 3 rating.  After looking at more beaches this morning, I've decided the conditions upgrade should be to a 2.  There are however some areas that are a good 3, but overall, I have to go with a 2 rating.

As you may know, my rating scale is a five point scale ranging form 1 (poor) to a 5, indicating excellent conditions.

To give some context, I rated Sandy as a 3, but in retrospect, and all things considered, it was near a 4.

If I used fractions, I would rate conditions today as being maybe a 2.5, considering that there are some 3 level areas, but most I would rate as a 2.

Here is one big long cut on South Hutchinson Island.  Of course the replenishment sand is disappearing.  I suggested that would b happening a few days ago and showed some exposed turtle nests.

Nettles Island Area.
Photo by Joan T.

The best beach that I saw had hundreds of yards of 4 to 7 foot cuts.  That beach I would rate as a strong 3. That was not typical of what I saw around the Treasure Coast though.

Face of Cut About Seven Feet High Yesterday Afternoon.
Curvature due to wide angle lens.

Below is a photo looking north from Seagrape Trail.  The cut here is not continuous.  The maximum cut was about three feet high, but much of it had not cliff at all.

Seagrape Trail Looking North This Morning.

Turtle Trail Looking North This Morning.
Small Cut.

 Shells could be found at many beaches, especially Seagrape.  Also there was sea glass there.  If you like shells, I'd recommend Seagrape or Ambersands.

I talked to Joe at Seagrape this morning.  He was carrying an Excal.

Sea glass and a fossil was found at Ambersands, which had very little new erosion.

Shells on One South Hutchinson Island Beach Near Low Tide.

Boat on the Beach This Morning North of Seagrape.

Below is a cob found yesterday afternoon.  Typical small Mexican silver reale.  

Cob Found on Treasure Coast Yesterday.

The surf is around 3 - 5 feet today.  Tomorrow it will be decreasing slightly.  I don't expect any significant change in conditions until at least tomorrow.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/30/13 Update. Treasure Coast Beach Detecting Conditions Upgrade Issued.

Just wanted to get that posted.

Details and photos soon.

5/30/13 Report - Diamond Rings Found and Returned, Blue Pig, Flying Chicken Man and 2008 INA Annual

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

Found by Dan B.
Photo submitted by Dan B.

I'm glad to be able to post this story.  The jewelry you see in the photo was recovered by Dan B.

Here is what Dan said.  I recently had a couple ask me at work to help them find a lost ring set. One of my best experiences detecting yet. They met me at the beach near midnight, and i was able to find the rings in less than a minute. So fun, and personally rewarding. They also gave me $250. So fun.

Congratulations Dan!  It is always fun to find something for someone.   And that was an unusually nice reward.  I've told how it is more typical to get nothing more than a thank you, and many times not even that.  I really don't understand people being so ungrateful, but that is what I've often seen.  I'm glad these folks showed their appreciation.  It isn't so much the money as the show of appreciation.

I've also presented in a lot of detail the things you need to do when looking for an object for someone.

The first important rule is to get a good detailed description that will positively identify the sought piece.  You might find something other than the piece you were looking for and I've known people to try to claim items other than what they lost.

Another tip is to make sure you have room to work.   Mark out the search area and make everybody stay outside the area so you can search it properly and without interruption or distraction.  Also that gives you a chance to inspect the item to identify it before anyone else gets a look at it.

It is hard to run a grid with a bunch of kids or adults in the way.

It is also unusual for people to know exactly where they lost an item and then be able to pin point the areas accurately after having left the site.  That makes things so much easier.  It can be really frustrating when someone thinks they know where they lost the item, but they are wrong.

Anyhow Dan had a great experience, and it worked out where for everybody.

I've found some engagement and wedding ring sets before.  I never found out who they belonged to though.

I wondered if they were lost.  Someone said they might have thrown them away in a fit.  They were close together, but who knows?



And if you need some help in locating an item let me know and I'll probably be able to help you get someone to help you find it.



You might be interested in browsing the 2008 Annual of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology.   A lot of good browsing.  Many wrecks and artifacts at diverse locations.


An amusing side note: My wife and I sat next to Jeremiah from the Breaking Amish TV reality show on a plane recently.  It is funny how you can know so much about somebody who knows absolutely nothing about you. 

That reminds me of the time I was seated on a plane not too far from Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken, white suit and all.

Bottle Worth $100,000?

Did you know that an old bottle could be worth more than a gold coin?  Or a gold bar!

It is possible.

Here is an item from Kovels Komments:  An eBay seller realized that her cobalt blue pig-shaped whiskey bottle was rare, so she put it up for sale earlier this month (May 2013) for $1,200, a little lower than the price paid for a similar amber bottle a few years ago. The cobalt blue bottle sold quickly at her "Buy It Now" price. It's embossed with a crescent moon and the words "Duffy Crescent Saloon, 204 Jefferson Street, Louisville, Ky." An aqua version, one of two known, has sold for $2,800. No other cobalt blue bottle is known--but other rare blue bottles are very expensive. Some say the cobalt blue pig bottle could be worth $100,000. So somebody out there found a great eBay bargain. (American Bottle Auctions, Jeff Wichmann

Janine M. submitted this item from the following link.  Thanks Janine.

http://www.kovels.com/2013052912700/news-news-news/bargain-of-the-year.html?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Kobe+Bryant+Yells+%26quot%3bTime+Out%26quot%3b+to+Stop+Memorabilia+Auction&utm_campaign=Kovels+Komments%3a+Bargain+of+the+Year%3f

I've talked about bottles quite a bit in the past and mentioned that I started picking up old bottles right after Hurricane Andrew when I found some old examples floating in the surf down near Key Biscayne.  I was detecting for coins and found some but when I noticed the old bottles I looked around for some old plastic bags, which littered the area after the storm and collected some of the bottles.  Most were worth more than than most of the coins I found that day.

