Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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| Ring and Silver Coins Found in Yard Finds and Photos by Dan B. |
As I've said before, you don't have to drive long distances to metal detect. Your own back yard can be an excellent place to do a little detecting and add to your skill level.
Dan B., while continuing to learn to use his detector, found these silver coins and ring in his own yard. He says that the finds surprise him since his property has so little history.
You never know to you look.
If you've gone over your yard many times, don't let that stop you. I'll bet you can still get something out of it as you learn new things.
In my previous post I mentioned that about one in five people who detected during November found a cob or treasure coin. During that time period I had a level three rating for a several days.
I've been trying to quantify my rating scale. Those numbers work out well. It appears that what I've been calling level three detecting conditions will give you about a one in five chance of finding a cob or treasure coin on the Treasure Coast.
Roughly approximating, I'll say that with level two conditions the probability would be about `10%, level three detecting conditions would give you about a 30% chance, and level five, a 40% and up chance. Level one conditions would give less than a one percent chance of finding cobs or treasure coins on the beach.
I'll test those hypothetical numbers out in the future and continue to refine my beach detecting conditions scale. It may be a good while before we get level four or five conditions. They don't happen often, which makes it more difficult to quantify. Nonetheless, I've been happy with how well my predictions have worked out so far and how the data has supported my guesses.
One thing I found out in the poll that was summarized in my 11/29 post is that if you found one cob, the probability is very high (about 4 - 1) that you found more than one. That data referred to a time period when the conditions rating as level three for multiple days. I doubt that the probability of multiple finds is as high if the good conditions do not last as long.
I'll address what the poll says about silver cob or treasure coin finds today.
First, the most recently concluded poll confirms my belief that more cobs found on the beach are cobs of smaller denominations.
Of the reales reported found in this poll, it appears that something like two thirds were either half-reales or one-reales. The same number of people reported finding half-reales as one-reales (5).
In previous posts I've shown photos of both half-reales and one-reales found during November.
Two people reported finding two-reales and two reported finding 4-reales.
Only one person reported finding an eight-reale.
It has been my theory that more lower denomination cobs are found on the beach, and that is supported by the data.
I also believe different beaches produce different size cobs. Bon Steel, for example has long been know for it's small cobs. The fact that there is no known shipwreck pile adjacent to the beach might be significant, but many questions remain.
The source of the cobs might also be significant. My theory is that the larger cobs tend to come from the back dunes more than being washed up onto the beach, but that is just a theory with almost no data to either support or refute it. Can it be that it takes more to wash the larger cobs up onto the beach? Sounds like a possibility to me, but I can't say.
Very small cobs, especially small half-reales seem to be washed up not too much differently than shells at times.
I've also commented in previous posts about how under-weight many of the beach cobs are and gave weights for some. It is not surprising that silver cobs corrode and deteriorate in the rough salt water surf. They will not last forever. Some appear to have lost nearly two-thirds of their original minted weight. Of course some are exposed to more hostile conditions, while others remain hidden and somewhat more protected from the rough surf and salt water.
When the back dunes erode, I think more eight-reales will be found. That will more than likely be during level four or five beach conditions.
There is more good poll information that I'll explore in the future.
Here is an interesting article about the lost colony of Roanoke Island.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131208-roanoke-lost-colony-discovery-history-raleigh/
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
