12/31/14 Report - High Water and Shifted Sand On Treasure Coast. Rare Coin Sales. New Coin Laws.

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

One Beach This Morning Showing Shells On Flat Beach and Cut Back Near Dunes.

 I took a look at a few beaches this morning.  The water had been high recently.  You can see cuts back near the dunes.  And there were a lot of shells on the flat beaches back to near the dunes.

Here are some pictures from his morning.  Pardon the rain drops on the camera lens.

The sand had been shifted around.  There were some interesting beach features.

Same Beach Shown Above Showing The Front Slope and Small Cut In Front Of Shell Covered Flat Beach

Shells On Flat Beach

Surf Running Around Three Feet This Morning.

Another Beach This Morning Showing Small Cuts This Morning

The Professional Numismatists Guild said that in 2014, rare US coin sales topped 5 billion dollars.

A 1787-dated gold Brasher Doubloon sold for nearly 4.6 million dollars in 2014 and was one of a dozen United States rare coins that sold at auction for over one million dollars in 2014.


A bill has been introduced in the US Senate that includes a few provisions that would impact coin collecting.  If H.R. 5196: Unified Savings and Accountability Act becomes law, among other things, it would prevent the US Mint from producing coins that have a face value less than the cost to produce, which according to one article I read would include both pennies and nickels.  The bill also provides for a one dollar coin to replace the note.  Some say the bill has little chance of passing.

A Collectible Coin Protection Act was signed into law.  The law strengthen legislation against selling unmarked reproduction coins.  I doubt that really does much good. 

Here is a link for more on that.

http://news.coinupdate.com/collectible-coin-protection-act-becomes-law-4637/


Despite the fact that sand and shells were shifted a bit, I'm not increasing my beach detecting conditions rating.

Yesterday I posted the results of the poll concerning favorite finds of 2014.  Take a look if you didn't see it.

I got some interesting ideas on yesterday's mystery object.  I'll post them after I get some more.

Happy New Year!
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/30/14 Report - Strange Mystery Find. Blog Poll Results on Favorite Finds of 2014.

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

 I often show mystery items.  This one is a real mystery.  I've talked to my smart friend, Fred D., who gave me some good thoughts on the item, but he suggested that I post it and see what you all think of it.  I'm not going to tell you what Fred thought yet because I don't want to influence you.

I've had this item for a while hoping to learn something about it but so far it is still a mystery.

The item is about two inches in diameter.  It is ball shaped with a hole in one side. 

The hole is about an inch and a half across at its widest.  The hole tapers and little and goes down most of the way.

One side of the object appears to have lost some material.



It is composed of small pieces of shell.  The photos don't show it that well, but the grains are definitely small pieces of shells.  I can see that very clearly under magnification.  There is some sand in it too and some small unidentified particles.

Take a look at the last picture of the object, which shows a close-up vies of the outer surface of the object.

The picture just above that shows a close up view looking at the surface inside of the hole.

I think that is all I'll say about it.  Please send any ideas or thoughts about the object.

I'll tell you what I've concluded up to this point after I hear from what you all have to say.















Below are the results for the most recent blog poll about the most favorite finds of the year.  Since the poll was conducted during the busy holiday season, the sample size was smaller than usual.

US coin.	14 (18%)
Foreign coin.	3 (3%)
Old shipwreck cob or coin.	7 (9%)
Other old shipwreck item.	7 (9%)
Modern era Bottle, glass or ceramic.	1 (1%)
Fossil	1 (1%)
Modern era jewelry.	29 (37%)
Native American	2 (2%)
Other.	13 (16%)

As you can see the category of finds that was most often selected is modern jewelry.  We did see some nice pictures of expensive diamond rings and things like that which were found this year. 

The second most selected category of find US coins.  Among those were a good number of silver coins, including some that were "firsts" or "oldest" coin finds.

Modern jewelry and US coins added together accounted for over half of the favorite finds.

And the third most frequent favorite find category was "other."  To some extent that reflects the fact hat I left out some things from the poll.   I should have had a category for relics, or example.  We certainly saw some nice relics that were found this year.

The "other" category also includes some find that you might not think of.   For example, one person wrote to me and told me that their favorite find was information about the location of a sunken ship.  That certainly is a good find, but it is not something that I would ever think of including as a response category.

Only the top three categories were in the double digit percentages. 

Although a lot of people who read this blog target 1715 Fleet items, it was not a big year for those kinds of finds on the beaches.  We had poor conditions a lot of the time.  Still, the favorite find of 9% of those who responded was an old shipwreck cob or coin, with another 9% indicating that their favorite find was some other type of old shipwreck find.  The salvage guys did well this year.  We saw some of their impressive finds.

There were very few respondents who selected the remaining categories, however "foreign coins," "Native American," "modern era glass and ceramics," and "fossils" were all selected by at least on person.

Beach replenishment had a big impact of this year.  There sure has been a lot of it.  Older items are harder to find when sand is dumped on the beaches.  One of the best fossil beaches was ruined by recent replenishment. 

Modern jewelry led the way, followed by US coins and "other," with a smaller number of the highly sought shipwreck coins and artifacts after that.  That pretty much sums it up for the year, which is quickly coming to an end.