That is one more example of why it is good to be aware of a variety of types of treasures.  Its also good to know something about values.  You can't know everything about values, that usually takes and expert or some serious research, but know enough to realize what you should keep, and what you should check out.



Low tide today will be just after 7 AM and 7:30 PM.   High tide will be around 3 feet, and the lows will be 0, so don't expect much of a low tide.

The surf today will be 3 - 5 feet, and about the same for the next couple of days.

Tide data is from tides4fishing.com.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/29/13 Report - Turtle Nests Destroyed, Tides & Digging the Dips

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

Ruined Turtle Nest in Eroded Beach Replenishment Sand
Close-up clip of photo submitted by William M. 

I've talked about this type of thing in this blog before, and others have sent me emails wondering how they can approve beach replenishment that are conducted during turtle nesting season.

Dumping tons of sand on the beach buries turtles nests that are already on the beach, and makes a place for turtles to lay eggs that will soon be ruined like the one shown above when it starts to erode.  And replenishment sand will erode much faster than the normal unmodified beach.  If you want evidence of that, just look at how often they are replenishing these beaches.  They often don't last even a year.

That is government.  While they spend money to do beach patrols to save the protected turtles (note the nest marker shown in the photo), they turn around and bury and create an unstable and untenable environment for turtle nests.  I guess that way they can increase two budgets - one to protect turtles and the other to destroy them.

Thanks for the illustrative photo William.

It also shows what I suggested the other day about the recently replenished beach being eroded.

More of the Same Photo from William.

Notice the turtle eggs that washed up.  Once they are hit by salt water, they are no longer viable.

Also note the extend of erosion already and the sea weed.



I day or two I posted a link to an article about a lady who found a diary meant for her in a museum.  My feeling was that the diary is hers.  Others wrote in saying they thought it should be given to her instead of the photo copies.  What we don't know is if they gave her the option of taking the diary or donating it to the museum.  I would bet they didn't offer to give her the diary.


I've been using the following web site lately for tide information.  If it proves out well, I'll post it on my blog with the other links.

http://www.tides4fishing.com/us/florida-east-coast

Today the low tides will be around 6 AM and 6:30 PM.  Check the charts for you specific location.

The low tides will both be -0.3 feet.  So the second low tide will not be as low as yesterday's.

The high tide will be fairly high - around 3.3 feet.

Consider the tides in addition to the size of the surf and wind and wave directions.


Today on the Treasure Coast we have a 2 - 4 foot surf.  It will increase up to about 3 - 5 feet for Friday and then start decreasing a little again.


I was watching the TV news the other day and they showed swimmers at the beach on Memorial Day.  You could see that the swimmers were doing what they usually do - play in the dips and stand on the sand bars.  That should tell you something about where to check.

Check the dips.  It is usually easy to tell how good a dip might be by the amount of lose sand and shell in the dip.  The first dip will often be full of course shell.  That usually isn't good, except for things like watches.

The more the lose material has been  moved out of the dip, the better your chances will be for multiple good finds.  Ideally, you'll find a rock or hard packed bottom in the dip.

Otherwise you might always find a recent drop that hasn't been buried yet.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/28/13 Report - Using the Tide Charts, Found Objects & Robots Replacing Dolphins

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


You can use the tide chart web site that I gave you yesterday to compare the high and low tides for a given day with the record maximum high and low tides.  That can be very useful.

For example, if you go to that web site and select the Fort Pierce Inlet for the location, you'll see that the high tide today will be 3 feet, while the low tides will be -0.3 feet, and -0.7 feet.  That means the afternoon low tide will be lower than the morning low tide by a small amount.

Also you can compare the tides of today with the records.  The maximum high tide recorded in the tide table for Fort Pierce Inlet (South Jetty) is 3.9 feet, while the minimum is -1.3 feet.

That is a fairly high high tide.  The -0.7 low tide is a little more unusual if you compare it to what we have been having for the last few months.  We haven't had very many -0.7 days over the last few months.  I personally have a sense of how those numbers compare to what we've been having over the past few months, but I haven't found a chart of average tides yet.  That would help me describe how the current tides compare to the average, in addition to the extremes.

And of course there are other things to take into account, including the size of the surf, which, by the way, will be increasing just a little the next couple of days. 

I'm not expecting a change in my beach detecting conditions rating any time real soon.



Here is an interesting web site on the 18th century Storm Wreck from the St. Augustine area.

http://www.staugustinelighthouse.org/LAMP/Research/Storm%20Wreck/ships-fittings-equipment



A ninety-year-old WW II vet received his dog tag in the mail after it was returned by a lady who found in while gardening in France.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/27/dog-tag-returned_n_3342699.html?utm_hp_ref=memorial-day&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D318927



After 70 years a lady found a diary in a museum that was meant for her.  Interesting story and very appropriate for Memorial Day.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/27/high-school-sweetheart-finds-killed-wwii-marine-diary-in-museum-70-years-later/print

I  might have missed something but the impression I got is that the diary belonged to the lady and should have been given to her.   The museum should have kept the copies, and made a replica if they wanted to, but given her the original.   Agree or disagree?

Early Guided Torpedo

Navy dolphins may lose their job of clearing mines to robots.

http://www.technewsdaily.com/15383-navy-robots-replace-dolphins.html


You might remember the story that I posted recently about the old torpedo recently recovered by a dolphin.

To the right is a picture of a torpedo similar to that one.  I don't think I posted it before.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/26/13 Report - Some Beaches Cut For Memorial Day Weekend But No Conditions Upgrade

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

Remember!

I've mentioned a few times about my recent trip up North.  Here is one part of it that I haven't mentioned before.  Above is some of my "personal history."

Government is not about personal history.  They are on opposite ends of the contiuum.  Government is about groups and abstractions more than individuality and freedom these days and doesn't recognize personal history except when it can be used for political purposes.