On the Treasure Coast we are supposed to have nothing more than about a 2 or 3 foot surf for several days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/29/14 Report - Gold From Panama. IPhone Apps For Detectorists. Lassale Watch Find.

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



Gold Plaque From Ancient Panama
Source: Popular Archaeology link in this post.

For more than a thousand years, a cemetery on the banks of the Rio Grande Coclé in Panama lay undisturbed, escaping the attention of gold seekers and looters. The river flooded in 1927, scattering beads of gold along its banks. In 1940, a Penn Museum team led by archaeologist J. Alden Mason excavated at the cemetery, unearthing spectacular finds—large golden plaques and pendants with animal-human motifs, precious and semi-precious stone, ivory, and animal bone ornaments, and literally tons of detail-rich painted ceramics.

Here is the link for the rest of the article.

http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/winter-01012015/article/penn-museum-exhibits-spectacular-finds-form-ancient-panama



This LASSALE looked nice, but I didn't know what it was exactly. I found out that LASSALE is a high-end Seiko.  This one is in good condition. 

I found a similar non-working one listed on eBay for $100.





Nice Looking Found Watch.



I think a lot of watches are missed because of discrimination.

Example of Photo Taken
With Mag Light App
Submitted by Dan B.

Many readers access this blog using an iPhone.  Dan B. alerted me to the fact that if you use a phone to access the blog you might have to look for the blog poll.  Here is what he said.

Thanks for the reminder about the poll. The cell phone website doesn't have the poll unless I scroll down and select view web version. I usually forget to vote. I like the bar graph to the side.



He also pointed out a couple of apps that he likes to use.  One of those apps ... is called Mag Light and is a magnifying glass camera with flashlight adjustment. This is just the free version. So you have to deal with the Ads.

He sent the picture to shown here to illustrate how well the app works.  The photo is of a dug lipstick case.   Nice photo!  Sounds useful.

He also told about another app, about which he said, The other app that I am starting to like is called Trail Maker. It allows you to name multiple locations and identifies them on a nice satellite photo that you can zoom in and out. Also let's you add pictures if you find something.


There is only a few hours left to respond to the blog poll. 


I'm not expecting any significant change in Treasure Coast beach detecting conditions in the next few days.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

 

12/28/14 Report - Lead And Other Toy Soldiers And How They Might Help You Date A Site.

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





Vintage Dug Lead Toys.

Toy soldiers have been around for centuries.  They go back to the time of ancient Egypt.

Most of us know the green plastic soldiers featured in the movie Toy Story, but toy soldiers have been around for a long time. 

Most lead soldiers predate 1966.

You might be surprised to learn that many have double-digit retail prices.

By the end of he 19th century, the Mignot and Heyde companies produced painted lead figures but they were expensive and only collected by the wealthy.

In  1893 the William Britains Co. invented the process of hollow casting that produced hollow lead soldiers which were less expensive.  Toy soldier collecting became more common.

Here are some additional highlights of the history of toy soldiers from the web site link below.



More Dug Metal Toys.

Readily available by the mid-50s, unpainted plastic toy soldiers were omnipresent in the toy boxes of children around the world. Their success launched the introduction of painted plastic figures, which soon surpassed the competing lead models in sculpting and painting sophistication.

During the post-WWII years, the U.S.-based Marx Toy Company and its rivals produced inexpensive boxed toy soldier playsets...

1966 marked a turning point in the history of toy soldiers. International concerns about lead poisoning brought about new laws which banned the manufacture of toys containing lead...

In the late 1960s and ‘70s, anti-war sentiment turned the tastes of the public away from military toys like toy soldiers...

In the mid-1970s, cottage industry companies like Tradition, Blenheim, Nostalgia, John Tunstill’s “Soldiers Soldiers” and Marlborough reintroduced metal soldiers, now made of pewter, antimony and tin...

By the early 1980s the metal soldier market was still miniscule. A newly resurgent Britains began to produce metal figures in a new alloy as early as 1973, but the production didn’t hit its stride for a decade or more. Plastic production was dropping off in the early ‘80s, falling further into oblivion to the point where many collectors could only obtain figures at tag sales, swap meets...

By the late ‘80s, the world of plastic toy soldiers had come back to life. The baby boomer collectors of the 1960s had grown up and were now looking to rebuild the collections they remembered so fondly.

In the plastic arena, the 1990s saw a huge revival in the toy soldier collecting community. Some call this renaissance the “Second Golden Age” of plastics (the first being the glory days of the 1950s).

I've quoted liberally from the following linked web site.  Check it out for more of the story.

http://www.toysoldierco.com/resources/toysoldierhistory.htm

I think this information might help you date a site.  I'm sure you'll come across a lead soldier or two if you do much detecting.



"ENGLAND" On Indians Leg.

The first soldier shown in the top picture is the hollow cast 2.25 inch variety following the type of the William Britains Company.

The second is lead and shows no evidence that it was ever painted

The third in the top picture is a colorfully painted lead Indian.  It appears to be higher quality.  It has considerable paint loss.  Most interesting is the word England on the back of one leg.

  The first soldier in the second picture is solid lead, no paint, and seems to depict a flame thrower.

I think I made that one myself and found it when detecting the yard of my old home.

I received a Christmas present one year that included an electric heater that melted lead and had molds for making your own toy soldiers.  I am pretty sure that is one that I made.

The knight is the only one of these figures that is not lead.  It is made of some other type of metal.  The details seem clearer on that one even though it is smaller.  It was found on a local beach.

By Far The Most Modern Of The Group.

The surf is supposed to get up to 3 to 5 feet this afternoon but wind is from the South.  Don't expect much improvement.

Don't forget to respond to the blog poll.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/27/14 Report - Baby Ring. Finding The Density Of An Unknown Object. Hoard of Blades. Le Griffon Shipwreck. St. George.

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

Baby Ring.

Yesterday I showed a heavy pendant.  This is a small item - only .025 troy ounce. 

It is less than a size 2.

You might want to get a mandrel so you can determine the size of rings you find.  They are not expensive. 

This one acid tests as gold filled. 


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Yesterday I mentioned calculating the density of objects to help determine the composition.

Here is a web site that explains the basics.

http://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=806

And here is a table of densities for most common metals.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/metal-alloys-densities-d_50.html

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A hoard of sword and knife blades was found by a detectorist. 

Two blade fragments, a scabbard fitting, a multi-edged knife and six copper ingot fragments were discovered by Adrian Young a few metres apart...

Here is the link for more of the story.

http://www.culture24.org.uk/history-and-heritage/archaeology/art511370-exotic-hoard-artefacts-found-in-field-hint-at-long-distance-bronze-age-sea-travel-say-archaeologists-in-wales

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Le Griffon vanished in 1679 on its way to the Niagara River from Green Bay, Wisconsin and it stayed hidden in Lake Michigan until just two years ago.

Here is a video,

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/12/24/divers-say-they-ve-found-holy-grail-of-shipwrecks/21120863/

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Picture of St. George submitted by Jerry R.

Jerry R. sent this picture and said the picture on yesterday's pendant is St. George slaying the dragon.  I'd say that is right.  Thanks Jerry!

-----

On the Treasure Coast the surf is still calm.  Tomorrow it is suppose to bump up to around five feet or so, however I'm not see anything but East and South winds predicted, so don't expect much out of that.

-------




Please remember to respond to the blog poll if you haven't already.  

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/26/14 Report - Heavy Gold Pendant. Gold Investing. Archimedes Principle For Calculating Density To Help Identify Metals.

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



Half Ounce 14K Gold Pendant.

I hope you had a good Christmas. My hope is to try to make every day special in some way.  I know I'll falter from time to time but with determination might actually do a little better than in the past.

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The medallion in this picture is heavy.  It measures exactly .5 troy ounces.

It appears to be a sailing ship depicted on this side.

I didn't find any karat stamp on it, which is unusual for modern gold items, but it acid tests to 14K.







Below is a picture of the other side.

Looks to me like a guy on a horse spearing a dragon.

In front of the horse it looks like the piece has a signature.  At first to me it looked like it said MONET, but when I took a closer look, probably not.




I took a closer photo of what appears to be the signature. See the closeup photo of the signature below. 

What do you think it says?

Maybe MONS_.   The last character seems jammed in and is hard to make out.








Also also below is a picture of the edge showing how thick the pendant is and how high-relief the image is on the pendant.

Signature Right Side Up - I think.

Well, if you can figure out the signature, let me know. 


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If you find or buy gold coins or bullion for investing, you might wonder which would appreciate more.  That is what one fellow asked. You might benefit from the response found on the following web site.


http://coins.about.com/od/goldrarecoininvesting/f/gold_investing.htm?utm_term=spot%20gold%20today&utm_content=p1-main-5-title&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=msn&utm_campaign=adid-d5c9c919-b020-47b8-9f59-4375610b4f1d-0-ab_msb_ocode-5990&ad=semD&an=msn_s&am=broad&q=spot%20gold%20today&dqi=&o=5990&l=sem&qsrc=999&askid=d5c9c919-b020-47b8-9f59-4375610b4f1d-0-ab_msb


-------------





Here is the mystery object found by Robert H. on a scale.  It weighs 35.7 grams.

Archimedes principle could be used to calculate the density of the object.

That is too much for me to deal with early in the morning on the day after Christmas though.

Maybe some other time.

There are tables that give the density of common metals.  I posted a good table like that one time.

--------------

Don't forget to respond to the blog poll.

The surf on the Treasure Coast will be one or two feet until late Saturday when it will increase.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/25/14 - A Christmas Story. Wishes for a special day.

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

An Antique Christmas Greeting Card
Received by grandpa in 1909.

A Christmas Story.

I am lucky - very lucky.

I woke up with a smile on my face today.  It was the result of years in the making. 

I thought about dad.  He's gone now, but I appreciate him more than I ever did.

He was a tough man.  He didn't know how to play.  He didn't know how to be silly.  He never had the chance when he was a child.  Life was too tough.  He didn't want it to be that way for me.  He must of had a gentle spot on the inside.

He didn't know how to play, but he knew how to give.  And he gave more than he ever had.  He gave more than he knew, and I'm not just talking about things.

Grandma made a big deal out of the holidays.  That is the kind of person she was.  She liked to do things.  She did everything she could to create special times.  Grandpa went along.  He was always good for a giggle.

None of them are on this earth now, but they are still here. Grandma's homemade ornaments hang on my tree.  The cheap little dolly she dressed with scraps of fabric and adorned with a crown of cardboard covered with glitter is honored at the top of my tree.