While up North I was in some small rural towns with interesting names like Independence and West Liberty that tell of a time when Pennsylvania and West Virginia were still frontiers - a time when politicians, like our President, would not and could not say of those who worked and risked to build a life in the frontier "you didn't do that," because they most certainly did.

The cemetery shown above is in the small town of Prosperity, and nearby is Amity.  The town names give a hint of the time period when they were formed and also something of the background of those who named them.

Back to the present day in Florida.

I was at the beach yesterday and saw a few hundred yards of two to three foot cuts, some of which I presume was created when the wind shifted a couple of days ago.  There was a good bit of  fresh sea weed on the eroded beach, which told me that the last erosion did not occur during the last tide cycle, but rather one or two before.

Here is a quick video clip of what I saw at that beach Sunday afternoon.

Despite the cuts, there were very very few targets.  That has been the way it has typically been at that shipwreck beach for a few years now.

That beach was one of the most productive for me for a long time, but in recent years it has been producing very little.  It is always tempting to believe that a beach that goes unproductive has been worked out, but I don't believe that is not the case.  It will become productive again at some point as happened after the hurricanes of 2004 and also after Sandy.

Above is another quick video clip, this one showing the surf conditions yesterday.  It is at the same beach that was cut.

I also visited another shipwreck beach yesterday, and it was not cut at all.  In fact shell sand was washing up onto the front of the second beach.  And the dips in the water were filling with course sand.  Very few targets there too.

Despite the cuts that I saw at the first beach, I'm not upgrading my beach detecting conditions rating.  It does show some improvement in detecting conditions, but not enough for me to upgrade my conditions rating from a 1 to a 2.

If you've been reading my blog very long, you know that my rating scale is a five point scale in which a 1 indicates poor beach detecting conditions and a 5 indicates excellent detecting conditions.

I would not be surprised though if one or two cobs are found somewhere on the Treasure Coast this holiday weekend.

As I've explained before, there are factors other than cuts to take into account.

The cuts that I showed are near the front beach in relatively newly accumulated sand.

The surf for Memorial Day will remain about 2 - 3 feet.   The wind is now directly from the East - not a good thing.

Unfortunately, the predictions for a six foot surf by Friday have now been reduced.

Fortunately, though, the low tides are nice and low. Too bad the dips are filled with crud.

I didn't take a look, but I'd bet that some of the recently replenished beaches eroded pretty good already.  I'll take a look at some of those soon.

There were a lot of beach goers and boaters yesterday.  That means some recent drops if you want to detect for new stuff.



Here are some good tide charts.  They present a lot of information for specific locations.

http://www.tides4fishing.com/us/florida-east-coast



Here is a long article on the Dead Sea Scrolls and other documents and fragments and all of the politics and intrigue associated with that.    Very small fragments of these very old documents are some of the most valuable artifacts of any kind ever found and can sell for millions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/25/dead-sea-scroll-for-sale-fragments_n_3336778.html?1369508122&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D318657


Have a blessed Memorial Day,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/25/13 Report - Unusual Gold Cross Found in Everglades, Washington Dollar Errors & Personal History

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

Partly Melted Gold Cross Found in Everglades.
Photo from prweb.com
site linked in this post.

Here is a really interesting Florida story about an unexpected find.

A high karat gold cross was found in the Everglades by python hunters.  The cross with diamonds and saphires was partly melted.  The Celtic cross was found in the debris field of an airplane crash.  Attempts are being made to find the owners.

The cross bears "rose cut" diamonds, which suggests some age to the cross.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10749118.htm

This shows once again how things can be found at anytime.  You never know where or when, and if you keep your eyes open, sometimes can be found without a detector.



The Fishers will have four boats working this summer.  The Dare will be looking for the Lost Merchant with the HAUV. The  crew of the Magruder will be on the Atocha site, and there will be two boats working the Margarita site.


Here is a great web site about Washington dollar errors.

http://coins.about.com/od/errorcoinsdievarieties/a/edge_lettering_2.htm



And here is an article about missionaries in the New World.

http://www.netplaces.com/catholicism/modernizing-the-catholic-church/catholic-missionaries-in-the-new-world.htm

Rusted Eye-Balled Belt Buckle.

I told you a few things about my trip up north.  I did a little hunting on an old Indian and wagon trail.  I've found horse shoes and old coins and various artifacts on this trail before.  Arrow heads are fairly common there.  I also found an early 1930s high school class ring there.

On this trip I was a little surprised to find an eye-balled rusted belt buckle on the trail.  (See photo.)  It was a surface find.  I don't think it is very old, but I don't know.  I'm just going on first impressions.

Given how many people detect there for artifacts I was a little surprised to find the belt buckle in plain sight.  Yearly erosion does move and expose new things every year. Surely the people who detect here aren't using discrimination.  There are a lot of artifacts there.

A thick layer of dead leaves can make eye-balling difficult certain times of the year.

Deer Path

Here is a view from the wagon trail looking across a stream to a deer path.  You might have difficulty picking out the deer path, but it is there.

Another funny thing: I found a marble in one hoof print out there in the woods.

Keep your eyes open for clues like that.

Layers and layers of objects from different times can often be found in one area.

Like I was saying, things can be found almost anywhere.


If you remember me talking about the elderly as good resources for identifying locations having a lot of history, that made me think of something else.  There is what I will call "personal history."   Not all history is significant to people who were not involved or who have no connection to the times, places and events.

"Personal history" is only highly significant to those who in some way lived it or are in some way connected to it.   In defining "history" as anything and everything that happened in the past under the guise of saving history for "the people,"  people are robbed of their own personal history.  "Protecting" personal history and putting it in a museum or making it off-limits, in my opinion can rob those for whom it has the greatest (and perhaps only) meaning.

I am arguing once again for archaeology and the state to better define priorities and strategies rather than saying that almost everything and anything is equally significant archaeologically and historically and therefore off-limits to the general population.


On the Treasure Coast last night, the wind shifted.  I heard it pick up last night, and today it is now coming from the east/northeast.

The low tide should be unusually low today.

While the surf is only around 3 feet today, it will be increasing significantly through the week, reaching up to six feet by Friday if the current predictions are correct.

I'm eager to see if that actually happens.  I hope so.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

5/24/13 Report - Another Key Plus Mystery Object, Linked Spirals Search Pattern for Water Hunting & Mound Builders

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

First, here is another key find.  Brent P. found these two objects by the Banana River.

Key and Mystery Object Finds by Brent P.

Photos submitted by Brent.

Brent said,  I, too, made an unexpected find of what appears to be an old key. It is not iron (unknown at this time what metal it's made of). The key was recovered from 10-12 inches beneath the sand in a foot of water.

The paddle-shaped item was found 10 minutes earlier, four feet away from the key, at a depth of 6 inches under the sand. Could it be a butter knife or something similar? Neither the key or the "paddle" have any marking or inscription. Any information or ideas you or your readers might have concerning the key would be greatly appreciated.

He says the key isn't iron, but doesn't know what metal it is.  It looks to me like there is some possibility the other object is silver and maybe had a handle or was the handle.

If you have any ideas about the "paddle" object, send them in.  Brent would really like to know what they are.

Here is one tip I often give when you don't know what type of metal you have.  Try a magnet.  That will tell you real quick and easy if it is ferrous or not.

A precious metals test kit is always a good idea, but if you don't have one, a lot of pawn shops will test metals for you at no cost. 



People are getting ready for the Memorial Day weekend.  Summer gets into full swing as a lot of people will be hitting the beaches.  It is a good time for some beach and water metal detecting.  There will be quite a few things lost and found over the holiday weekend.

If you plan on getting into the water, as always check for any new dips, especially any with a deep hard bottom.

Also check the sand bars outside the dip where many swimmers stand and play.  Try to determine the direction the bar has been moving.  It will probably be losing sand on one side (either the inside or outside).  Especially check the side that is losing sand.  Depending upon how long the bar has been in place and how much it has been used by swimmers, a good accumulation of coins and objects can become available when the sand moves from one side or the other.

You can use some of the same search patterns in the water as you would use on the beach.  There is a difference though.  When in the water, it is harder to maintain a tight grid.  The water will move you a little, you won't be able to see your tracks to make sure you aren't missing any areas, and you won't be able to see the bottom as well.  All of that means it is more difficult to make sure you don't leave gaps in your search grid.    If you do decide it is worth gridding, it might be a good idea to run a tighter pattern and overlap more.

If you haven't found a spot that is worth searching using a tight grid and are still looking for a good area where a grid would be worthwhile, first check different types of areas for individual targets and then check the area where the target was found to see if the target might be part of a spill or an accumulation.

One search pattern I like for use on larger sand bars during the early stages of the hunt, is what I call the linking spirals pattern.  You start with a zigzag pattern and then when a good target is dug, spiral around the dug hole - extending out from the hole in circles

When visibility is not good and maybe the water is rough, you can use a long handled scoop to maintain your position.  Reach the hole with the scoop so you know where the hole is and go around the hole, detecting as you go.  After you go around the hole a time or two, you won't be able to touch the hole any longer, but at least you got started and covered the area immediately next to the hole.

The point of the spiral is to see if there are any more targets close to the one that you dug.  If there is another target within the spiral pattern, notice which direction and how far it was from the first hole.  Repeat the process until you figure the target density is dense enough to grid, otherwise move on.

You might find that you are at one side of any accumulation.  If you find a second target, and maybe a third to the south of the hole, for example, but not in the other direction, then check to the south to see how much of an accumulation there might be.

If you spiral outward from the hole where the first target was found and find no other targets, then return to your zigzag pattern and continue until you find a good area with more targets to search more thoroughly.  Of course it is possible that you won't find any good accumulations in the area.  In that unfortunate case, you are reduced to picking up random drops instead of being able to intensify your search in a "good" spot.  If there are no hot spots detected, another option is to move on to another beach.

I noticed in my old records how often I made a good find at one beach and then moved on to another beach and made another good find.   If I found a good accumulation that I could continue to work profitably for hours or even days, I wouldn't have moved to another beach until the accumulation was worked out.



Sometimes you find what you're not looking for, and it can be better than what you were looking for.

While I was up north not long ago, one fellow digging for bottles found a very unusual object.  It was a Native American pipe made out of petrified wood.  It is a very unusual one-of-a-kind find.  Experts said they had never seen one like it.



Here is a nice web site on the Mound Builders.  It shows a good variety of interesting artifacts including many of copper.

http://www.burlingtonnews.net/centerindiansa.html


On the Treasure Coast today (Fri.), the surf was pretty smooth.  It will pick up just a touch for the rest of the holiday weekend.  With the full moon, we are getting some lower low tides.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/23/13 Report - More On Old Keys, First Underwater Locksmith, Human Nature & More

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

One Picture of An Old Key Found on the Internet.
I lost the link to this particular one.

I started looking around to see if there was anything distinctive about the key that I posted yesterday.  I was trying to find any possible clue that might help identify the key.

Here is one nice web site that I found where you can see a variety of nice old keys from previous centuries (16th - 19th century, English).

http://www.aschkenes.com/16th-19th%20Century%20%20English%20Keys%201.htm

So far I haven't found anything that would help determine the age of the key that I posted yesterday.  It looks fairly typical of keys that you might find from previous centuries, including the 18th century.

Nor have I found anything that would help distinguish keys from different countries.

I have not yet seen a key with a similar odd-shaped tooth, although I've looked through quite a variety.  Notice the more typical tooth on the key shown in the picture above.

Here is the other side of Fred's key that I posted yesterday.

Additional View of Fred's Key.
Photo by Fred B. 

I'm still looking for info on Fred's key.  Email me if you have any thoughts or info that might be relevant.