My mom is still here.  She is the only one of the older generation remaining from my childhood.  She struggles without dad and grandma and those who made memories for her in the past.

All of that could sound sad, but it is not.  Those who are no longer here created wonderful memories -  memories as lasting and real and beautiful as the ornaments on my tree.  Today I'll get together wih mom and craft more memories to go with those that I already have.  I hope I can make new memories for mom that are as nice for her as the ones she made or me.  I'm glad I have my wife to help me with that.



Create the best memories you can today out of whatever you are given to work with.
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/24/14 Report - More On The Mystery Find. Metal or Ceramic? Smooth Surf For More Days.

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

Another Picture of The Mystery Object.
Find and photo by Robert H.

Mystery objects, or what I call "whatzits," can be a lot of fun.  You can learn a lot while doing the research to figure them out.  I've already learned some things from this one.

If you didn't see the pictures of this object that I showed in yesterday's post, take a look.

The first thing that struck me is what appears to be an ornamental design that you can see in the top picture of yesterday's post.  I'd never noticed that on an olive jar before. 

Then Robert told me something else.  Here is what he said.

I was also very convinced it was some sort of pottery but now I'm not so sure. On the CTX it gives off a silver reading and tone. I scratch tested it when I got home. 3 different corners. It all seems to be metal but I could be wrong. I'm thinking pewter or bronze possibly. I would say it was 8 to 9 inches or more deep in the sand. It gave off such a nice strong signal the whole time. Could be the shape the reason why it sounded like it did. I've found gold rings that have sound like silver items or copper/zinc pennies or reading on the detector. All depending on the different metals alloyed. I guess the real question would be how does bronze or pewter react with my detector.

Interesting!  The new picture, which I posted above does appear to show a metallic shine on some of the edges and corners.  He said that It gives a silver tone on the CTX.   Now, like Robert, I started to think it might actually not be a sherd.  But then I got some more good information.

William B., who has been working on the Capitana for a couple of seasons, provided some great  information.  Here is what he said.

I work on the Capatana out of Sebastian. Regarding the shard ...  most of the olive jar pieces found on the 1715 fleet wrecks will ring on a detector, as will ballast stones. They obviously have some metal content, probably iron.  I have only been diving for 2 seasons but I have found hundreds of pottery shards and I have never seen a pattern as the one posted by Dan. Also, it looks a little too thin to be an olive jar shard.

Thanks much William.

OK.  So now I don't know if it is pottery or metal.  It evidently gave off a detector signal, but I just learned that olive jars shards found on the 1715 Fleet wrecks can cause a detector signal. 

I guess the signal could be the result of mineral deposits, such as leached iron, or maybe he signal is from clay or paste bearing mineral deposits or something that was added to the paste. 

It could also be something in the glaze.   Iron glazes, for example,  are common and have been used for centuries.

When I first learned that the piece emitted a detector signal, I wondered if there might actually be something embedded in it - possibly something being smuggled.  That seems very unlikely.

Even if the piece is a type of pottery, it does not appear to be an olive jar, since according to my reading, and more importantly, William's experience, it would be rare for an olive jar to have such a decoration.

So at this point, I don't know if it is pottery or not, but if it is a piece of an olive jar, it definitely seems to be an unusual one.  Maybe it ornamentation was applied later, or maybe it was manufactured as some other object or type of container from the beginning.

It is always more difficult to identify an object from pictures when you can hold or test an object for yourself.

Even though we haven't yet solved the puzzle, I've learned a few things in the process.

I love hearing the thoughts and opinions of the many knowledgeable readers of this blog.  I didn't mention all of the excellent comments that I received relevant to this object in this post.

-------

On the Treasure Coast we'll have a smooth surf at least until this weekend when the surf might be a touch bigger.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/23/14 Report - Very Interesting Mystery Find. Gold Band Found. Buckle Found. New Blog Poll Posted.

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



Find and photos by Robert H.

Here is a very interesting find made by Robert H.

Notice the design shown on the top picture and the ridge and groove shown in the bottom picture.

Robert would appreciate any ideas about the piece.  If you've seen a piece like this before or know of some good references, let us know.

Great find Robert!  I'll do some looking.

Other Side of Same Sherd.

One good book that might be helpful is John Goggin's The Spanish Olive Jar; An Introductory Study.

I'm not saying this is a Spanish olive jar, but just that these references might be worth checking.

Below is one very good link for information about Spanish olive jars.  It is from the book Pottery From Spanish Shipwrecks 1500 - 1800, by Mitchell W. Marken.

It is a preview of the book and is limited to one chapter or so, but it is a very good chapter.

Again, if you have any thoughts on this sherd, let us know. 

Here is the link I mentioned above.

http://books.google.com/books?id=-4q8LQ4WA90C&pg=PA41&dq=isbn:0813012686&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false


And here is another good link.

http://www.academia.edu/8566480/Sean_Kingsley_Michael_Decker_and_Ellen_Gerth_Rome_in_Spain_Spain_in_the_Americas_Amphoras_Olive_Jars_and_the_Economics_of_Long-Distance_Trade


This is the type of thing that can be found during a calm surf after a period of rough or high water. 

Added Later:  It appears the object might not be a sherd at all.   Gives a metallic reading on the detector.

-------

Steve from Iowa is in the area and hit some gold.  Here is what he said.