Keys are certainly nice collectibles.


You might find this history of locks interesting.  It has some interesting facts and pictures.

http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.locks.ru/germ/informat/schlagehistory.htm

And here is one paragraph from that web site that I thought was particularly interesting.

As a child, Charles Courtney was intrigued with everything mechanical that he could fix or take apart. He was especially fascinated with locks, and so began his lifelong career as a lock expert. However, he had resolved to become a diver and do all the things his great, great uncle, Jules Verne, a novelist, had described in his famous book,Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. Years later, Charles Courtney realized his dream. Because of his talent for picking locks, he was hired as a diver to open safes on sunken ships. He was the first to do a locksmithing job 400 feet under water, and he recovered many millions of dollars for the salvage companies. Charles Courtney achieved international fame as a Master Locksmith, also known as a collector of antique locks, many of them now a part of the Schlage collection.



In 2013 Blue Water Ventures became a publicly traded company (stock symbol BWVI).  It seems the last trade showed that it was trading for $.85 per share.


The next time you are in the keys, you might want to stop at 82990 Overseas Highway in Tavernier FL to see The History of Diving Museum.



The Sons of the American Revolution, between about 11:30 and noon on Memorial Day, at the Port St. Lucie Veterans Memorial Park, will dedicate a monument to those who fought during the American War for Independence.

Stop by and see the dedication and take a look at the monument.


One thing that might improve your success is an understanding of human nature.  You don't have to be a psychologist.  Just observe.

As I mentioned yesterday, I was recently talking to some elderly folk from up north.  I mentioned a specific bridge where us kids always took at least a brief pause on their walk to and from school to look down from the bridge, and the boys always threw a few stones.  The person I was talking to from an earlier generation mentioned that they did the same.

Of course they did.  What kid wouldn't stop to look down from a bridge whenever they had the opportunity, and what boy wouldn't throw a stone or two?   The same thing would have occurred as long as the bridge was there.

There isn't any particular value in knowing that kids stop at bridges and throw stones, but there is more to it  than that.  People today are often drawn to the same spots as the Native Americans and others of previous centuries.  People seek out and like the same things - generation after generation.

A tall hill that provides a unique view is always nice.  A cool fresh water spring is always refreshing.   That is the same today as it was centuries ago.

If you have just a little understanding of human nature, you can often tell where people collected and participated in different activities simply by looking at the landscape.

Of course the landscape can change over time either as the result of nature or human activity.

Winding creeks in flat valleys tend to become more winding, eventually producing ox bows, for example.

Small static ponds often become filled by weeds over time, and can eventually disappear.

Add that type of knowledge to your knowledge of human nature and you will be more successful in finding old places to detect.



On the Treasure Coast we still have something close to a 2 - 3 foot surf, decreasing just a little by Friday.  The good thing is that the low tides are going down a little more now.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/22/13 Rerport - Key Found, Ancient Coins, Hurricane Season, Navy Dolphin Finds 19th Century Relic & A Valuable Research Resource

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

Recent Find by Fred B.
Photo by Fred B.

This key was found Sunday by Fred on one of the Treasure Coast shipwreck beaches.  Fred says it was heavily rusted but cleaned up well.  The key is about three inches long.

The side that you see above is unadorned.  On the other side there is a little more decoration, and also the tooth (See below) is only shaped on one side.

Interesting find! Congratulations Fred.

If you have any thoughts or information or have seen a similar key, let us know what you think might be the source or date of this key.



Here is an interesting story about a cache of old coins found in the sand in Australia during the 1940s.  Some of those coins are thought to be a thousand years old and suggest that Australia was a part of an ancient trade network.

The source of the cache is now being sought by a team using an old treasure map.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/african-coins-found-in-australia-expedition_n_3307199.html

Thanks to Jorge Y. for submitting this story.



It seems that they think the 2013 storm season might be a lot like that of 2004.  You probably remember that year if you were around here.  That is the year multiple hurricanes made landfall on the Treasure Coast.

Here is a link on that submitted by Joan T.

http://www.crownweather.com/?page_id=7332



A dolphin found a Howell torpedo from the 1800s.  It is only the second known to exist.

The dolphin was first ignored while on a training mission when it indicated the presence of the artifact where there were no training targets.

Dolphins use an advanced type of sonar.

Here is the link.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-torpedo-dolphins-20130518,0,7621822.story


I was visiting an old area up north recently and was struck by how many good hunting areas there are around where I grew up.  I could think of at least a half a dozen sites where arrow heads are found within a mile of my childhood home.  And I knew where there were quite a few buildings that are no longer there.  A lot had changed since I had last been there.   I also knew where the old bottle dumps were.

 Most people that live there now wouldn't know about any of that.  That is why older people can be valuable resources.

Things change.  And they change pretty fast - at least it seems that way to someone that has been around for several decades.  I'd say that the people that grew up in the area are especially valuable resources for leads.

I remember how us kids got around.  We explored hills, valleys, creeks, cliffs, barns, ruins - you name it and we explored it.

And we also listened to the stories of older people who are now long departed.  Past generations knew where things used to be and where things happened and they told us kids, who were easily impressed.

My grandfather told me about when Buffalo Bill and his show visited the area.

And some of my older long departed relatives, while I was still a child told me of driving their cattle into town past an Indian camp beside Catfish Creek just outside of town.

If you are looking for leads, talk to some of the elders who grew up in the area.  Nobody will have the same level of personal knowledge of interesting places and things.



On the Treasure Coast the surf is still running around 2 - 4 feet.  The wind is pretty much from the south.

It looks like we'll be having some lower low tides.  That should be some help.


I'll be doing some research on the key.  Let me know what you think about that.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/20/13 Report - Vikings Hoard Found by Detectorist, Historic Fort & Book Treasures

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

Viking Coins Found By 16-Year Old Detectorist
Photo from FoxNews Story.  See link

A sixteen year old boy with a metal detector in Denmark found one of the biggest Viking treasures to be found in many years.

60 rare coins (See photo.) plus many other items, including a silver Thor's Hammer medallion, were found in the cache to be displayed by a Danish museum.

Thanks to Christopher P. for submitting the link to this FoxNews.com story.

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/05/16/teenager-rare-viking-era-find-metal-detector/?test=latestnews




The site of a historic fort near the Oregon Trail in Wyoming is being excavated.  Volunteers are being trained to help with this work so the site can be studied before a housing construction project begins.

http://trib.com/news/local/casper/archaeologists-begin-salvage-operation-at-historic-fort-site-in-wyoming/article_eeb5b4ec-279a-5e4c-8964-8019aa9b10f1.html?comment_form=true




A TV show planning to visit St. Augustine to dig artifacts on the private property of home owners who wish to participate was being planned back in early 2012.  As you might expect, that caused a lot of discussion, with the city archaeologists reiterating their outrage that somebody would do something like that. 

Here a link to the article telling about that.

http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2012-01-05/crews-dig-backyards-tv-show-raising-objections-city-archaeologist#.UZOJNCDD-P9

One archaeologist said the program's activities would be unethical because it would rob the city of its heritage and would disrupt important archaeological sites despite the fact that representatives of the TV program said they would stay away from archaeological zones.

I understand and respect the desire to preserve archaeological sites.  Nobody should do that and only a very few would do so knowingly.  After all, the detecting community is a part of the citizenry and would be robbed right along with anyone else that was being robbed. They are a group that is very interested in history, and undoubtedly more than most of the general population. 

The treasure hunting community has contributed heavily to our knowledge of Florida history.  They have contributed heavily to the collections of the state of Florida and other museums and displays enjoyed by the citizenry, and have made many important discoveries. 

The problem is that the metal detecting and treasure hunting communities are frequently mischaracterized and villanized despite their many contributions.  There would be a much better chance of making really significant discoveries if the eyes and ears of all willing and interested parties were involved.

In the one article above it was shown how volunteers can help to preserve history before it is too late.  Volunteers can be useful.  Detectorists are being utilized more frequently to survey archaeological sites.  That is the way to go.

Hundreds of police and national guardsmen could not find one terrorist in a few city blocks of Boston, but one citizen did.  No matter how well trained and how long you look, you are not likely to find a carved mammoth bone giving evidence of the simultaneous existence of man and mammoths, but one amateur did.  The archaeological community would do much better to inform and involve the citizenry.  The idea is to protect history for the people, not FROM the people.

It is time to realize that there are more items in the earth than can ever be properly studied.  Objects do deteriorate and sites are lost if they are not found in time.   Who knows what undiscovered unstudied site will be destroyed next.

18th Century Map Recently Sold by Sothebys

Most detectorists and treasure hunters would love to be involved in making finds and learning what those finds can tell us.  Most would welcome training and input from professionals.  Most would freely offer their time and skills if they were utilized and appreciated rather than mischaracterized and villanized.  It is time for a change.


On May 14th an auction concluded that sold many old and rare travel books, atlases and maps.  Of course those are treasures.   They sold for thousands of dollars each.  But they can also be valuable research tools.

Here is an example of an 18th Century map of North America.   Close inspection reveals much about the past that could be useful to a detectorists.

Besides being a research tool, old books and maps are works of art and treasures.

It used to be easier, but you can still occasionally find real bargains in thrift stores.  Sometimes you can purchase a book for a dollar and sell it for hundreds of dollars.  Of course you have to know what to look for.

I once wrote an article for a treasure magazines on the topic.

Look for books that are signed by the author or other famous person.   Of course look for old books, but most old books aren't worth much unless there is something rare about them or they are well over a hundred years old.

First editions of books by famous authors such as Hemmingway or Dickens are usually good.  You will have to study in order to learn how to identify a true first edition.  Reprints usually aren't worth much.  And condition is important.

Look inside old books.  Sometimes you can find photos, cards or even money.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/18/13 Report - Bust Half Found on Treasure Coast, Be Flexible, French Warships, & Tide Charts

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

Capped Bust Half

William M. found this nice Capped Bust Half.   It had a hard black crust that William cracked open.  When the crust fell off a very clear imprint of the coin was seen on the crust (See below.)

I showed a mercury dime that had a similar crust back a couple of weeks or so ago.  I found that crust was not dissolved by muriatic acid at all, but did crack open.

You don't find old coins like that on the beach very often.

Nice find William.

By the way, I haven't received any information on the bronze spikes I posted recently for William yet.  Any comments?

Pete L. said,   Very cool article this morning (Thurs.) with those spikes and staple! Looks like those tread marks on the staple would act like a barb on a fishing hook, to help keep the staple from backing out after it's in place!  I too would maybe throw them out but watching more and more relic hunting vids on Youtube I seem to like this stuff more and more!  

Thanks for the feedback.

Crust of Bust Half Showing Coin Imprint.

I like to make detectorists aware of a broad range of types of finds.   When you are out there it doesn't hurt to know about these things and understand that what you pass up can sometimes be more valuable than some of the things you might target. 

The more types of treasures you know about, the better chance you have of being successful.  And there is a great deal of satisfaction in being able to attach the proper significance to an item.  That additional information can also help you to make more finds. 

I've hunted a lot of different things and a lot of different types of places.  I like it all, and it helps to be flexible.  I don't care if I am at a fancy resort, out in the mountains, on a beach, in a park, or in the ocean.  It is all fun.  You can find something anywhere.  And the more you try different things, the more you'll learn.

I say this frequently, but here it is again.  When conditions are not right for finding one type of treasure, conditions will usually be right for finding another type of treasure.  If you are targeting one type of thing and conditions are not right for that, you might consider adapting and doing something else.