Arrived for my annual Christmas visit and checked out one of my local
spots. Pretty much sanded in. I noticed up the beach an area that looked
flat as if the beach had a slight fold in it so I decided to give it a
try. Shortly after I began detecting I got a whisper of a signal and dug
it. I spread the sand out with my foot and before I could swing the coil
over it I caught a glint of gold. Picked it up and lo! It was man's fat
gold 14 karat wedding band. Ten minutes later I found another ring, this
time an old junky one. It proves your point to check out those out of the
way areas. I'd never gone up there, so it paid off. Thanks for all your
great advice.

Thanks for writing Steve.






Nice Dug Buckle
Find and photo by Dan B.

Yesterday I showed a Masonic ring found by Dan B.   Have a look if you didn't see that.

Here is another nice find from Dan B.









------------

As we come to the end of 2014, a slow year for sure, it is a good time to look back and find out what people were finding.

I posted a new blog poll.   As always, your participation is helpful.

-----------

For those of you who wrote with get well wishes, my back is improving quickly. 

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On the Treasure Coast we'll have one more day of two-foot surf and then we'll get a few days of slightly increased surf, though nothing that I'd expect to significantly change beach detecting conditions.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/21/14 Report - A First Gold Ring Find For One Detectorist. Blog Poll Results Summary.

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

First Gold Ring Found By Dan B.
Photo by Dan B.

Concerning this Masonic gold ring, here is what Dan B. said.  As soon as I did my tests and started pulling tabs out of the ground, I found my first gold ring. Masonic at that! Funny thing was, the back is separated like a kids you ring, due to a previous repair. So I was thrilled to feel some weight.

Did you notice that he said he was digging tabs?

That is a unique ring for a Mason's ring - not one of the standard off-the-shelf varieties.

Great find Dan!  Congratulations on your first!

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The most recent blog poll has concluded and the results are in.  Nearly half of the respondents (47%) indicated that the primary reason they detect is simply because it is fun.  They enjoy it.  What more can you say?  I won't try to break it down to all of the elements that make it fun, but you never know what you might find.  There is always the element of possible surprise and discovery.  And it is nice just being out there on the beach or wherever.

Nearly as many (42%) indicated that uncovering or touching a piece of the past is their biggest reason for detecting.  I suspect that that number is so high because this blog is very much about the Treasure Coast where we have a lot of interesting history and that is what a lot of people shoot for here. 

The third biggest reason selected by this blog's readers is financial.  It was the third highest response but still only 5% selected improving their financial situation as the "biggest" reason for detecting.  Again, that number would probably be higher if the focus of this blog was not the Treasure Coast. 

Something valuable can always pop up and some people make that their primary objective and become quite good at it.  Beach detecting on the Treasure Coast is not the easiest place to be successful if you want to make a living from metal detecting even though it is one of the better places if you have a salvage lease, but it is still not easy. 

There was a time when I hunted to maximize financial gain.  I lived down South then and kept track of how I was doing.  I was between jobs for six months one time and during that time proved to myself that I could make a living at detecting if I had to.  It is not easy, and for me trying to maximize the dollar value took a lot of the fun out of detecting.  I like detecting more for fun rather than doing it as a profession, but if you need or want to and are willing to work really hard, it is possible if you are good at it.  Now I do it more as a hobby and have the freedom to do it at leisure.  I don't have to go for the maximum value in finds and can hunt the things and way that I like, even if it isn't the most profitable. 

The next most frequently selected response (selected by 2% of the sample)  was "intellectual curiosity."  Some people like to figure things out, solve problems and learn.  Of course that can be coupled with some of the other objectives, but it is the primary motivation for some.

Both "social enjoyment" and "helping others" was each selected by one person as the biggest reason they like detecting.  I'd bet that the person who selected "helping others" has enjoyed returning some nice finds to those that lost them.

Well, maybe you found it hard to select one answer out of all the alternatives, but over a hundred people managed to do so.   Here is what Robert H. said is his biggest motivation.  The next best or rare find. I'm really driven to find Spanish treasure. Big catches would be amazing also. So I guess there's lots to it and hard to just name one thing.

I'm sure a lot of us are out there hoping for that rare or big find and never know when it might happen.  I'm sure the suspense of it all is something that adds a lot to the hobby for all of us.  You never know what exciting thing might pop up or when it might happen.  Maybe it will be today or tomorrow, but if you keep at it long enough I'm sure you'll hit something that surprises and excites you.

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I hurt my back yesterday morning trying to recover a big heavy item.  I could barely move at all yesterday but am quickly getting better.  I wanted to remind you to be careful.  Various kinds of injuries can occur while detecting.  I've had a variety myself over the years.

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On the Treasure Coast we're not expecting around a two-foot surf for a few days yet.  We are finally getting some negative tides though.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/20/14 Report - West Palm Beach. Detectorists Find Hoard of 200 Viking Coins. Another Treasure Trove Found.

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




West Palm Beach 12/18/14
Photo by Joe D.

Joe said this was formed when the water was high, but he didn't find any older items there.

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It is always nice to find a hoard.  There is one older yard in Florida that has produced hundreds of silver coins.  I don't have permission to talk about it yet, but hopefully someday soon.