In this blog I've talked about things like old bottles, pot shards, stone tools, shell tools, sea glass, fossils etc. in addition to the types of things we more often target.  You can find all of those things on a beach.  And, of course, you can go off beach.

You can use the search box on the first display of this blog to go back through old posts on any of those subjects.

Ten 18th-century French warships are being studied off of Nova Scotia.  They were sunk during the second siege of Louisbourg in 1758.

Here is the link for more on that story.

http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2013-05-09/article-3242211/Underwater-archeologists-helping-tell-story-of-Louisbourg-siege/1



I mentioned a few days ago that I was looking at the tide predictions.  Here is a web site that I found that I like.  Give it a try.

http://www.tides4fishing.com/us/florida-east-coast/vero-beach-ocean

The chart is nice.

I showed Vero as an example, but you can also select other areas along the coast.

When I decide which tide site I like the best I'll list it on the blog.


Beach detecting conditions remain unchanged on the Treasure Coast.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

5/17/13 Report - Spanish Colonial Coins, Detecting a Volleyball Court,

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

Couple Examples From
CoinQuest.com

Here is a web site that provides a good section on Spanish Colonial coins.  It purports to give values, but for such a broad category that is almost impossible so the information it does give concerning values for this category of coins is very general.  They do have a lot of nice photos of coins and some good information about the types though.

http://coinquest.com/cgi-bin/cq/coins?main_action=spanish-colonials

Take a look.

You can find information on other types of coins through CoinQuest.com as well.

I was looking over my old metal detecting records again, and a couple of things jumped out at me.  One was the number of good finds that came from volleyball courts.

I think I previously mentioned how I liked to eye-ball volleyball courts after they had been sprinkled or after it just rained.  That is often productive.

But what I wanted to mention today is that it seems that some people don't really know how to detect volleyball courts.  That is my opinion, at least.

I've seen some people that methodically grid a volleyball court staying within the defined outline of the court. That is OK as far as it goes, but you'll miss a lot that way.

First visually scan the court and the immediate surroundings.  Often you'll be able to see where the action took place by looking at how the sand was disturbed.  Of course, you want to detect where there was a lot of activity.

But here is a trick that you may or may not expect.  A lot of finds will come from an area outside the defined boundaries of the court.  And when I say a lot, I mean probably at least half.  Yet a lot of people don't look at the area just outside the court.

First, I think that the area within the boundaries of the court is more often detected.  But, here is another consideration.  If you've ever watched people playing volleyball at the beach, a lot of the most frantic activity occurs just outside the boundaries of the court towards the back of the court, left, right, and immediately behind the boundaries.  That is where people will dive, and where items will fly when people fling their arms attempting to reach that unreachable ball.

When you see that the action has occurred mostly in the center of the court and right in front of the net, that is usually a tamer game with fewer participants.  Also, fewer lost items.

When the action spills over behind and to the left and right of the court, and there is a lot of churned sand, chances of a find are very good.

Here is another secret.  Check the area immediately next to the poles that hold the net, especially just outside the boundaries of the court.  That is where people usually empty their pockets and lay items that are removed before the game.  I guess things get kicked, covered or forgotten there, because that is another place where things are often found.  Detectorists often neglect that spot.

Sometimes the poles are metal and that causes problems.  With some experience, you can learn to detect small items next to metal poles though.  Hint - use all metals mode and sweep very slowly.  It can be done.  You will hear the pole, but you might also be able to hear other small things next to the pole.

It appears that very thin gold chains, along with small charms, are often lost during volleyball games.  And, of course, a few rings.  You might be surprised at the nice finds that come from volleyball courts.

Photo of Small Cut On One Beach Yesterday Afternoon Near Low Tide.

(Curve due to wide angle lens.)

While conditions remain unchanged there is one part of the Treasure Coast there is still one area that is still producing some older items.  It is towards the northern end.  I won't get more specific than that right now.  I don't want to ruin it for the guys that have been working that area.

Overall we're still looking at a 2 - 3 foot surf and a lot of sand.  Not very good at all, yet, like I said, there is one area that is producing some older silver US coins.

The beach at the right showing the small cut is not the one that is producing.  The one shown here had almost no signals despite the nearly foot loss of sand.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/16/13 Report - More Shipwreck Spikes, Staples, High K Gold & Coins

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

Nice Bronze Spikes
Finds by William M.

I received this photo from William M. who said the following.

I would like a little help with dating these if possible.

From what I know..round bronze is likely very old ship related...

 they were all in one hole with some deeper targets I couldn't get yet because of the tide..

These were in black crust that cracked completely off without electrolysis.

As you probably know I posted an illustration recently showing the beach and where you could find things on the typical beach under the present circumstances.   I pointed out that the front of the beach was a place where you can find things like spikes.  You might want to go back a week or so and look at that.

Also I recently mentioned that bronze spikes do not corrode as badly as iron.  You might also recall the example I showed of a silver dime that was covered by a hard black clay or something that resisted muriatic acid but that I broke off revealing the mercury dime.

Anyhow, if you have an idea of the age of these or any other thoughts or ideas about these spikes, let me know.


Some people don't pay any attention to things like spikes.  Some don't even keep them and might wonder why I pay so much attention to things like that, but spikes are not only interesting historical relics and can provide important information about any possible nearby shipwrecks, but they also can have a greater economic value than some treasure coins.  So there are two good reasons.

I noticed a group of shipwreck spikes for sale on eBay the other day.  I thought it was especially interesting because along with the spikes there was also what you might call a staple or cleat.

Here is a photo of that.

Photo From eBay Listing.
You can find it by using keywords "shipwreck spike."

Notice the marks on the parts of the staple pointing to the right.  They look a little like tread marks.

That is the kind of thing that can help you narrow down the age or source of an item.  Always carefully inspect finds for any marks or unusual features.

You see a lot of spikes but not many of these staple things.



When evaluating a beach that might provide some modern jewelry finds, you should find out what type of people go there.  Some cultures wear a lot more gold than others, and some cultures use more high purity gold.  Some use 20K and even 22K gold. .

Here is an article about the current gold demand and how gold is viewed in the largest market for gold.  Can you guess what country that is?  

 If you find gold jewelry that is 20K or above, there is a good chance it is either from India or China.  I've shown one or two items like that before

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-13/gold-rush-lifts-profit-at-biggest-jewelry-maker-corporate-india.html

Here is one paragraph from the above linked article a couple of days ago.

Bullion for immediate delivery fell 0.1 percent to $1,428.76 an ounce. While gold has rebounded from a two-year low of $1,321.95 on April 16, it is 26 percent below the record $1,921.15 reached in 2011.



And here is a May 10 AP article about a coin show in New Orleans that displayed $100 million in rare coins including the crown jewels of coin collecting.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/rare-coins-worth-millions-displayed-orleans-19150640#.UZI21yDD-P8

The following three collecting rarities are briefly described in this article.


The Liberty Head nickel, first minted in 1883, was replaced with a design featuring an American Indian and a buffalo in 1913. No 1913 Liberty Heads are known to have been released for circulation, so the five known to exist have been shrouded in mystery in numismatic circles.

Other highlights include an 1804 silver dollar valued at more than $3 million and an example of the first coin federally authorized by President George Washington — a 1792 half disme, an early spelling of the word dime.

The 1804 dollar is known among collectors as the "king" of collecting, and it also has a mysterious history.


On the Treasure Coast today the surf will be around 2 - 3 feet, with the wind from the east/southeast. The surf will remain in that range for a few days, at least.

Beach detecting conditions remain poor but as I've shown, you can still come up with some finds.  Cobs or treasure coins will be very rare though.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

5/15/13 Report - Great Group of Spikes, Log Boats & Park Swimming Hole Finds

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

Very Nice Collection of Shipwreck Spikes, Pins, Nails etc. Found by Ken D.

Photo submitted by Ken D.

Thanks for sharing Ken.  That is one nice collection.  And great photo.

Ken said he found the fat one shown near the middle of the photo while he was hunting tropical fish when he was 14.  He got hooked on treasure hunting then and is still at it at 53.

Take a good look.  There is a very nice variety shown here.  Note the different shapes, sizes and all of the different types of heads.

That fat one is a really neat example.

Imagine how much force it took to bend a lot of those. 

Also notice the copper pins at the top center of the photo.


Yesterday I mentioned the Native American pot shard collection of William M.   Different people start out hunting and end up accumulating different types of things.  Part of it is where they live and hunt, some of it is due to what they are interested in, the good spots that they happen to stumble onto, and to some degree how they hunt.

If you start out metal detecting for coins and jewelry, there is a good chance you'll miss spikes and things like this.  You might pass over large or iron targets, knowing that they aren't either coins or jewelry from the signal.

As I think back to my early days I could have missed a good number of things such as shipwreck spikes.  I was targeting gold jewelry and that took me to detecting areas where that is what I would most likely find, and I, as I said, I could have passed them up because they didn't sound anything like the things I was targeting.   I wouldn't pass up targets like that today.  Now I dig most everything unless there is a particular reason.



I'm still looking through ten pages of recently found metal detecting records.  I just noticed a couple days that I remember fairly well.

I enjoy going over my records, but I post it not only because you might find it interesting, but I select things that might make a point or illustrate something that I've said.

In my records I see that on September 8 of 1988 (I'll have to look at the order and figure that out) I went to a large park and detected most of the sandy areas, mostly volleyball courts, and logged a 14K kissing rams ear ring (I don't know what that is exactly now), 2 cheap rings, a heart locket, and Sterling Star of David charm.  The next day, 9/9, I went back to the same park but this time detected the swimming area and logged a small Sterling turquoise ring, small Sterling signet ring, and an 18K bracelet. 

The man's bracelet was heavy and by far the best find of these.  I remember detecting it and fanning the sand away and then seeing it appear.

I was using the 1280. Hmmm, thought I had my favorite Nautilus at that point, but it looks like I chose the 1280 for some reason.

I would occasionally select a detector for a specific situation.  I'm thinking that the 1280 was a little more compact, which might have been why I selected it.  I think I probably shortened the handle and worked under the water with a face mask so I wouldn't be so obvious.  That is often a good choice.  But as I recall there weren't many people at the swimming hole that day, which is what I prefer.  As I've said in the past, I prefer to not be too noticeable.  It is better to draw a lot of attention.  Kids and people in general can get in the way when you are trying to work.

Again, if you want to look back over the years, make your records more complete and clear than you
now might think you need too.  Some things won't be as easy to decipher years later.

At that park, they had sprinklers that came on every day in the morning and I liked to visit the sandy areas after the sprinklers had just watered the sandy areas.  It was not unusual to see a thin chain or something that had been uncovered by the sprinklers.  It is good to look at sandy areas after a good rain too.

I also used to record finds by taking photos, but should have linked the photos by number, date or something to the written records.

You are getting the benefit of experience here.  That is something I've learned that most people will pretty much ignore until they learn the same lesson for themselves.



An old log boat (just how old is any body's guess) was found in the Boyne River while shopping carts were being removed from the river.

This from the Irish Times makes a number of interesting points.

I was just talking about junk areas the other day, and these fellows while removing junk find something much more interesting. 

It can be worth sifting through junky areas.  You never know what you might find there if you have the patience and skill.

Secondly this article mentions that they might find more of those boats in the same area because they could have been washed down the river and got stuck there.  Once again, a good point.  Never forget the power of water to move things, and how things tend to accumulate in one area when water does move things.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/ancient-wooden-boat-found-in-the-boyne-river-1.1391540


Tomorrow I'll probably post some more shipwreck spike finds.


Somehow my posts got fouled up.  I don't know if this one was posted before or not.  If it did get posted, I think it was posted on the wrong day.  

Sorry!