A trove of 200 Viking coins that was uncovered in a field in North Jutland is considered to be one of the most significant archaeological discovery in decades.

 

A team of three amateur archaeologists, the youngest just 16 years old, found the silver coins using metal detectors last September in a field near the northern Jutland town of Strandby.

The coins date back to around the year 990...

Here is the link for more of that story.

http://cphpost.dk/news/rare-trove-of-viking-coins-discovered-by-amateurs.5322.html

Amateurs with metal detectors make a lot of important discoveries.

While restoration work is being undertaken at the star fortress Kastellet in the centre of Copenhagen, archaeologists from the Museum of Copenhagen, have had the rare opportunity to thoroughly examine areas of the historic military site. During the search a trove of coins, dated between 1649 and 1787, was found.

 

The trove comprises nine copper coins and 23 silver pieces. In total, 620 metal objects were found in the area, including musket balls and other pieces of used or discarded ammunition.

Here is the link for more of that article.

http://cphpost.dk/news/coins-at-kastellet-archaeologist-strikes-silver.12084.html


On the Treasure Coast a very calm surf is predicted for at least a week, so don't expect any significant changes now.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/19/14 Report - Buying A New Detector. Cheap Batteries. Viking Find In Canada. Deadly Shipwreck.

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

Two Nice Railroad Tags Dug by Michael E.
Great photo Michael! Thanks.

I've been thinking of buying a new detector, but haven't made the decision yet.  I have one in mind and pretty much decided on that, it is just a matter of pulling the string and spending the money - something I am always slow to do. 

In this case I seriously doubt if it would be cost justified.  What detector would be best is always a complex matter that depends upon a lot of things.  One thing to consider is your reason for detecting.  That is what my blog poll is about. 

One way to make the decision is a cost/benefit analysis.  It is really difficult to figure out how much you would find if you had one particular detector over another.  I suspect that in most cases the actual benefit of a new detector is over rated, yet a few additional quality finds is all it takes.

A cost/benefit analysis is most relevant if you are one of those people who detect primarily to improve your financial situation.  If you detect mostly for fun or some other reason, a cost/benefit analysis would be less relevant.

There are many factors in choosing a detector, and where you live and detect is one of the more important factors.  Having detected in different areas of the country, I've been very impressed by the importance of location.  It makes a big difference where you are.  One area might offer ten times the amount of quality finds as another area. As one example, South Florida is hugely different from the Treasure Coast in both the number and type of finds

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You can get an eight pack of AA batteries at Dollar Tree for one dollar.  I'll be testing those cheap batteries to see how they perform.

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Can you believe we are less than a week from Christmas 2014?  It seem like it wasn't but a few weeks ago that I was sitting here doing the first post of the year, and now the year is almost gone.

Christmas can be stressful.  With all the shopping and trying to find the perfect gift for everyone and trying to get family together, it is easy to get stressed or disappointed.  Instead of getting stressed, remember what is important.  It is more important to celebrate the day and enjoy the time and people.  Don't let all the expectations turn into disappointments.  Forgive, forget when it is generous to do so, remember the blessings, and keep joy in your heart so you can give it to others.  Joy, love and peace are among the best gifts.

I've been blessed in life.  I can look back on those who cared for me knowing they did the best they could.  I'm grateful for that.  Maybe they made some mistakes along the way.  How can I say?  I'm sure I did.  They were just people too.   I couldn't want any more.

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A small stone artifact recovered from a Paleo-Eskimo site on Baffin Island is important evidence of a Viking presence in Arctic Canada around 1000 CE, says a team of scientists led by Dr Patricia Sutherland of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Here is the link for more.

http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/science-viking-presence-arctic-canada-02349.html

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A man was stranded on a small island for five days before being rescued.  Here is that link.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/video/castaway-found-on-remote-island-after-5-days/373720643698/Comcast/fanNews_newest?cid=hero_sf_castaway

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Here is the story of the Golden Gate's deadliest shipwreck.

http://news.yahoo.com/golden-gates-deadliest-shipwreck-located-175612345.html

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On the Treasure Coast we'll have a very calm surf through Christmas if the predictions are correct.  That means poor beach detecting conditions but easy water hunting.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/18/14 Report - Another Type of Once-In-A-Lifetime Find. Calm Surf and Poor Beach Detecting Conditions.

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

There are once-in-a-lifetime finds.  They aren't always big things like the Atocha or Queen's Jewels.  Sometimes they are little things, but you just don't expect to ever find another one.

Here is one of those for me.  It isn't a gold coin.  I don't really consider them once-in-a-life time.  I've found two of them in one weekend.  One was from the 1900s and one from the 1700s.   I don't ever expect to find two from two different centuries in one weekend again.  But what I'm talking about today is something different.

You can see it here.  You probably can't tell what it is.  It isn't the best picture.  I haven't been able to get a really good picture of it. 

It is a wax seal.  I'll try to point out some of the detail in another picture. 

When you look up wax seals you'll mostly find the lead or carved stones that are used to make an impression in the wax.  This is the wax with the impression on it.

I don't ever expect to find another.  I find it hard to believe that I even found one.  It was eye-balled  at the edge of the water on a calm surf day, very much like today.  The sky was blue and the water was calm. 

It was found at Turtle Trail.

But the thing that amazes me is that the wax lasted so long.  It was evidently covered by sand and protected.  I don't think it could ever have survived very long in rough surf.

I tried to highlight some of the details in this picture.

The shape seems to be four double lobes. See the red outline.

Inside is an eagle.  To the right, I drew a red line around the one wing.  You can see it best in the picture.  I outlined the head of the eagle, some of the body and the leg feathers.

Below is another image of a wax seal which is similar but not the same.  It shows about the same type of eagle, with wings spread, leg feathers, turned head, etc.



There are no words that I've been able to see on the wax seal I found.

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The surf on the Treasure Coast today was very calm.  It was almost like a summer beach again. 

The cuts that I showed a few days ago are mostly filled again.

The front of the beach shown in the first picture below had a lot of new mush sand on the beach front.

Treasure Coast Beach As Seen Near Low Tide This Morning.

The above video shows the calm surf gently lapping at the beach.

There were some shells and pieces of fossils.   There might be a surprise like my wax seal.  You never know.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/16/14 Report - Extensive Government Shipwreck Study. 4200 Year-Old Sword. 4000 Year-Old Hopi Items Repatriated.

Written by the Treasure Guide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.


Sonar Image of City of Rio De Janeiro
Source: noaa.gov link found in this post.

NOAA and its partners ... released three-dimensional sonar maps and images of an immigrant steamship lost more than 100 years ago in what many consider the worst maritime disaster in San Francisco history..

... California-based salvagers found the wreck in the 1980s, but its exact location was unknown as the coordinates they provided did not coincide with any wreck charted by NOAA through years of sonar work.

Here is the link for more about this shipwreck and an extensive NOAA study of shipwrecks in the San Francisco area.

http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/2014/pr121014.html

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A sword found by a detectorist in 1989 dates to around 4200 years old and belonged to a warrior now known as Racton Man.   ...Racton Man was probably a tribal leader from the very beginning of the Bronze Age. Their research makes him significant on a national scale. Scientists have determined that he was buried more than 4,000 years ago and was over 45 at the time of his death.

Here is the link for more of the story.

http://www.chichester.gov.uk/article/25733/Warrior-Chief-with-earliest-bronze-weapon-may-have-died-in-combat

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For most people there is something that they in some way consider sacred.  For example, most people show a certain amount of respect for the dead.  They treat bodies and cemeteries with reverence.  That sense of respect is in my opinion natural and occurs even in people that have no particular religious commitment or awareness. 

Very often what looks like reverence is little more than the result of social pressure or political correctness and nothing more. 

Recently a number of four-thousand-year-old artifacts were returned to the Hopi's.  The word "returned" may be misleading.  I doubt if any real connection between modern Hopi's and the original owners of the artifacts 4000 years ago can be demonstrated.  Nonetheless the artifacts were treated as sacred and shipped according to the prescriptions of modern tribal representatives, including no bubble wrap or any other method of packing that would "hinder spirit" or be considered inappropriate treatment.

I know that this brief discussion is vague and maybe somewhat imprecise, but I think you will find the articles located through the following links interesting.  There are a number of issues brought up and a number of areas of conflict.   While archaeologists know they must adhere to laws concerning repatriation, some think those laws do more harm than good. 

I also have to wonder if Christian objects and artifacts would be treated with the same sensitivity and respect as those that were returned to the Hopis.  I somehow doubt it, but that is just my suspicion. 

I found the following articles concerning the repatriation of these objects interesting because of the many seemingly contradictory positions and the many issues brought up.

Take a look.

http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2012/12/effort-to-return-hopi-artifacts-stirs.html#.VI3pFOl0zIU

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/arts/design/secret-bids-guide-hopi-indians-spirits-home.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


I hope you read Laura Strolia's article that I posted yesterday.  Take some time to stop and think about it.  How does it apply to you?  Do you pay proper respect to the history and religious items you encounter as a detectorist?

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On the Treasure Coast tomorrow the surf will be down to 1 - 2 feet.  The river is also smooth.  We'll be having a calm surf at the beach for several days if the predictions are correct.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/15/14 Report - Proper Respect For History & Religious Artifacts. Deadiest San Fran Shipwreck Found. Barber Dime.

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

Barber Dime
Find and photo by Dan B.

This is the first Barber found by Dan B.  

Congratulations Dan!







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You might know of Laura Strolia, author and researcher.  I've posted some of her articles before and mentioned her book The Marigalera of the 1715 Fleet.  Here is a new article from Laura that addresses the subject of religious artifacts, such as those from the 1715 wreck sites.  I also once posted an article she wrote about the Pelican of Piety.

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Around the bend is the 300^th year anniversary of the 1715 fleet disaster, a time when people will stop and reflect on the tragic event that took so many lives.  Stimulating thoughts about history requires stories of the past to be presented in truth and with integrity.  Over the decades the 1715 fleet story has been told with little or no corresponding references and sources.  Names and details have been lost or exaggerated, and assumptions have been made with false or incomplete premises, thus creating the framework for pieces of fiction. 

Recently, a published article about the 1715 fleet named a certain passenger who was on one of the ships, Pedro Colarte y Dowers, the first Marqués del Pedroso.  This nobleman was indeed a successful Flemish merchant and art collector, as stated in this magazine account.  There is, however, a major problem to bring to light.   Pedro Colarte was never on the 1715 fleet because he died in 1701.  The young Colarte moved to the city of Cádiz, Spain, in 1649.  He then married, started a family, and his son, Carlos Francisco, was born in 1654.  He was made a knight of the Spanish Orden de Santiago in 1663, and passed away around the age of 70. 

In another section of this publication, it was said a recently discovered religious reliquary pendant, mistakenly identified as a pyx, was going to the Vatican in 1715.  To make an assumption as this, especially when dealing with religious artifacts that represent the very heart of the Holy Faith, shows a lack of respect and an absence of valid research.  To some it may even reflect ulterior motives associated with dollar signs.

It is worth noting that objects of devotion that have been “blessed” should never be sold, improperly used, or “thrown out.”  They have been solely dedicated for divine veneration or worship to God.  Father William Saunders of Our Lady of Hope Church, Potomac Falls, VA, makes some good points.  “Living in a society where things have become so disposable, we must differentiate from trash those religious objects that have been blessed and dedicated to God for sacred use.  My heart breaks every time I enter an antique store or look on EBay or another website and find a chalice, a reliquary (sometimes still containing a relic), vestments, and other objects that were once used for the holy Mass. …The owners should have tried to find these religious objects a new home in a mission church or disposed of them in the proper way.”

To conclude, written history is not about random words found on paper.  The content should reflect a certain culture while revealing the many material objects of earlier days, thus touching the reader on an intellectual, emotional, or spiritual level.  Our passion should lie in getting the history right for future generations.  Concerning those people who traveled on the fleet, or had any connection or ties to it, shouldn’t we make a conscious effort to keep their memories true to their past existence? – Laura Strolia

Sources:  Brown, Jonathan. Painting in Spain: 1500-1700. New Haven: Yale UP,    1998.

              Moreri, Louis. El gran diccionario historic, o Miscellanea curiosa de la  Historia Sagrada y profana… Paris, 1753.

                http://catholicherald.com/stories/Disposal-of-religious-items,26265

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Here is a Yahoo News article about what has been called the deadliest shipwreck of San Francisco.

In dark waters just outside the Golden Gate Bridge, archaeologists have pinpointed the final resting place of the worst shipwreck in San Francisco's history. 

New sonar maps show for the first time the mud-covered grave of the SS City of Rio de Janeiro, nearly 300 feet (91 meters) below the surface. The steamer sank on Feb. 22, 1901, just before reaching its destination, with 210 people on board, most of them Chinese and Japanese immigrants...

Here is the link for the rest of the article.

http://news.yahoo.com/golden-gates-deadliest-shipwreck-located-175612345.html

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On the Treasure Coast we have something like a 2 - 3 foot surf now.  Towards the end of the week it will down around one foot.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net

12/14/14 Report - Our Lady of Guadalupe Imagery and St. Juan Diego. New Poll. November Favorites. Token Found.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeaches report.blogspot.com.



Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe 

I believe I at least did one post on Our Lady of Guadalupe.  I found a medallion with the image on it and gave the history, however as long as I searched I could not come up with that old post or the picture of the medallion.  I gave up on finding the photo and didn't want to make a new photo so I'll take the easy way out and use the picture from wikipedia.

I think I probably found more than one of those medallions but don't remember for sure.  I do make mistakes.  I'm sure you are all aware of that.

While going through the search for that old post, I noticed that I posted the photo of the wrong object a couple of times.  It happens.

Anyway, I found this interesting article about Our Lady of Guadalupe and wanted to post a good picture to go with the article, so I used the picture from wikipedia.

To give just a little background, below is the first paragraph from the article that gets into the symbolism of the image and how the imagery communicated to and helped evangelize the Aztecs.

Mary appeared on Tepeyac Hill in 1531 to a new convert to Christianity, St. Juan Diego.  This was the site of the temple of the pagan mother-goddess Tonantzin. The fact that the Mother of the true God appeared on Tepeyac Hill told the people that Mary was to replace Tonantzin and that Christianity was to replace the Aztec religion.

Here is the link to an article about the imagery of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  It tells what the imagery meant to the Aztecs, how it was used to communicate Christianity and some other good history.

http://spiritdaily.com/A1313guadalupesymbols.htm

It is very possible that you've found a medallion bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe so you might want to understand the significance of the image.

The feast day of Our Lady of Gaudalupe was held on Dec. 12 this year.

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/NewsBriefs/Default.aspx?rssGuid=our-lady-of-guadalupe-mass-draws-thousands-in-la-71803/

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I posted a new poll.  You might find it difficult to give one answer since there is probably more than one reason that you like metal detecting, but try to decide which is the biggest or best reason for you.  If you've been metal detecting for a long time, maybe the main attraction for you has changed over time.  It has for me.

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The most read post of November was the 11/11/14 Report - Detecting Up North On A Quick Trip. Decoder Mystery Solved. Orphan Annie Radio Program. Fort Pierce Shark Attack,  while the most Google Plused post of November was the 11/25/14 Report -  Metal Detecting Target Distribution Patterns and Search Strategies - One Excellent Example.   Sedwick Auction Results Online.

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Nice Token Found by Dan B.
Photo by Dan B.

On the Treasure Coast we have a 2 -3 foot surf today and tomorrow.  It looks like it will be less than that for the next few days.  There are a few select spots where it might be worth checking the low tide zone after the high water and waves we had.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net